Lady Gaga and Prince William have teamed up to encourage people to speak more openly about mental health. The singer, who headlined Coachella Festival, had a video call with the Duke of Cambridge from Los Angeles after he read her open letter about living with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the video for the Heads Together campaign, Lady Gaga said her mental health struggles had changed her life and that she was initially nervous about speaking out. "There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, you feel like something's wrong with you," she said. "Even though it was hard, [it was] the best thing that could come out of my mental illness was to share it with other people."
Prince William called for an end to the "stiff upper lip" culture in the UK, saying he wants his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to be able to talk about their emotions. "It's time that everyone speaks up and really feels very normal about mental health, it's the same as physical health," he said.
The Duke also noted that having a conversation with a friend or family member can make a significant difference. Lady Gaga added that people with mental health challenges "weren't hiding any more" and emphasised the need to normalise mental health issues. The pair also made plans to meet when Lady Gaga visits the UK in October.
