It actually seemed normal when Lady Gaga called Prince William on FaceTime the other day. While the two chatted like old friends, they also talked about a bigger issue: mental health. In a video released by Kensington Palace, the pop star dialed the Duke of Cambridge from her Los Angeles home, and Will praised Gaga for being open about her struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder after she was sexually assaulted at 19 years-old.
“Even though it was hard, the best thing that could come out of my mental illness was to share it with other people and let our generation, as well as other generations, know that if you are feeling not well in your mind that you’re not alone, and that people that you think would never have a problem do,” Gaga said.
Since his brother, Prince Harry, revealed that he sought counseling following the death of their mother, Princess Diana, Prince William has amped up his efforts to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Through their Heads Together campaign, the princes, as well as Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, hope to raise awareness with their #oktosay series that shows people from different backgrounds sharing their personal mental health challenges.
At the end of the conversation, Will asked Gaga if she would be willing to meet in person to further their conversation. “We have to make the strongest, most relentless attempt we can to normalize mental-health issues, so that people feel like they can come forward,” she agreed.
The Duke of Cambridge and @LadyGaga join forces to encourage more people to speak openly about their mental health #OKtosay pic.twitter.com/kCuQyS3Svn — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 18, 2017
