Following concerns raised by some major public personalities over the mental health of celebrities in Ghana, popular Ghanaian Highlife musician Kuami Eugene has disclosed a major reason why most celebrities fall into a state of depression throughout their careers.
Speaking in a recent interview with MX24 TV on the motivation behind his song “Yolo” which featured on his “Love and Chaos” album, Kuami Eugene disclosed his struggles with public scrutiny.
Eugene stated that he finds himself exhausted with constantly clarifying his stances and actions to critics on social media. Additionally, he can’t have the opportunities to experience and learn from his mistakes due to his standing in society.
“I don't know how often I have to come out there and explain that I'm just a singer trying to entertain, and people should calm down their perceptions about me and what they do. I'm so done explaining myself," he said.
He continued: "Where I found myself to be human, people have problems with you being a normal human being. You're idolised and to be that big, you put yourself on a pedestal. You put yourself in a position where people see you as special, so they don't leave room for mistakes.
“But whoever you are celebrating out there, they all make mistakes. Maximum mistakes even. They make more mistakes than yours because you don't have the whole world looking at you,” he added.
Kuami Eugene further gave insights into the lives of celebrities in Ghana. Explaining that the consistent need to please their fans does not allow these celebrities to live genuine lives. Thus, the pressures associated with the constant scrutiny and judgment lead to depression among celebrities.
“Yeah, but these people, on the other hand, have everyone trying to judge them. And the more they find themselves in this position, they can never do anything. Because whatever they do, they'll be judged. And that's what leads to depression.
“Most of them, they're not living their best lives. They're living to please others. Because they’re their consumers. They have to do what they want.
“That's why they will come and sit on platforms and explain how depressed they are when they get to the level where they think they can't handle it anymore,” he explained.
Kuami Eugene’s comments come amid renewed calls for celebrities to be mindful of their mental health. Recently, personalities like Funny Face, Efya and Nana Ama McBrown have made calls to their colleagues to patronize therapy as a way of staying mentally healthy.
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Ghanaian Highlife artiste, Kuami Eugene