For the first time in months, Lizzo is opening up—honestly, candidly, and with the kind of raw clarity you don’t often get from global pop stars. In a sit-down with Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast, she pulled back the curtain on her life in limbo, revealing why she pressed pause, how public scrutiny nearly broke her, and what she’s doing to regain her peace. And for fans wondering if she’s done—spoiler alert: she’s not even close.
A Gap Year That Was Already Underway
When Lizzo said she was on a “gap year,” she wasn’t announcing a future hiatus—she was smack in the middle of it.
“I was just in the middle of it,” she explained, brushing off the assumption that it was some dramatic future plan. The truth? She was living it in real time.
Her gap year wasn’t about escape. It was about going silent, observing, recalibrating. She said staying quiet felt like reverting to an older version of herself, one she thought she’d left behind—but there was wisdom in stillness, even if it came at the cost of public misunderstanding.
Silencing Herself Was a Survival Tactic
In a time when every word can be twisted, Lizzo decided less was more. Literally.
She admitted that she hasn’t expressed herself the way she wanted to for the past two years. Not because she didn’t have thoughts—but because she was afraid of how they’d be received. “Sometimes it can get you into some stuff you wasn’t even trying to get into,” she said, referring to how easily words are misinterpreted today.
Her social silence wasn’t apathy. It was strategy. And also, protection. When people questioned her need for peace, she realized that even healing had to be defended.
The Lawsuit That Shook Her World
When a lawsuit landed in August 2023, filed by three former dancers alleging harassment, the internet turned on Lizzo with lightning speed. And that—more than the lawsuit itself—was what hurt.
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The public ran with stories she says weren’t true.
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She lost control of her own image.
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The world created a version of her that didn’t match reality.
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Fame became a trap, not a platform.
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She was branded before she could speak.
Lizzo told Shetty that “Whoever Lizzo is to the world is not really even me,” and that disconnect became overwhelming. But instead of running from it, she’s now working through it—one step, one song, one breath at a time.
“Love in Real Life” Isn’t Just a Title, It’s a Reset
Lizzo is done being quiet.
She’s dropped two new singles—“Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad”—both of which feel like a reset button. The upcoming album, also titled Love in Real Life, is her next chapter. And this time, she’s the narrator.
In her words, “I can’t just let any author into my life who can make me a villain… I’m the author.” That’s a powerful shift—from defending a brand to reclaiming a voice.
Coming Back From the Edge
At a recent Los Angeles concert, Lizzo cracked wide open. Onstage, she revealed just how close she came to walking away from everything.
“I didn’t want to live anymore,” she said, tearing up in front of thousands. She described being afraid to even be seen, crushed by the weight of global judgment. But healing came from the most unexpected place—a stranger in the crowd.
“Someone I didn’t know looked at me and said, ‘Lizzo, I love you,’” she recalled. That single moment, that one voice, flipped a switch. From there, the spiral stopped.
She came back. Not for fame. Not for revenge. But for herself.
The Price of Being Seen, The Need to Keep Going
Being Lizzo has always come with expectations—body positivity, joy, activism, music, memes. But what happens when being that Lizzo starts to cost too much?
The Grammy winner said she’s “more careful now,” watching who gets close, being intentional about who writes her story. That wariness, though, isn’t fear. It’s clarity.
And no, she’s not done. “I’m never gonna stop,” she said with quiet conviction. Not because she owes the public. But because telling her truth is how she heals.
