Lizzo has left fans alarmed after discussing her traumas and returning to the use of her real name multiple times amid her “I quit” controversy.
The star, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, shared a Tumblr post of a new essay she wrote in which she talks about her feelings and how she routinely suppressed them.
“Melissa hated her feelings,” the essay began. “She buried them in a chest in the 5th grade (along with her ability to express them). Other peoples’ feelings on the other hand was her forte. She could process, decipher and regurgitate other people’s emotions effortlessly.”
The 35-year-old recalled that growing up she would mediate family fights, and there were three rules, “1) Don’t cry. 2) Stay neutral; Deescalate 3) Don’t take anything personal. This isn’t about you.”
“Traumas began to compact on Melissa, as they do,” she explained, before concluding, “Melissa began to fall for her feelings. Her feelings gave life purpose. They weren’t always logical, as feelings seldom are.
“They were sloppy and embarrassing and rude and so fucking uncomfortable. But they were hers. And they were real. And when she sat alone sipping wine, staring at the moon…They were the only ones still by her side. Ready to break the rules for her because they loved her. And she finally loved them back.”
A fan posted the essay on Instagran leading to many responding with messages of support for the star.
“I hope you’re okay, lizzo. don’t let the haters win!” wrote one. Another added: “Lizzo is back to Melissa now? Omg – that’s worrying. chin up, sis.” A third added: “Lizzo’s gonna legit quit and reinvent herself as Melissa. I hope she’s gonna be okay. She’s been going through it.”
Last month Lizzo made a cryptic announcement about her career after being dragged by everyone” for months.
“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” the Grammy winner, 35, wrote via Instagram on Friday, March 29. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”
The singer explained that she’s “constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views.”
She also noted that she often feels “the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look” and fears her character is “being picked apart by people who don’t know me.”
“I didn’t sign up for this s—t,” Lizzo added. “I QUIT.”
She later clarified that she is not leaving the limelight anytime soon. in a follow-up w video, she said: “When I say ‘I quit’, I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention.”
Us Weekly confirmed in August 2023 that three of Lizzo’s former backup dancers named the singer in a lawsuit, alleging that she fostered a hostile work environment and promoted religious harassment, disability discrimination and sexual harassment.
Lizzo later called the allegations “false,” “unbelievable” and “too outrageous not to be addressed.”
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” Lizzo said at the time. “As an artist, I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because, at the end of the day, I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Lizzo’s rep for comment.
