"I didn't want to live anymore"— Lizzo opens up about battling depression in first concert in two years

Lizzo returned onstage on Wednesday night, March 12, 2025, at the Wiltern in Los Angeles after nearly two years. Her concert was in support of her anticipated album Lizzo in Real Life, which spanned about an hour of her singing some of her biggest hits plus the first live performances of her two singles from the album, Love in Real Life and Still Bad.

However, besides her performances, the Grammy-winning musician also got candid about what life has been like for her in the past couple of years. While onstage and speaking to the audience, the singer was teary-eyed when she shared about depression.

"About a year and a half ago, I was in such a dark, deep depression. I was so heartbroken by the world and so deeply hurt that I didn't want to live anymore and I was so deeply afraid of people that I didn't want to be seen," she said.

She then admitted that she "eventually" got over her fear and that a chance encounter during a concert helped.

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Lizzo recalls a chance "f**king life-saving" encounter with a fan during a concert

While she candidly shared about her depression in the past during her concert, Lizzo also shared a story about how a chance encounter with a stranger was life-saving for her. The Grammy winner explained that "something miraculous happened" when a stranger reached out to her during a concert she was attending and told her that they loved her. She recalled the moment, saying:

"They reached out, and I reached back, and we hugged, and it felt so damn good [...] it was f**king life-saving."

The Love in Real Life singer said that the interaction changed her perspective, adding:

"I was like, 'D*mn, you can't get this s**t on the internet, bro. This is the kind of love you can only get in real life.'"

Lizzo also made a disclaimer after telling her story, saying that she wasn't sharing her experience to gain sympathy because she's "beyond that." However, she wants her story to potentially reach or become an inspiration to those dealing with "depression or darkness" or people who "felt so betrayed by someone they trusted or was lied on and hated on for those lies."

While she didn't elaborate on the betrayal or lies she was talking about, Lizzo faced a s*xual assault lawsuit in August 2023. Several of her former background dancers accused her of alleged s*xual harassment and hostile work environment, including her former stylist Asha Daniels.

Back in December 2024, she told Keke Palmer in the latter's Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast about feeling "blindsided" by the allegations against her, saying:

"I was literally living in my dream, and then the tour ended, and three ex-dancers just completely, like blindsided me with a lawsuit... But then I heard all the other things like s*xual harassment, and I was like, 'They're trying well.'"

She denied that there was any "inappropriate and unprofessional" behavior and promised to continue to fight the claims against her until they were dismissed.

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Lizzo is scheduled for two more concerts for her upcoming Lizzo in Real Life album, on March 16 in New York's Irving Plaza and on First Avenue in Minneapolis on March 18.