Chrisette Michele Reveals Suicidal Thoughts, Miscarriage, Label Dropping Her After Trump Inauguration
Chrisette Michele has revealed that after receiving backlash for singing at President Donald Trump's inauguration, she was dropped from her record label, suffered a miscarriage and became suicidal.
Michele, the soul singer who performed with gospel singer and preacher Travis Greene at the Liberty Ball, the first of three official balls held in Washington, D.C. for Trump's inauguration in January, says she lost numerous fans as a result. More than that, the 34-year-old said she was disowned by family members and dropped from her record label following the loss of public support.
The turn of events took a toll on her health, and the singer had a miscarriage. When she lost her child, Michele realized she had to work through her deep spiral into depression.
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"This experience of a broken nation showed itself in my own physical body. That was when I knew I had to pull it together," Michele wrote in a series of emotional Instagram posts. "Heal, forgive. Just because I had a negative experience didn't mean I had to become negative and broken."
Michele was transparent with her struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide.
"People ask me how I'm so positive after all I've been through. When you're laying in bed naked, next to a bottle of Bacardi and Xanex. When you wear pajamas morning and night," she wrote in a separate post on Instagram. "When you don't pick up the phone for weeks, months. When you're afraid to look at social media."
The singer recalled feeling worthless and began drinking so much that she couldn't see or speak clearly. Michele remembers feeling that she did not want to wake up.
However, she believes God covered her in those times.
"I promise you, I felt Him cover me like a blanket. I told Him I was out of control," she said. "I told Him I was having thoughts about leaving and not finishing all He's called me to. He listened."
Michele considered the conversations that she had with God to be therapy.
"There in lied my therapy. Music was written in this prayer closet of sorts," she wrote. "Call me crazy, but it's better than being dead. There's no one who will make me apologize for shouting from the roof tops that I have the overcoming story of a powerful and #StrongBlackWoman."
More than sharing her personal struggles, Michele used her platform to reach out to gospel singer Tina Campbell. Unlike Michele, Campbell admitted to voting for Trump and has been receiving similar backlash ever since.
While Michele said she doesn't agree with Campbell's political views, she still decided to support her fellow singer on Instagram.
"While hot water surrounds any political choice I know you've followed your convictions. You thought that from your Christian perspective, sticking to your roots was the way," Michele wrote in an open letter to Campbell. "While I don't support 'Trump,' I support your cry of love over the years. Your music has brought me closer to the Father and healed my heart from the first time you sang."
Instead of "choice shaming," which Michele describes as mimicking the bullying that happens among children, the singer suggested that people can let disagreements lead to conversations instead of division.
"We can disagree without dividing. We can love each other with different views and perspectives," she said. "We can't tear each other down when people don't say what we want them to. It's so important that choices begin conversations and not crucifixion."
