It’s not easy being a celebrity, even if it does come with money (sometimes), fame and glamorous perks.
R&B singer Ari Lennox recently sounded off about how living in the spotlight can oftentimes come with critics who refuse to allow her grace to speak her mind or even make a misstep in public.
After posting a throwback photo of herself on Instagram Thursday, the DMV native captioned the now-deleted photo, “Man I wish I could start over.”
“Wish I never showed the world my personality. Wish I never did an IG Live. Wish I wasn’t so naive,” she continued before adding that she’s retreated from sounding off on social media because people can be so judgmental.
“Honestly wish this was a world where you could be free and not be judged,” Lennox added. “Me opening up myself to the world has only damaged my career, but realistically how many people really vouching for soul in mainstream? I felt my personality helped, but it hasn’t. I literally can’t be a carefree woman. I have to live a lie because people are so judgmental and self righteous.”
The “Shea Butter Baby” singer concluded her lengthy caption by writing, “People think the industry is the worst part of being successful, no it’s the people judging your every move.”
Although we hope Lennox won’t give up on sharing her bubbly and infectious personality with her fans, we totally understand if she does. The R&B singer stepped in hot water back in February when she criticized Gayle King, who asked the late Kobe Bryant’s friend Lisa Leslie about his past rape allegations, calling King and her best friend Oprah Winfrey “s–t f–k asses.”
The 29-year-old later apologized, writing on her Tumblr page that she was “acting like an ass” and “impulsively spiraled cause I was sick of seeing the distasteful shade especially at such a terrible and sad time towards someone I know is good person.”
Lennox isn’t the only singer to complain recently about interacting with fans on social media and off-line. Summer Walker also shared that her social anxiety has made it hard for her to be in the spotlight, and even canceled 20 tour dates because of it. And earlier this year, Lizzo said she was taking a break from Twitter because of trolls. “Yeah, I can’t do this s–t no more. Too many trolls. I’ll be back when I feel like it,” she wrote in a tweet back in January.