Emotional J Balvin Says He's Struggling with 'Anxiety and Some Depression' Again: 'I'm Fragile' (original) (raw)

J Balvin is getting candid with his fans about his mental health.

On Tuesday, the Colombian star — known for highlighting his day-to-day on Instagram — revealed why he has been mostly absent from social media over the past few days and weeks.

"Like any human being, I've had some challenges," the 35-year-old said in Spanish in his video. "This time it's anxiety and some depression."

"I don't like acting or faking my happiness or that everything is perfect," he added. "I'm like any human being. I'm fragile and vulnerable, possibly more than all of you."

He then thanked his fans for staying connected.

J Balvin on his Instagram Story. J Balvin/Instagram

"Soon, the storm will pass and I'll be back cracking jokes with you all," he said. "I'm not here to act but to be real and share what I'm feeling in the moment."

"I love you all. Jose," he ended the video with a peace sign and saying his real name. Balvin has recently been sharing posts about his collaboration with Fortnite, but has generally stayed away from social media.

Earlier this week, he shared photos alongside his beloved dog Enzo.

"I'm your loyal friend and you're my loyal friend," he captioned the shots in Santa Monica, California.

The Latin star — responsible for worldwide hits such as "Mi Gente" — has been candid about his mental health struggles in the past.

"Anxiety and depression are a reality, perhaps it is part of my mission on earth to talk about things that few accept," he said in a video around this time last year. "And simply accepting that I am human like everyone else. 🙏"

He's even inspired his peers, such as Camila Cabello, to be open about their mental health struggles.

"During a period of intense anxiety, I saw his posts on Instagram talking about his struggle with anxiety and mental health, and I remember bursting out crying because I no longer felt alone, amazed that someone who was achieving such incredible things was still vulnerable and brave enough to share that with the world," the former Fifth Harmony member wrote about J Balvin in his TIME 100 profile.

Last September, he also shared that he faced "internal battles" and made it clear that dealing with anxiety and depression "doesn't mean you're crazy."

"Yes! I suffer from anxiety and IT'S NOT EASY," he wrote in a candid post last year. "But I also know that this will pass."

This past June, the "Un Día" star wrote a personal essay for PEOPLE about his anxiety and how meditation has helped him.

"Meditation is about opening your mind to self-awareness. It's about understanding that your mind isn’t just an idea — it's a living, breathing thing, something that needs to be cared for and looked after. Meditation is the act of mental hygiene," he wrote. "And meditation is something that — for as long as I have this big platform — I want to help promote to the world."