We Need To Stop Asking Celebrities To Apologise For Mental Health Issues

Goo Hara, a former member of K-pop girl group Kara, was hospitalised after an attempted suicide, Yonhap news reports. Her manager found her in her home on May 26, lying in a room filled with smoke.

Recently, Goo Hara was involved in a legal battle with her ex-boyfriend, Choi Jong Bum, who she claims was blackmailing her with the threat of releasing their sex videos. He has also claimed that she assaulted him.

However, the worst part is that Goo Hara had to apologise for feeling depressed. She told news outlets that she was “in agony over a number of overlapping issues,” but that she was “sorry for causing concerns and a commotion.” She added that: “From now on, I will steel my heart and try to show up healthy.”

If she was struggling with personal issues, she has every right to the space, time and help she needs to feel better. Why would people rather have her pretend to be ok and slap a smile on her face when she appears in public?

Goo Hara’s case is not the first time the Korean entertainment industry was confronted with these issues. In 2017, Jonghyun from SHINee, one of South Korea’s biggest boy bands, commited suicide. That was a major turning point for fans of K-pop, who went on to start a petition, Mental Health Support for Artists in the Entertainment Industry, which received over 400,000 signatures.

In a note Jonghyun left behind, he brought up depression, loneliness and the pressures of the entertainment industry as reasons for being unable to cope. “The life of fame was not for me. They say it’s hard to bump up against the world and become famous,” he wrote. “Why did I choose this life? It’s a funny thing. It’s a miracle that I lasted this long.”

We often only become aware of such incidents once it is too late. But if society allowed individuals to speak out about their struggles publicly, it would not only break negative stigmas, but help create new possible outcomes where people don’t feel desperately alone or ashamed for seeking help.

Earlier this year, the manager of the girl group NGT48 was fired for making one of the members, Maho Yamaguchi, apologize for being sexually harassed.

Yamaguchi had taken to Twitter to decry an assault that happened last December. However, she was made to publicly apologize at a concert for speaking up about the assault. She also posted a video online, in which she says “

Jonghyun, Yamaguchi and Goo Hara’s cases are just a few examples that highlight how toxic the entertainment industry can be. Unrealistic expectations and constant public scrutiny can be a recipe for depression. These celebrities not the first, and certainly will not be the last. So let’s not ask them to apologise for feeling down. Rather, let’s encourage honest conversations about the feelings and states of mind that might be natural for any human to have.

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