Lauren Jauregui Said Fifth Harmony's Early Days Were "Abusive"
Still, she felt a deep sisterhood with the members.
Lauren Jauregui is getting more candid than ever about her earliest days as a member of girl group Fifth Harmony. Jauregui and the rest of the pop music quintet were thrust into the spotlight at lightning speed after appearing on The X Factor in 2012, so their path was anything but conventional. Learning to live in the spotlight at such a young age is no easy feat, and Jauregui will be the first to admit it.
“We all took our time to heal,” Jauregui said during a Dec. 12 appearance on The Zach Sang Show. "I think that's the path that we're on right now. Because a lot of what happened to us wasn't even us. It was all of the pieces around us."
Jauregui admitted that whirlwind fame was a lot to process, and ultimately took a toll.
"We were young adolescents thrown into the spotlight. Because remember, X Factor is not even anything but a reality show that you're on TV in front of millions off the bat, and I think we all just had our own way of processing that,” she said.
Fifth Harmony is currently on hiatus, and one of their original members, Camila Cabello, officially departed the group. Jauregui admitted that the time off was much needed, especially because they never stopped working after X Factor.
"That affected the group in general. And that affected us personally,” she said. “And I think that now we're at a point in our lives where we're healing from it, and we're each doing what we were truly meant to do for ourselves.”
She said there were “no mental health resources anywhere along the way," and that they were "expected to be an adult at adolescence, with zero knowledge of this industry.”
Jauregui also noted she has no regrets about her career path. "So many adults taking advantage of that naïveté. It's abusive. If it hadn't happened, exactly how it did, I would not be where I am. So I don't regret a second of anything that happened," she said. Thankfully, the treacherous path to fame only brought the girls closer, and as she described it, they share a sisterhood of “constant love.” Now, she’s hyper-focused on her solo career.
Shoutout to Jauregui for bringing a welcome breath of transparency to the table.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.
