Tasha Cobbs Leonard opens up to Tamron about depression, therapy, and finding happiness
Amy T. Adams // Mental Health // EEW Magazine Online
Gospel recording artist, wife and mom, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, who brings the love, joy, and light of Christ to the masses, recalls a time she was stuck in a “dark” prison of depression.
During a guest appearance on the Tamron Hall show, the radiant star, adorned in a red jumpsuit and sporting blonde hair said, “I would minister to the masses, and I would watch people [be] set free and healed, and I would go home for days in the dark, under the covers, just toiling with voices saying, ‘Hey, if you were to die today, they would find another Tasha.’”
Cobbs Leonard, 41, who is promoting her forthcoming album, Hymns, out October 7 via Motown Gospel, grew tired of suffering silently and sought help. Now the Grammy-winner advocates for mental health treatment telling host Tamron Hall, 52, “I believe in therapy” – the very thing that helped Cobbs Leonard get to the root of her struggles.
Left to Right: Kenneth Leonard, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tamron Hall (Credit: Tasha Cobbs/Instagram)
“For so many years, I had to put on this mask of perfection. I was a pastor’s daughter,” explained the “The Church I Grew Up In” songstress who felt pressured to be the ideal role model.
“You’ve got to have the best grades, you’ve got to look the best, you’ve got to present yourself well, and then you look down the road many, many years and you’re thinking, My God, I don’t even know myself. Who am I?” she said.
According to Cobbs Leonard, it was professional treatment and family support that helped her navigate through that dark space and embark on a “journey of discovery.”
These days, the current highest-selling female in gospel music with over 1 billion streams over the course of her career is no longer confused about who she is and confidently expressed as much saying, “I’m not just a singer. I’m not just a preacher. There’s more to me.”
The happy and glowing mom who welcomed a son, Asher, 1, with her husband Kenneth through surrogacy confidently stated, “I’m settled in who I am. I know my purpose is to represent God in every arena, on every platform, to bring light and hope to people’s lives. And when you know your purpose, you can be settled. You can be sure. You can be happy.”
Happiness sure looks good on her!
Watch the interview segment below, plus see how Cobbs Leonard brought the host to tears with an emotional performance of her new single.
