Gloria Estefan has revealed she contemplated suicide when she was in her early teens.
On Wednesday’s episode of Red Table Talk: The Estefans, the music legend, her daughter Emily Estefan, and niece Lili Estefan candidly talked about how mental health issues have impacted their lives.
They were joined by internet star, actress and singer Lele Pons and Mexican actress Karla Souza, on the third episode of the Facebook Watch series.
Gloria Estefan said she considered suicide while caring for her father who developed multiple sclerosis after being exposed to Agent Orange as a Vietnam War veteran.
“I didn’t want to tell my mother that I was starting to feel cracks in my armor,” Estefan said.
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She admitted, keeping her feelings inside started to take a toll, and she got to a point where she “started having desperation thoughts.”
“What got me through that moment was thinking of others, was thinking of other people that I loved. And I said, ‘OK, I need to be here for them. I can’t go anywhere. ’ I knew it would destroy my family,” she explained.
Later in the episode, Pons opened up about her crippling OCD and Souza discussed her family’s history with mental illnesses, as well as a personal psychotic break she had.
“The support system of people talking about it and sharing stories—that I think is super powerful and I’m just so happy that we’re talking about,” Souza said.
You can watch the full episode of the Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk: The Estefans below.
