Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who is real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, broke down during a performance at the Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, her voice shaking as she struggled to hold back tears.
“I gotta take care of myself. Nobody gonna take care of me,”
She said to the crowd, her raw emotion evident.
“Oh my god, what I gotta make today and I just gotta go.”
The moment, seen in viral video taken by fans such as @ItsKingSlime on X, transformed one with a loud concert into a powerful voice about vulnerability, racking up over 2 million views with wide-reaching mental health discussions across the globe.
A tweet from X.
This heart felt rant came after Megan’s award as 2025 Mental Health Champion of the Year by The Trevor Project, handed to her on October 10 during their gala in Los Angeles. There, she openly discussed her sorrow arising from the death of her mother in 2019 as well as the 2020 Tory Lanez shooting that convicted the rapper in 2022 to 10 years in prison.
“I’ve lost loved ones. I’ve felt lonely. But the help of the therapist made me find me again,”
She revealed to People Magazine.
Megan’s vulnerability resonates deeply in a world where mental health struggles often go unspoken, particularly for Black women.
“Through all of that grief, I was just working and trying to be the best Megan I could be,”
She said at the “I Am The Table” benefit event on October 12, hosted in Philadelphia.
“I didn’t know that I needed to go to therapy until one day that I am just like oh damn, I am so sad and it’s really terrifying that I am so sad. And it’s like that I didn’t matter what happened to me. And I didn’t want to be that like I should be concerned with my life.”
Her message resonates with hard facts. The Trevor Project states that 42% of LGBTQ+ youth contemplated suicide during the last year, with increased vulnerabilities among youth of color. Just 40% of Black Americans with mental illness needs opt to be treated, according to a 2023 APA study. With NHS waiting lists ranging from months in the U.K., her frankness stokes the encouragement to encourage openness to help. For Canadian and Australian viewers, her project complements youth-centered mental health campaigns, promoting cross-cultural communication.
Megan has transformed her misery into action. When she launched BadBitchesHaveBadDaysToo.com in 2022 as a free wellness platform that provided directories of therapists, hotlines in crisis, and Black- and LGBTQ+-specific resources, she attracted over 500,000 users.
“Mental health affects all of us, so let’s lead with love and compassion,”
She said during her acceptance speech at the Trevor Project. She’s also partnered with the California Department of Public Health on the “Never A Bother” campaign, encouraging youth to seek help.
“When I’m going through my rough patches… I think about how far I’ve come,”
She noted in a campaign video.
“You don’t have to be so tough all the time.”
Her Pete & Thomas Foundation supports deserving groups with education, housing, and mental health grants. Her 2024 documentary, Megan Thee Stallion In Her Words, chronicles depression battles she faced after the shooting to substantiate her vow of transparency.
Megan’s tears were not weakness but strength.
“So now I feel very comfortable with saying no, I’m telling you not today,”
She declared in Philadelphia, reclaiming her narrative. Her honesty challenges the “strong Black woman” stereotype, especially in an industry where 40% of performers face untreated trauma, per the APA. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, praised her:
“Her courage… will echo for generations.”
By confronting pain publicly and fighting misinformation with verified platforms, Megan Thee Stallion is reshaping how we talk about healing one honest step at a time.
