Humans are social creatures. We crave connection — and in the absence of it, loneliness can quickly creep in, wreaking havoc on your emotional state and your mood. Here’s a bit of reassuring news, though: No one is immune to loneliness. Even A-list stars who attend countless events and are surrounded by adoring fans can feel those pangs of isolation from time to time. Need proof? These celebrity quotes about loneliness should offer some comfort.
According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, about 22% of Americans say they constantly feel alone. Not only is loneliness a common and universal experience, but there are many reasons why it might strike. If you're newly single, just moved to a new city, are having difficulty relating to roommates, or just started living alone, all of those events — and many others — can trigger feelings of isolation. Unfortunately, there's a persistent stigma around loneliness, which in turn only makes people who are struggling with it feel more isolated. That's why it can be soothing to acknowledge that others, even celebs, have gone through the same experience.
So, read through these all-too-relatable quotes when you need a reminder that you may feel lonely, but you're definitely not alone.
In 2010, Angelina Jolie sat down for a one-on-one chat with Anne Hathaway for Interview Magazine and asked her what she fears most in life. Her answer? Loneliness.
"The thing that I’m most worried about is just being alone without anybody to care for or someone who will care for me," she told Jolie. "That horrible feeling of isolation is something that I hope I never have to deal with again."
Between her beloved roles on The Office and The Mindy Project, Mindy Kaling has definitely never shied away from playing a character with a complicated love life. In a March 2015 BuzzFeed Q&A, one fan asked how she copes with being single — and she got super candid.
“It’s funny, I used to freak out about being single much more in my twenties," she told the fan. "I’ve noticed that the more professional success I have, or the more happy I am professionally, the less I worry about that because I have a great deal of professional confidence … I love being by myself. I think that if I was in the wrong relationship, which I have been in several, that would be so much worse than the feeling of autonomy I feel right now.”
In August 2017 — right as Cara Delevingne was gearing up to release her first book, Mirror Mirror — she explained in an interview with Elle that she hoped her coming-of-age novel would inspire teen readers who were struggling with their feelings.
“It felt like I was completely alone and I couldn’t express myself because I felt ashamed of my emotions," she told the magazine. "I want to make sure that kids realize that emotions and vulnerability are important and should be spoken about."
Even Queen Bey battles loneliness occasionally. During a December 2006 interview with CBS News, she revealed how difficult it was for her to recover after Destiny's Child broke up.
"I stayed in my room," she told the news outlet. "I was in a really bad place in life, going through that lonely period: 'Who am I? Who are my friends?' My life changed."
Lizzo may be a spokeswoman for self-love and good vibes, but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel low from time to time. In June 2019, she opened up in a candid video on Instagram, with a caption that read: "Everything feels like rejection… it feels like the whole world be ghostin' me sometimes. Sad AF today. But this too shall pass." The text over the video read, “I’m depressed and there’s no one I can talk to because there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Life hurts.”
Her post inspired an outpouring of love and support from fans who were grateful for her honesty.
The intimate 2017 Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two divulged a lot of Lady Gaga's behind-the-scenes personal struggles. At the time, that included dealing with the pressure around performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, recovering from a breakup with fiancé Taylor Kinney, and coping with chronic pain, all while working on her working on her new album Joanne.
In one particularly evocative scene, Gaga can be heard tearfully confessing her fears to her friend, stylist Brandon Maxwell. She says: "I’m alone, Brandon. Every night. And all these people will leave, right? They will leave and then I’ll be alone. And I go from everyone touching me all day and talking at me all day to total silence.”
It's no secret that the Twilight series instantly skyrocketed Robert Pattinson to a new level of fame, and obviously, that notoriety comes with plenty of perks. However, in a 2013 interview with Spanish GQ, he admitted that there were also drawbacks to this dramatic change in his life.
"People don't realize how lonely you are," he told GQ. "In any case, I feel fortunate because success didn't reach me very young, at least, I had the opportunity to have a life before."
It's lonely at the top — at least according to Britney Spears. In an August 2019 Instagram post, the pop star shared a quote that read: "Pay close attention to the people who don't clap when you win."
In the caption on the image, she added: "Living in LA is such a trip !!! It can be lonely at times. You never know who to trust, and some people can be fake. I have a very small circle of friends, and simply do what makes me happy !!! It breaks my heart to see the comments on my posts sometimes .... so I simply choose not to look anymore ... let the clever haters do what they do best .... hate." Many of her followers applauded her attitude.
Just because Gisele Bündchen is a billionaire and a supermodel doesn't mean she's immune to loneliness and anxiety. In an October 2017 Instagram post, she wrote:
“Sometimes we feel alone, as if there is no way out, but that is not true. My panic attacks were difficult, and I sought help from my family, specialists, teachers, and friends. Asking for help is never a sign of failure but a sign of strength because your life is worth saving.”
Selena Gomez has been open about occasionally stepping away from Instagram and Twitter for the sake of her mental health, and in a 2017 interview with Business of Fashion, Gomez explained why she decided to take those social media breaks.
“It’s a lonely journey to really figure out where all this stuff is coming from," she explained. "And to detach from it. It becomes an addiction, it becomes a habit, retraining your mind to not go to these negative places when you say something wrong, do something wrong, when you wear a certain thing or represent a certain culture. But it is lonely, I had to lose a lot of people in my life to get there."
Gomez went on to explain that fame has forced her to figure out who her real friends are.
“You have to figure out the people that are in your circle," she added in the interview. "I feel like I know everybody but have no friends ... it feels great to be connected to people, but having boundaries is so important. You have to have those few people that respect you, want the best for you and you want the best for them."
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