K-pop superstar Rosé, in an event with first lady Jill Biden, wants the world to know that famous people also suffer from mental health struggles.
“I think that would be very great, for everybody who works under the public eye,” she said Friday, after hugging Biden, who thanked her for coming to the event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, the Associated Press reported.
Rosé, a member of the supergroup BLACKPINK,, opened up about how having a large social media following makes her feel vulnerable — especially when people are critical.
“I do feel like some of the things I do is just never enough, and no matter how hard I work on something, there’s always gonna be somebody who has their own opinion or who enjoy taking control of the narrative,” she said. “And so, that comes to me as a sense of loneliness.”
The discussion with the pop star is one of several events hosted by Biden amid the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for the spouses of Asia-Pacific leaders.
In addition, Rosé said it is important to talk about mental health, no matter how hard it might be.
“Just as we feed ourselves for better health and fitness, mental health can only be maintained equally — if not more intentionally — as our physical well being,” she said.
Biden affirmed what the singer said, pointing to the “shame” associated to talking about mental health for people of her generation.
“People who are older — we never, ever spoke about mental health,” the first lady said. “There was shame attached to it. But what I find as a teacher — and having my own younger grandchildren in their twenties — I think they’re much more open to talking to one another, I think there’s far less shame.”
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy moderated the event and Apple CEO Tim Cook gave opening remarks before introducing Biden.
“I’m issuing this advisory because we’re in the middle of a youth mental health crisis and I’m concerned that social media is contributing to the harms that kids are experiencing,” Murthy told The Hill.
Rachael Marape, the spouse of the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, Louise Araneta-Marcos, first lady of the Philippines and Kim Keon Hee, the first lady of South Korea, were also in attendance.