In the wake of Robin Williams' unfortunate death, a number of celebrities have been speaking out on the subject of mental illness. Most recently, Sinead O'Connor gave her thoughts about how both the public and media treat women with the disease as opposed to men.
In a recent interview with Sky News, the singer spoke about Williams and the public's incredibly compassionate reaction towards the Mrs. Doubtfire star. She then claimed that the same would not have been had should it had been a woman. "Coverage of well-known females who have mental illness or suffer from depression is notoriously abusive," she said. "Female celebrities get lynched in the street, they get mocked and buffooned."
Her comments referenced both Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, women who were scrutinized by the public as well as the media during the times when their mental illnesses were becoming more and more apparent. "When males in the public eye are dealing with the same thing," stated the singer, "coverage is much more compassionate as it should be."
"I've been through that myself and it's really appalling," she added.
The prolific musician continued, saying that it'd be more beneficial for everyone to learn why Williams was driven to do what he did. "Stigma is the most enormous reason why people go that far. When you admit that you are anything that may be mistakenly or otherwise perceived as mentally ill, you know you'll get treated like dirt so you don't tell anybody and that's why people die."
O'Connor just released her tenth studio album, I'm Not Bossy, I'm The Boss, this past Monday, Aug. 11.
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