Courtney Stodden admits she hit depression behind a mask

21 May 2019

Courtney Stodden has hidden her depression behind a mask in the past.

Courtney Stodden

The 24-year-old star - who explained she is in a "better position now" than she has for "long time" - has opened up about her mental health struggles and urged her fans to "reach out" to their loved ones to make sure they're in a good place.

Speaking in a candid video on her YouTube channel, Courtney said: "I'm a great actress, and I can fool your pants off and tell you I'm happy when inside I'm crying.

"A lot of people do that. Depression doesn't mean someone wants around with a dark cloud over their head and it's obvious. It means that you gotta reach out.

"If you love someone, if you care about your friends and family, reach out to them and say, 'Hey, are you okay?' "

The model-turned-singer - who split from her husband, 58-year-old Doug Hutchison, in 2016 - described music as her "safe place", while revealing he has also been to therapy and found comfort through writing.

She added: "Find a safe place. My safe place is music, and I found that, I'm accepting that. It could be therapy, I go to therapy too.

"Don't be afraid of depression. Don't be afraid of yourself. Don't be afraid of someone who had depression, don't think they're weird."

Courtney's honesty comes after she opened up last month about her "abandonment issues" after her father told her to "never contact him again".

She said: "My Father told me to never contact him again and that he does not have a daughter. My heart has been torn into pieces over the damaged relationship with him for over a decade now.

"I left home at 16 and got married (most likely due to abandonment issues and not feeling worthy enough for my Dad) as My emotional state wasn't a priority to him nor spending quality time with me. So yeah, I chose to leave. I fell in love and finally felt nurtured.

"My father in turn threw away all of my childhood memories including hundreds of video tapes (my first birthday, gymnastics lessons, singing and dancing videos, etc).(sic)"