This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Raquel Rogers
Houston “hot girl,” Megan Thee Stallion, has made a name for herself in music, fashion and business. And now, the trendsetter is using her influence to encourage people to take care of their mental health.
The 27-year-old rapper recently launched “Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too,” a digital archive of mental health care resources. The website contains links to several free therapy organizations, crisis hotlines, and resources specifically for LGBTQIA+ folks of color and Black men and women.
The name is a reference to her current single called “Anxiety” from her second album, “Traumazine.”
“Hotties! You know how much mental wellness means to me, so I created a hub with resources that can help when you might need a hand,” the tweet said. “Head to badbitcheshavebaddaystoo.com now and check it out. Love y’all so much,” Megan wrote on Twitter.
Megan has been very open in interviews about seeking therapy herself to deal with grief. In 2019, Megan’s mother, Holly Thomas died of a brain tumor, and her grandmother, who had helped to raise her, passed away soon after. Megan’s father died when she was just 15 years old.
In an interview with Taraji P. Henson, she opened-up about getting therapy to help her cope with the death of her parents.
“I’ve lost both of my parents. So now I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, who do I talk to? What do I do?’” she told Henson. “And I just started learning that it’s okay to ask for help. And it’s okay to want to go get therapy.”
The website features links to free therapy organizations and other mental health resources like helplines. Fans can also find resource directories for different organizations that specifically support Black women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. There is also is a link to help fans find a therapist and sign up for updates for new resources.
Throughout her career, Megan has been open about her mental health struggles.
In her song “Anxiety,” she raps, “They keep sayin’ I should get help/ But I don’t even know what I need/ They keep sayin’ speak your truth/ And at the same time say they don’t believe.”
Last month, she sat down with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis to discuss how “Traumazine” allowed her to be more vulnerable.
“I could be sad and I’ll write a song like ‘Body,’” she said. “Or I could be pissed off and I’ll write a song like ‘Freak Nasty.’ I don’t write songs about how I feel, I write songs about how I want to feel.”
The Houston rapper has also opened-up about the pressures of being in the spotlight and facing public ridicule after she says she was shot by rapper Tory Lanez.
“I became the villain,” Megan told Rolling Stone Magazine about the public reaction to her speaking out about the alleged shooting. (The case is still on-going, and Lanez denies the shooting).
For those who don’t remember, Megan alleged that in July of 2020, Lanez shot her after they left Kylie Jenner’s pool party. Lanez immediately went on the defense, implying that Megan was lying. Many folks online ran with that rumor, calling Megan a liar and a snitch.
In her interview with Henson, Megan said it was especially important in this moment to take her mental health seriously.
“I feel like right now mental health is more important to me, more than ever,” Megan told Henson. “I have more pressure on me than I feel like I used to have…when I was Megan, and I wasn’t as criticized and under such a magnifying glass as I am now.”
Megan shared that in the past she was taught not to discuss her personal business with other people.
“I feel like it’s been so easy for people to tell my story for me, speak on my behalf because I’m a nonchalant person,” she said. “But, like, I see now that it can get out of control. So I feel like I wanted to just take control of my narrative, take control of my own story. Tell it my way. Tell it from me.”
