12 Times Famous Men Got Real About Mental Health

From Chance the Rapper to Zayn Malik to The Rock.

By Jackie Menjivar

While we know that anyone can be impacted by mental illness, it’s worth digging a little deeper into the way that men in particular navigate mental health. Research shows that men are less likely than women to have conversations about their mental health or seek out services that could help them (and the gap is even wider for men of color).

It’s about time we normalize conversations about men’s mental health and acknowledge the experiences of men living with mental illness. That’s why we’re so grateful that these celebs are challenging male mental health stigma with their own stories of struggle, survival, and healing.

1. Chance the Rapper
Rapper, singer, and songwriter

“For a long time, [anxiety] wasn't a thing that we talked about... I don't remember, when I was growing up, that really being a thing. Now I'm starting to get a better understanding of that part of my life.”

2. Michael Phelps
Olympic swimmer

“I remember sitting in my room for four or five days not wanting to be alive, not talking to anybody. That was a struggle for me … I reached that point where I finally realized I couldn’t do it alone.”

3. Trevor Noah
Comedian, writer, political commentator, and TV host

“What’s funny about it is that people go, ‘If you’re depressed you can’t smile, if you’re depressed you can’t tell jokes,’ but as comedians, that’s like the one thing most comedians share. It’s just that monkey on [our] backs.”

4. Zayn Malik
Singer and songwriter

“The thing is, I love performing...That's why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain. It's this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought processes. Even when you know you want to do something...that you'll enjoy it when you're doing it, the anxiety is telling you a different story. It's a constant battle within yourself."

5. Prince Harry
Philanthropist and member of the British royal family

"I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but also my work...All of this grief that I had never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, 'there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with.'"

6. Kid Cudi
Rapper, singer, and songwriter

“My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember, and I never leave the house because of it...I’m tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling... It's time I fix me. I'm nervous, but I'm going to get through this.”

7. Pete Davidson
Comedian and actor

“I’ve spoken about BPD [borderline personality disorder] and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don’t want to be on this earth...No matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me kill myself, I won’t.”

8. Logic
Rapper, singer, and songwriter

“I’ve been in therapy for years. I’m handling my issues head-on, not running from them...I was so scared for so long to say that because society has lead me to believe that my anxiety is stupid and shouldn't be talked about.”

9. Wayne Brady
Actor, comedian, and TV personality

“It’s difficult for men in general, I think, because of just the way that we’re raised… We feel any of the negative emotions or that dark cloud settle on you, and you feel like you need to cry out or speak to someone about it, and, ‘Nope, I’m not gonna do that, because I’m a man,”... That’s what you’re taught. That’s how you were programmed. And that’s what kills us.”

10. Oscar De La Hoya
Professional boxer

“This is the biggest fight of my life … I could put all my opponents in one ring and battle all of them, but this monster [depression and addiction] is going to be the toughest fight of my life.”

11. Karamo Brown
TV host, author, and activist

“Watching television I saw only rich white girls going to rehab and getting support. It's what I thought -- anyone who looked like me, I never saw them seeking mental health support or talking about their mental health...A lot of us suffer bullying. We suffer rejection… We suffer depression, anxiety.”

12. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Actor, producer, and former professional wrestler

“I found that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone. You’re not the first to go through it… I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay.'”