Katy Perry says thanking God every day got her through suicidal thoughts

American Idol judge Katy Perry with her fellow American Idol judges. The pop star was raised in a Christian household. (Photo: ABC)

Katy Perry has revealed she thought about taking her own life when she "crashed" following the release of her last album and a temporary break-up with her now fiancé Orlando Bloom.  But discovering gratitude helped her turn a corner. 

In a sitdown with Sirius XM's CBC Radio One show, the "Roar" singer talked about how she struggled with suicidal thoughts after the release of "Witness" back in 2017. 

"My career was on this trajectory when it was going up, and then I had the smallest shift, not that huge from an outside perspective. But for me it was seismic," she said.

"I had broken up with my boyfriend, who is now my baby-daddy-to-be, and then I was excited about flying high off the next record," Perry went on.

"But the validation did not make me high, and so I just crashed."

The 35-year-old, who is expecting her first child with Bloom, was able to pick herself back up, though, and now credits gratitude to God with saving her life. 

"Gratitude is probably the thing that saved my life because if I did not find that, I would have wallowed in my own sadness and probably just jumped," she said.

"But I found the ways to be grateful. Every morning I wake up and it's the very first thing I say, 'Thank you God for today, I am grateful in every way. If it gets really hard I walk around and say, 'I am grateful! ... That's been the light at the end of my tunnel."

Elaborating on her thoughts about God, she said He is "much bigger" than her but "He's not a white guy on the throne". 

She also said her relationship with God was the source of her hope. 

"My hope is that something bigger than me created me for a purpose and reason, that I'm not disposable," Perry said.

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
News
A three day journey by canoe to receive life-saving treatment from Mercy Ships
A three day journey by canoe to receive life-saving treatment from Mercy Ships

Most Madagascans cannot afford surgery, even on the rare occasions its available.

Drought insurance helps Nepal families survive food crisis
Drought insurance helps Nepal families survive food crisis

An innovative drought insurance scheme has provided emergency support to hundreds of vulnerable farming families in western Nepal

Britain has become ‘dangerously complacent’ over family breakdown
Britain has become ‘dangerously complacent’ over family breakdown

Dr Harry Benson, Research Director at the Marriage Foundation, said the latest official data on families and households pointed to a “profound social change” that had received little public attention despite long-term consequences for family stability and child wellbeing.

Church of Scotland issues slavery apology
Church of Scotland issues slavery apology

The Church of Scotland General Assembly said it was “grieved beyond telling” for the suffering inflicted.