K-pop superstar Rosé said Friday at a mental health awareness event hosted by first lady Jill Biden that it’s important for the world to understand that famous people grapple with emotional struggles, too.
Quick Read
- Rosé at Mental Health Event: K-pop star Rosé spoke at a mental health awareness event hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, discussing the emotional challenges faced by public figures.
- Discussion on Public Scrutiny: Rosé, a member of BLACKPINK, shared her vulnerability due to her large social media presence and the critical nature of public opinion.
- Importance of Mental Health Dialogue: She emphasized the necessity of open discussions about mental health, comparing its maintenance to physical well-being.
- Event Hosted by Jill Biden: The event was part of activities for the spouses of Asia-Pacific leaders in California for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
- Jill Biden’s Remarks on Mental Health: The First Lady highlighted generational changes in addressing mental health, noting less shame and more openness among younger people.
- Event Moderation and Technical Glitch: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy moderated the event, and Apple CEO Tim Cook experienced a brief teleprompter issue, which Jill Biden empathized with.
- Cook’s Ad Lib and Defense of Privacy Standards: After recovering from the teleprompter glitch, Cook addressed concerns raised by Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail about AI and mental health, asserting Apple’s commitment to privacy as a fundamental right.
- Distinguished Attendees: The event was attended by prominent figures including Kim Keon Hee (South Korea’s First Lady), Rachael Marape (spouse of Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister), and Louise Araneta-Marcos (First Lady of the Philippines).
The Associated Press has the story:
K-pop star Rosé joins first lady Jill Biden to talk about mental health
Newslooks- SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
K-pop superstar Rosé said Friday at a mental health awareness event hosted by first lady Jill Biden that it’s important for the world to understand that famous people grapple with emotional struggles, too.
“I think that would be very great, for everybody who works under the public eye,” she said, perched on a slate gray couch at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino after hugging the first lady, who thanked her for coming.
Rosé, a part of the supergroup BLACKPINK, said having a large social media following makes her feel vulnerable, particularly when people are critical.
“I do feel like some of the things I do is just never enough, and no matter how hard I work on something, there’s always gonna be somebody who has their own opinion or who enjoy taking control of the narrative,” she said. “And so, that comes to me as a sense of loneliness.”
She said it was important to talk about such things, however difficult it may be.
“Just as we feed ourselves for better health and fitness, mental health can only be maintained equally — if not more intentionally — as our physical well being.”
The discussion was part of several events hosted by Jill Biden for the spouses of Asia-Pacific leaders in California this week for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
“People who are older — we never, ever spoke about mental health,” Biden said. “There was shame attached to it. But what I find as a teacher — and having my own younger grandchildren in their twenties — I think they’re much more open to talking to one another, I think there’s far less shame.”
The event was moderated by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Apple CEO Tim Cook opened the event but blanked briefly when the teleprompter went out.
“Don’t you hate that. I hate that,” Biden said. Cook recovered, telling the crowd he’d “go ahead and ad lib,” then thanked everyone for coming and introduced the first lady.
Cook later defended his tech company’s privacy standards when Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail of Malaysia mentioned how artificial intelligence and manipulation can affect mental health, asking the CEO about protections on technology to protect people’s private information.
“If you’ve ever had an Apple watch, you are being watched all the time,” she said.
“Absolutely not actually,” Cook responded. “We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right.”
Kim Keon Hee, the first lady of South Korea, Rachael Marape, the spouse of the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, and Louise Araneta-Marcos, the first lady of the Philippines, also attended.
