Madison Beer has opened up about the trauma she went through after being dropped by her record label at 19 years old. 

The singer, 26, confessed it was the ‘worst time of her life’ and she was left ‘suicidal’ after her mental health took a huge hit. 

The hitmaker sH๏τ to fame at just 13 when her YouTube covers attracted the attention of Justin Bieber, who then posted a link to one of her covers and led to her signing with Island Records.

However Island Records released her just a few years later, and opening up about that time in her life in an interview with ELLE magazine she said: ‘When I first started diving into all of this mental health stuff, I was just in the worst place you could be.

‘I was probably 19, and I had pushed everything down and ignored and ignored and moved forward, and then one day, it felt like it all just came up. I was suicidal. 

‘I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m not in that dark place anymore. At the time, I was bitter. I was like, “Look at what you all have done to me. How dare you take someone who just wanted to f**king sing and perform and be a person, and you ruined me?”

Madison Beer has spoken candidly about her trauma from being dropped by her record label after being discovered by Justin Bieber at age 13 as she admitted ‘I was suicidal’

The singer, 26, confessed: ‘I was probably 19, and I had pushed everything down and ignored and ignored and moved forward, and then one day, it felt like it all just came up. I was suicidal’

‘I was honestly spiteful and angry at the world for a while.’

Speaking about how Chappell Roan’s speech at this year’s Grammy’s resonated with her she explained: ‘Watching her speech, as an artist who was dropped when I was 16 years old and had no f**king clue what to do with myself…I had uprooted my entire life from Long Island to L.A., I had no friends, I was getting homeschooled. 

‘When I was dropped, I felt like these people that had sat me down and were like, “We’re family, and we love you, and we are going to take care of you forever,” suddenly couldn’t give less of a s**t about me. 

‘At the time, I didn’t have the hindsight to know how f**ked up that really was, so hearing [Roan] say that was validating.’ 

Madison, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in August 2019, also discussed the toll of fame as she confessed: ‘I don’t feel like anyone was cut out to do this.

‘[Fame] has unfortunately impacted my mental health and my self-view, because I’ve been on camera since I was so young. That gives you an opportunity to notice every flaw and overanalyse yourself.’

Yet her experience has changed how she views others as she explained: ‘When you go through traumatic things that cause PTSD or BPD—or I’ve been diagnosed with pretty gnarly OCD—when you go through these really intense, difficult things, especially early in your life, you look at people and the world very differently. 

The hitmaker sH๏τ to fame at just 13 when her YouTube covers attracted the attention of Justin Bieber , who then posted a link to one of her covers and led to her signing with Island Records

Madison, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in August 2019, also discussed the toll of fame as she confessed: ‘I don’t feel like anyone was cut out to do this’

Speaking about how Chappell Roan’s speech resonated with her she explained: ‘I didn’t have the hindsight to know how f**ked up that really was, so hearing [Roan] say that was validating’

‘I look at every single person like they could be me; I have so much love and empathy and care for everybody. Maybe it’s not always a good thing, but I love that part of me.’ 

After being discovered at such a young age, Madison also spoke about growing up in the spotlight as she admitted it felt like she was being ‘tried as an adult’, despite being 14. 

She explained: ‘I was trying to navigate how to be a person, and I’d have the whole internet to report to.’

Revealing whether she thinks young stars could still break into the industry without the traditional backing of a record label, she added: ‘I don’t think my story would happen, in the sense of how I was mistreated. 

‘But in 2012, things were different. I didn’t feel protected, and I didn’t feel like people approached judging me like they were judging a 14-year-old.’

‘I’m really proud of where I am, if my younger self met me right now, she’d be like, ‘You’re the coolest girl on earth. I get to be you one day? That’s so sick.’

ELLE’s 2025 Women in Music issue is available now.  

WHAT IS BPD? 

BPD is a personality disorder characterised by a long-standing pattern of instability in mood, interpersonal relationships, and self-image that is severe enough to cause extreme distress or interfere with social and occupational functioning. 

Among the manifestations of this disorder are: 

(a) Self-damaging behaviour (e.g., gambling, overeating, substance use)

(b) Intense but unstable relationships

(c) Uncontrollable temper outbursts

(d) Uncertainty about self-image, gender, goals, and loyalties

(e) shifting moods

(f) Self-defeating behaviour, such as fights, suicidal gestures, or self-mutilation

(g) Chronic feelings of emptiness and boredom.

Source: American Psychological ᴀssociation