23 Latin celebrities brave enough to talk about their mental health

As perfect as we may envision celebrities to be, they aren't free from dealing with dark issues like depression, anxiety, and mental illness. They are part of the overwhelming statistics, too. Nearly 19 million Americans battle with depression and mental illness and many are left untreated. These Latino celebrities deserve to be admired and respected for being outspoken about their difficult journeys.

Even for celebrities who seem to lead blessed lives, like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, sometimes their grueling schedules and lifestyles get the best of them and end up taking a toll on their mental health. Shakira recently opened up about her struggle with depression after losing her voice, and Jen was candid in her memoir about her anxiety. That goes to show that even the most beautiful and accomplished people on the planet can find themselves in a dark place. 

More from MamásLatinas: Celebrities who've spoken openly about their postpartum complications

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato have been some of the most outspoken celebrities when it comes to mental health and seeking treatment for their bipolar disorder. Sel has shared also with fans that depression and anxiety have caused her to enter a treatment facility on two separate occasions. Demi has spoken out about her bipolar diagnosis and raised awareness for others, like herself, who are struggling with the disorder.  

Sometimes the Latino community doesn't take mental health as seriously as we should. Getting professional help, taking medication, or talking to someone like a therapist is often frowned upon, which leaves a lot of our people untreated. These celebrities show us that taking care of your mental health is necessary and should be a priority. Click through to learn more about their stories and get inspired!

–Additional reporting by Sugey Palomares and Karla Rodriguez

Selena Gomez has previously opened up about getting treatment.

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Selena Gomez/Instagram

The singer has checked herself into treatment in the past to help her deal with her anxiety and depression. In March 2020, she also revealed that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after going to a mental health hospital.

When Shakira lost her voice, she became extremely depressed.

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Shakira/Instagram

While promoting the opening of her documentary film Shakira in Concert: El Dorado World Tour, Shakira opened up about how losing her voice because of a vocal cord hemorrhage in 2017 plunged her into a deep depression. “I always thought there were going to be things in my life that would go away, like beauty, youth, all of that stuff,” she told The Guardian. “But I never thought that my voice would leave me, because it’s so inherent to my nature. It was my identity. So when I couldn’t sing, that was unbearable. There were times I couldn’t even get out of bed — I was so depressed.”

Frida Sofía has been dealing with PTSD since she was 12.

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Frida Sofía/Instagram

In a very emotional interview, Alejandra Guzmán's daughter, Frida Sofía, revealed that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. It's not hard to understand why she has PTSD when you consider that she saw her chauffeur get shot to death during an attempted kidnapping when she was just 12 years old.

Camila Mendes has struggled with bulimia.

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Camila Mendes/Instagram

In 2018, the Riverdale star shared on social media that her obsession and anxiety over food had taken over her life. She wrote: "At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me, and I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns. Somehow I had stripped myself of all the pastimes that brought me joy, and all that was left of me was my anxiety around food."

Gisele Bündchen's battle with anxiety once led her to have suicidal thoughts.

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Splash News

"I had a wonderful position in my career, I was very close to my family, and I always considered myself a positive person, so I was really beating myself up. Like, 'Why should I be feeling this?' I felt like I wasn’t allowed to feel bad but I felt powerless. Your world becomes smaller and smaller, and you can’t breathe, which is the worst feeling I’ve ever had," she revealed to People. "I actually had the feeling of, 'If I just jump off my balcony, this is going to end, and I never have to worry about this feeling of my world closing in.'"

Nicky Jam has faced some darkness in his past.

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Nicky Jam/Instagram

After one of the greatest comebacks the world of music has ever seen, the singer opened up about his downfall back in the early 2000s after he dealt with drug addiction that left him in a deep depression and caused him to gain weight.

Eva Longoria's divorce caused her severe pain.

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Eva Longoria/Instagram

After her 2010 public divorce to Tony Parker, Longoria fell into a deep depression. She opened up to Dr. Oz three years later and said, "I was not eating. I was depressed. I was sad. My diet was coffee.” She recovered with professional help and positive thoughts. Yes!

Gina Rodriguez revealed she suffers from anxiety.

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Gina Rodriguez/Instagram

She shared a 10-second clip on Instagram and revealed her truth. "I suffer from anxiety. And watching this clip I could see how anxious I was but I empathize with myself," she captioned the clip. "I wanted to protect her and tell her it's ok to be anxious, there is nothing different or strange about having anxiety and I will prevail. I like watching this video. It makes me uncomfortable but there is a freedom I feel maybe even an acceptance. This is me. Puro Gina."

