2020 was a year that urged all of us to be a bit more compassionate, as well as vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic has been trying, to say the least, and we have each been tasked with keeping one another strong. We laughed together, cried together and felt the shifts of the world as one. Celebrities were not exempt from this collective feeling and used this time to let us get a glimpse of the inner workings of their lives.
Sometimes when we think of stars, we think that they’re perfect and that they’re so different from us. That’s not true though—they are all experiencing life just as we are. We salute the celebrities who have the courage to get real because they’re helping us on our journeys as well.
We rounded up a list of a few of the times our faves got vulnerable this year. Keep scrolling to give it a read.
01
Rep. Ayanna Pressley
In January 2020, the U.S. representative opened up about dealing with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. “I think it’s important that I’m transparent about this new normal,” Pressley said to The Root. She shared that she would no longer be wearing wigs and was making bold steps towards embracing herself.
02
Chrissy Teigan
In October, Chrissy publicly shared news of the devastating loss of her third child during pregnancy. Teigan and her husband, singer John Legend, were candid about the complications of the pregnancy and she spoke about having two blood transfusions in late September. Following the miscarriage, Teigan wrote a Medium post about the tragic experience, saying “I wrote this because I knew for me I needed to say something before I could move on from this and return back to life, so I truly thank you for allowing me to do so.”
03
Keke Palmer
On December 1st, Palmer took to Instagram to share her truth—that she had spent years dealing with polycistic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The hormonal disorder causes enlarged ovaries and cysts and severe breakouts (and subsequent scarring) are frequent as well. She says that she plans on treating both the disorder and the acne and revealed that she was being so open to let fans know “that it’s okay.”
04
Taraji P. Henson
For her Facebook Watch show, Peace of Mind with Taraji, the Oscar-nominee talked about suicidal ideation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “For a couple of days, I couldn’t get out of the bed, I didn’t care. That’s not me. Then, I started having thoughts about ending it,” she said. This went on for two days before she reached out to a friend to help her through it.
05
Lizzo
The “Good as Hell” singer recently talked about once having “negative thoughts” about her body. In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, she said, “I came home and took my clothes off to take a shower, and I just started having all these really negative thoughts about myself, like, ‘What’s wrong with me? Maybe all the mean things people say about me are true.'” Over the course of her career, the 32-year-old has been celebrated for promoting body positivity.
06
Janelle Monáe
For an August interview with Shape, singer/songwriter Monáe discussed navigating abandonment issues. “My dad was in and out of my life growing up, and other instances where I felt abandoned were coming up to the surface,” she said. Since identifying the issue, she started writing as a form of release and is on the path to healing.
07
Jada Pinkett-Smith
Pinkett-Smith’s show, Red Table Talk is all about honesty and getting to the root of issues. In August, the actress decided to bring herself to the table, where she talked to her husband, Will Smith, about their period of separation.
08
SZA
Following the deaths of multiple loved ones, SZA has said that she was depressed.”I’ve buried so many people in my life, you would think that I would be used to it,” she said to
Rolling Stone. “But my grandma broke the threshold for me. It was so weird to not have any…I don’t know, any control over anything.” While recovering, she embraced crystals, mediation, sound bowls and daily exercise.
