John Legend lives up to his name for discussing Chrissy Teigen’s struggle with postnatal depression
Singer spoke candidly about his wife's illness and deserves credit for it
JOHN LEGEND has done every new mother a great service.
The Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was incredibly honest about his wife’s battle with postnatal depression and the effect it has had on both of them.
This was important in many ways.
First, it shows that even the most picture-perfect of couples have their problems.
Second, it shows that postnatal depression can happen to anyone, no matter how successful, rich, loved or beautiful they happen to be.
It was also encouraging to hear a man talk about postnatal depression and about how watching wives and parents suffer can make you feel helpless, bewildered and inadequate.
John said he wasn’t “emotionally prepared” for his wife’s depression at a time when they should have been so happy.
The couple had fertility problems and Luna was a longed-for IVF baby.
Their lives seemed complete at last, then Chrissy was hit by this devastating illness that causes so much pain and guilt.
Until fairly recently, women who became severely depressed after giving birth were told it was normal to have the “baby blues” and their concerns dismissed.
Far too many also felt like failures and would keep their symptoms hidden while feeling ashamed of something that wasn’t their fault.
Now, thankfully, that attitude has changed and there’s a lot more support for new mums, but sadly new dads don’t really get a chance to talk about THEIR feelings of helplessness.
John watched as his wife almost became a recluse. Chrissy would stay in the house, most of the time sitting on the exact same spot on the sofa.
She had no energy and would find herself sobbing.
She felt she had no joy in her life when everyone expected her to be happy.
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The good news is that Chrissy has now had expert help and is recovering — and the couple want to have more children.
John’s experience shows how difficult it can be for husbands and partners to understand what postnatal depression can mean.
Expectant mums and dads focus on getting the house prepared and buying all the paraphernalia that newborns require.
Mums-to-be might be worried about going through labour, but the over-riding emotions are excitement and expectation.
No woman expects to be under attack from the “black dog” of depression.
And although mental illness can happen to anyone, it’s tough to dig yourself out of that deep, dark hole.
By telling the world of their struggles John will encourage more openness and allow people to realise it’s OK to feel that way.
We need for sufferers to be shown more compassion and understanding.
Feisty Mel will bounce back from betrayal
THE allegations made by Mel B against her estranged husband are extremely dark and disturbing.
What I found the most heartbreaking was Mel saying that the very worst abuse happened every time she achieved something phenomenal in her career.
Whether it was performing with the Spice Girls at the London Olympics, being in the final of Dancing With The Stars (the US equivalent of Strictly) or being a judge on The X Factor.
If this is true, you have to wonder what sort of man wouldn’t applaud his wife’s success, celebrate her triumphs and be beaming with pride and happiness.
Now Mel is not the easiest person in the world to deal with.
She is “a handful” with a big personality and ego to match and I find it astonishing that someone so ballsy and feisty could find herself in this sort of relationship, one that she has apparently been trying to end ever since they married in 2007.
Whether she did still love him, was frightened of him or was being “blackmailed” into staying because he had some sort of incriminating evidence against her – allegedly in the form of some eye-watering sex tapes – remains to be seen.
But we all know that the image of a stereotypical battered wife as a small, weak-willed little mouse is way off the mark.
Anyone can find themselves in an abusive relationship, isolated from friends and family and broken in mind and body.
It’s easy for us on the outside and from the comfort of our own armchairs to declare that victims should just walk away, but it is never that simple.
Sadly, the real casualties of all of this dirty washing being aired in public are Mel’s three daughters, especially the youngest, five-year-old Madison, whose father is Belafonte.
Mel is a strong woman, but she will need her family and friends, as well as her former Spice Girl allies, to get through what is set to be one of the ugliest celebrity divorces in history.
So happy for star Manilow
“OH my God – I’ve never been so shocked and amazed in all of my life,” said absolutely no one when music legend Barry Manilow told the world this week that he was gay.
We have all known for years and never believed it was that big a deal.
And I always thought it was up to Barry to decide what he did or did not want to reveal about his private life.
As far as I’m concerned, as long as this hugely talented musician and entertainer is happy then that’s all that matters.
It’s just a shame that he felt he had to hide his sexuality for so long.
But he’s part of a different generation and perhaps didn’t fully appreciate how things have moved on.
Barry says he was worried that his fans would feel let down, but the true fans have stuck with him and showered him with love and congratulations on his marriage to long-term partner and manager Garry Kief.
Those who have any sort of problem with Barry being gay aren’t the kind of fans worth holding on to in the first place, and I’m glad he is now firmly out and proud.
Let's hope for more babies a-hoy
CONGRATS to our greatest-ever Olympian and all-round top bloke Sir Chris Hoy and his wife Sarra, who are expecting their second baby.
Sarra told me the news this week when she came on my show to talk about the invaluable work she does as an ambassador for Bliss, a charity that helps families with premature babies.
Chris and Sarra’s son Callum was born 11 weeks early, a tiny little scrap who weighed just two pounds.
He had to stay in hospital for more than eight weeks, and the support Sarra received made her want to help others in a similar position.
Callum is now a happy and healthy toddler and brings his parents untold joy, but Sarra admitted that she was not sure she would have another baby after the trauma of his birth.
Luckily time is a great healer and there’s no reason that this little one will be born too soon.
I sincerely hope this delightful couple will sail through the pregnancy and go on to have even more kids as the world sorely needs more people just like them.
I ALWAYS think it must be very difficult for the super-rich and super-famous to make new friends once they reach such giddy heights of fame and fortune.
You would for ever be asking yourself whether people genuinely wanted to be in your company because they liked you and enjoyed your banter or if it was just because you happened to be a billionaire or an A-list movie star.
I guess that’s why they all tend to huddle together in packs for their own protection and sense of self-worth, just like the Clooneys and Crawfords.
This week we heard that George Clooney and his pregnant wife Amal, both right, and Mr and Mrs Cindy Crawford have bought luxury New York apartments next door to each other.
The impossibly gorgeous couples recently sold adjoining holiday homes in Mexico and are seemingly joined at the hip.
I hope the Clooneys have installed good soundproofing in their apartment because when their little twins arrive there will be babies bawling in stereo – and that could wreck even the closest of friendships.
I must also offer a hearty cheer to Cindy, who looked phenomenal in her snakeskin two-piece while on hol in the Caribbean.
At the age of 51, she looks far sexier than the new breed of emaciated, itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, teenage stars in their bikinis.