Camila Cabello has opened up about her struggles with anxiety.

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Splash News

"My heart would beat really fast the whole day. Two hours after I woke up, I'd need a nap because my body was so hyperactive. It was so eff–sorry, but it was so f–ked up," she revealed. "I was scared of what would happen to me, of the things my brain might tell me. I realized the stuff I thought was important isn't worth my health.”

Luis Coronel's depression affected his work.

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Luis Coronel/Instagram

The teen singer canceled part of his promotional tour due to depression. Luis, who also mourned the death of his father, was left devastated after his split with longtime girlfriend and muse Adilene Idalie. "I suffered a lot when we split. We were together a long time and she was the best part of my life," he said in an interview.

Demi Lovato has become an advocate for mental health.

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Demi Lovato/Instagram

In 2011, the former Disney star sought treatment for bipolar disorder, depression, self-harm, anorexia, and bulimia. She has said that controlling her mental issues is a daily battle, but she's willing to fight. She explained in an interview, "Some people go on a treatment plan for a couple years, go off it, and they're fine; [mine] may last my entire life, or it may not. I take it day by day." In July 2018, she relapsed after six years sober and was hospitalized with an overdose.

Mariah Carey was diagnosed as being bipolar.

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Mariah Carey/Instagram

Shortly after her split from Luis Miguel, Mimi suffered a "physical and emotional breakdown." Carey checked herself into a hospital for psychiatric care and took time off to rest. Some suspected that Mariah was on the verge of another breakdown after her split from husband Nick Cannon.

Salma Hayek has also shared her struggles with depression.

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Salma Hayek/Instagram

In 2012, the Mexican star opened up to Lucky magazine about her struggle with depression. The culprit was her bad skin condition. "This acne was so bad it sent me into severe, severe depression," she said.

Cristian Chávez scared everyone with an attempted suicide.

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Cristian Chávez/Instagram

In 2013, the former RBD singer shocked the world when he tweeted photos of an attempted suicide. Cristian fell into a deep depression after splitting with an ex lover. He has spoken out about the importance to seek help and serves as an advocate for the gay community.

Jennifer Lopez's hectic schedule caused her to deal with anxiety.

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Getty Images

“I had worked maybe 55 days in a row without a day off and shooting on a film, and I just one day was walking towards the set and every time I walked towards the set my heart would start beating and I would start getting frightened,” she wrote about in her book True Love. At one point, the anxiety got so bad she had to go to the hospital after her vision blurred on set, and she was told by a doctor that she had to take better care of herself. “The truth is, I wasn’t taking care of myself at all. I wasn’t loving myself at all. All I was thinking about was pleasing everyone else and showing everybody else that I could do all these things and that I was fine… I have to take care of myself first before I can take care of anyone else.”

Jessica Alba opened up about dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder.

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Jessica Alba/Instagram

“I used to unplug every single appliance in my house. Or I’d double-check every door in my house to make sure it was locked at night,” she said to CosmoGirl. “It was like a panic came over me and I had to do something, and once I did it, I was OK. … It was really me needing to control something.”

Camila Mendes revealed that she has struggled with eating disorder symptoms.

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Camila Mendes/Instagram

She said that after speaking to a therapist, she acknowledged that she had "anxiety around food" and an "obsession with dieting."

Ana Bárbara dealt with depression during her pregnancy.

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Ana Barbara/Instagram

In 2011, the Mexican singer fell into a deep depression while pregnant. It turns out that she was struggling with anorexia and needed to be hospitalized. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Jerónimo.

Jacqueline Bracamontes has struggled with postpartum depression.

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Jacqueline Bracamontes/Instagram

After she gave birth to daughter Carolina in 2014, she revealed via Twitter that she was struggling with postpartum depression.

Patricia Navidad has dealt with eating disorder issues.

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Paty Navidad/Instagram

The Mexican star has battled with anorexia and bulimia in the past, but thankfully she sought help. She battled another health issue when she was diagnosed with a cerebral tumor. She denied that it was life-threatening and bashed reports claiming otherwise.

Rosie Rivera was also struggling with postpartum depression.

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Rosie Rivera/Instagram

She opened up about how she struggled with PPD after the arrival of her first child, and she wanted to remind women that they're not alone.