LeAnn Rimes Opens Up About Stage Fright, Rehab and Processing Childhood Trauma

From her earliest memories as a child, singer LeAnn Rimes has always been in the spotlight. At the age of five, she performed in numerous singing competitions. By eight, she was appearing on TV shows. And as many know, she eventually took over country music, winning two Grammy Awards. While happy with her life, the singer recently discussed constantly being critiqued, how it led to a crumbling bout of stage fright, and the benefits of checking herself into rehab. 

The Pressure Of Being Perfect

Appearing on the Happy Place podcast with Fearne Cotton, Rimes held nothing back about her life and the hurdles she overcame throughout her career. The singer revealed that having people constantly “picking” her apart led her to doubt herself. With people telling her to not “f*** it up”, the Grammy winner started to feel a sense of panic overcome her. Thankfully, she found peace when standing in front of the mic. “Once I walked onto whatever I was doing or opened my mouth, I was like, ‘okay, this is it. I’m in. I’m all in.’ So it would flow from that moment…” 

Although Rimes spent the majority of her life on the move and trying to please others, she admitted “I had a great childhood” before adding, “But I had a rough childhood”. The singer expanded on her thoughts, saying, “Growing up in the public eye and then going through a very public affair, I mean, there was just a lot. And it was always so much forward movement that I never had time to stop and process any of it.”

LeAnn Rimes Found Peace In Parenting

While Rimes never had children of her own, the singer eventually married Eddie Cibrian, who brought two children with him. Although they are grown now, Rimes recalled navigating a blended family and watching kids be kids. “I’ve loved seeing the kids have a childhood. I didn’t have that. And so to be able to give that to someone else has been really special.”

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According to Rimes, the start of her healing process came when she decided to admit herself to rehab. She noted how she never spent time alone given her career until that moment. “That was the first time I really spent time alone and it was just the beginning of my own wellness, self-exploration journey. That was definitely not the end all at all, but that was the beginning of it.” 

Grateful for the techniques she learned along the way and focusing on healing herself, Rimes will celebrate her music career at the O2 London on May 8, 2024, with a historic performance. 

(Featured Image by Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT)