Global celebrity and actress Jennifer Lawrence seems to walk onto every set with effortless confidence and humor. But in a recent interview, she spoke with surprising honesty about what has been happening beneath the surface.
She said, “I’ve struggled with anxiety for most of my life,” and talked about how worry and depression often come as twins—wearing her down until she “plummets into sadness.” After the birth of her second child, she described postpartum anxiety like this: “I felt like a tiger was chasing me every day… nonstop intrusive thoughts… they controlled me.”
Even her early years in Hollywood, when she was winning Oscars and starring in blockbusters, were filled with fear. When people told her, “Everyone loves you,” she answered, “It feels precarious. It’s going to come down.” And looking back on her past interviews, she winced and admitted, “I regret everything I’ve ever done or said.”
Preaching Angles: Most of us aren’t movie stars, but many of us know what it’s like to feel anxious, insecure, or haunted by regret. Success doesn’t silence fear, applause doesn’t cure anxiety, and fame doesn’t calm the human heart.