Kesha is Self magazinethe June cover star and the singer shared a “horrific” health scare she suffered this year.
“I almost died in January,” the 36-year-old music artist — who recently started dating her boyfriend — told the publication.
After undergoing a fertility procedure, Kesha experienced a rare and serious complication.
It was due in part to having a weakened immune system, caused by CVID (common variable immunodeficiency), a disease she was diagnosed with last year.
“I finally feel recovered, but it took a few months,” she said, adding, “It was horrific.”
Getting candid: Kesha is the cover star of Self magazine in June and the singer opened up to the publication about her CVID (common variable immunodeficiency) diagnosis
The fertility procedure followed Kesha’s decision to freeze her eggs.
“I just took my reproductive health into my own hands,” she noted. “And I support anyone who does and [honoring] your body.’
Weeks later, she performed on New Year’s Eve, but something didn’t feel right after her show. She felt too weak to walk and ended up in the hospital nine days.
Now that she’s better, Kesha says “sleep is the most important thing.”
“I feel like I’m still catching up on my teens and twenties. But I try to sleep as much as possible, and I have to protect that fiercely,” she stressed.
People with CVID are at high risk of developing infections that can become serious.
Other symptoms of the disease – which is most often diagnosed in young adults – include gastrointestinal problems, difficulty breathing, joint pain and swelling, and fatigue, self-reported.
Kesha said she was afraid to talk openly about her health problems: “I just never wanted to be the whiny, privileged girl.”
Health update: The 36-year-old music artist was diagnosed with the rare disease last year
The star said she was afraid to talk openly about her health problems: ‘I just never wanted to be the whiny, privileged girl’
The Los Angeles native also considered how talking about it publicly would affect her brand.
“My image was that of going out and having fun,” she explained to the outlet.
Before she knew exactly what was going on, the TiK ToK hitmaker thought it was her busy schedule that was making her tired.
“I had a really hard time saying no to interviews or photo shoots because I didn’t want to miss my one chance by not being able to fulfill every request,” she explains.
But she said it eventually “led to severe physical and mental exhaustion.”
Stuck with regular fatigue, the pop star saw a medical professional and that’s when she found out she has CVID, which is a lifelong condition.
To keep her health under control, Kesha now does eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and meditates, stretches, and practices breathing exercises before shows.
“People probably think I’m out there taking pictures,” she said jokingly. ‘And [my routine is] the most zen sh*t you’ve ever seen.’
New Music: Kesha released her fifth studio album Gag Order on May 19
The singer-songwriter looked better than ever in images Jason Kim shot for the glossy.
She posed against red and orange backdrops with her blonde hair slicked back in a loose wet style with a deep side parting.
Elsewhere in the interview, she opened up briefly about her boyfriend Riccardo Maddalosso.
“I didn’t really want to call the relationship because I think starting a family is everyone’s choice, and family can mean so many different things to everyone,” she said.
“My family right now is the people I spend time with, and my real family, and also my band, my friends, and my cats,” she said before adding of her beau, “But…he’s amazing!” ‘