Last Monday night saw Jessie J perform at the storied Royal Albert Hall in London, with her now Instagram-official beau Channing Tatum cheering her on. But, this wasn't just a momentous night for the singer's much-discussed new relationship. According to Metro.co.uk, she also took time during her set to share something deeply personal with her fans — something she'd been living with for the last several years.
"I was told four years ago that I can’t ever have children," Jessie J told the crowd. "I don’t tell you guys for sympathy, because I’m one of millions of women and men that have gone through this and will go through this."
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She made her announcement right before performing her song "Four Letter Word," off her most recent album R.O.S.E., and she noted that that was no coincidence: "I wanted to write this song for myself in my moment of pain and sadness, but also to give myself joy, to give other people something that they can listen to in that moment when it gets really hard."
Jessie J made it clear that she was sharing her own story in order to show support for others struggling with infertility. "If you’ve ever experienced anything with this or have seen somebody else go through it or have lost a child, then please know you’re not alone in your pain and I’m thinking of you when I sing this song," she said. It's hard not to feel alone when dealing with fertility issues, but knowing that someone else has faced the same challenges can be a source of comfort.
According to the CDC, 7.3 million American women have used infertility services. And experiencing infertility has been linked to greater emotional stress and increased rates of anxiety and depression. In other words, infertility is an issue that deserves to be discussed more publicly and with greater frequency — and, in opening up in such a public forum, Jessie J pushed the conversation that much farther.