On Tuesday, Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, candidly talked about mental health.
In a ticketed, virtual event for their book “Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community,” the 34-year-old pop star and her mother addressed a question from an attendee who asked for advice on how to open up about mental health with parents.
Germanotta said many young people do not talk about mental health with their parents because parents do not often share their own struggles with their kids.
“I know that I have made mistakes,” said Germanotta. “We as parents think we have to be really tough and strong and keep ourselves together all the time, but I didn’t share my struggles with my children. And I think that precludes a lot of young people from sharing with their parents.”
Gaga’s mother also said it is important that parents should not make their kids feel judged when they open up.
She said, “I’ve learned from both of my daughters that listening, but also understanding and validating their emotions without judgment, is very, very important.”
Thanking her mother for her being honest and offering her own advice, Gaga said not everyone has parents who are receptive to conversations about mental health.
The Shallow singer said, “I think that it’s actually interesting to subvert that question a little bit,” adding, “some people can’t tell their parents.”
“I feel the need to say this, because it’s real, and it’s true, and some people don’t have parents that can hear what you’re saying,” Gaga continued. “They don’t have parents that are willing to listen, and some people don’t have parents at all.”
Gaga advised starting a conversation with people in their community, especially to those who hesitate to talk to their parents. She said, “I encourage them to celebrate their stories by sharing it with each other and creating a community, creating a culture around you, where you can say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m going through. What have you been through?’ Role-modeling can actually happen between us. I don’t believe that it’s only our parents that role-model for us. I believe it’s also our friends.”
