Michelle Williams Opens Up About Struggling With Depression While In Destiny's Child

Former member of Destiny's Child, Michelle Williams, is remembering her time in the limelight while simultaneously dealing with her mental health struggles. Although the singer said her "depression started way before being on the pop music scene," on the June 15 episode of the "Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino" podcast, she said there was little room to cope with her depression while a part of the girl group. 

"I didn't have time. It was like, 'Girl we on a moving train.' We ain't got time to be talking about [that at this time]," she said when asked why her fellow group members, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé Knowles, didn't know about her struggles. "The group was already killing it and you know on its way and I just felt like as long as there was a whirlwind, as long as I was constantly busy, then I didn't have the time to even realize I was really depressed." Keep scrolling to see what else Williams said about her depression.

Although Michelle Williams knew something wasn't right with her mental health while she was a part of Destiny's Child, she said she didn't really address her issues until many years later, despite her efforts. 

"There was the time where I walked into an office in SONY and disclosed that I half and half think I'm, you know, depressed," Williams recalled while speaking on the "Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino" podcast. "And they were like, 'Well, well you can't possibly be depressed. I mean look at all the good things going.' You know? 'You all got some good things going.'" 

"So I was like, 'Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just tired. Maybe I'm homesick,'" she continued. "And I was tired and homesick, too. But I just don't ever feel like I was, I really didn't really start working intentionally on my depression really until I got the diagnosis in my 30s. But as far as like really taking time off to do the work, really wasn't until 2018 when I was forced to."

Once Williams faced her struggles, she turned to religion to help her through her depression. "Faith has been my foundation I think ... well had it not been for my faith, that was the thing, the last thing that I had to hold onto. You know?" she said. "If I didn't have faith, we wouldn't be having this discussion today. I'd be gone. I know that for a fact."

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.