Sam Smith is opening up about how therapy changed the way they handle fame and interact with the people who support them. For years, the singer struggled with the pressure that came with being approached in public. Now, Smith says they have found a healthier balance. Their outlook on fan boundaries has changed, allowing them to enjoy those encounters without giving up the privacy they need.
Sam Smith says therapy helped change how they view meeting fans and protecting their privacy
In an Aug. 14 interview with The Guardian, Smith reflected on a period when they stopped taking selfies with fans. The decision gave them more privacy. However, they began feeling guilty because they worried about disappointing people.
Smith said those feelings eventually contributed to depression. After a lot of therapy, though, they started to view meeting fans differently.
“I actually have started to find the happiness and the joy of meeting people,” Smith told the outlet. They explained that better health now allows them to manage more than they could earlier in their career.
Smith also connected those struggles to becoming famous at a young age. They said navigating their sexuality and later changing their pronouns in public added to the pressure they carried throughout their 20s.
Still, Sam Smith fans should not take the change in selfies as a rejection. Instead, Smith appears to have found a way to enjoy fan encounters while protecting their personal space. Their experience also highlights the importance of mental health awareness and setting healthy fan boundaries.
The comments come shortly before Smith releases their fifth studio album, Hazel Eyes, on Aug. 21, People reported. Smith also recently confirmed their engagement to Christian Cowan, who inspired the album’s title.
For Smith, therapy did not remove the challenges of fame. Instead, it helped them build a healthier relationship with both privacy and the people who approach them.
TELL US: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SAM SMITH’S APPROACH TO SETTING BOUNDARIES WITH FANS?
Originally reported by Misbah Pandith on Reality Tea
