In a profoundly moving and courageous interview, Brit Award-winning sensation Raye has laid bare a past marred by trauma and addiction, offering a starkly honest glimpse into the darkness that once overshadowed her meteoric rise to fame.
The London-born artist, now 26, revealed a series of harrowing ordeals, including a past sexual assault by an industry figure, a debilitating addiction to cocaine, and a severe eating disorder that left her "physically emaciated and mentally shattered."
A Descent into Darkness
Raye described using work and substances as a mechanism to cope with untreated trauma. "I was sexually assaulted by someone in the industry, and I never dealt with it," she confessed. "I was so ashamed. I just went into the studio and drank and took drugs. I was using cocaine to escape."
This self-destructive path was compounded by a crippling eating disorder. The singer detailed how her obsession with body image spiralled out of control, leading to drastic weight loss. She shockingly admitted to using diabetes weight-loss jabs, not for medical reasons, but to suppress her appetite further.
The Long Road to Recovery
Her journey to reclaim her life has been arduous. Raye credits checking into rehab and finally confronting her past trauma as the pivotal turning point. She spoke of the difficult but necessary process of therapy and learning to practice self-love and forgiveness.
Now in a healthier place, both mentally and physically, her story is one of remarkable resilience. By channelling her pain into her music, particularly her record-breaking debut album 'My 21st Century Blues', she has found a powerful outlet for her experiences and a way to connect with fans who may be suffering in silence.
Her decision to speak out is a powerful testament to her strength and serves as an urgent reminder of the intense pressures and hidden struggles within the music and entertainment industries.
