It started as a defense, then Doja Cat opened up about ‘agonizing’ lifelong battle that started with living a lie

Doja Cat recently opened up about her lifelong struggle with borderline personality disorder (BPD), revealing she’s “now struggling” with the condition. According to E! Online, the “Paint the Town” rapper shared this deeply personal insight in a candid video on TikTok, where she was defending fellow artist Chappell Roan, who often faces intense scrutiny from paparazzi.

Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Dlamini, explained that she had learned from a very young age to “pretend that I like stuff, to pretend that I’m happy, to pretend that I don’t like stuff that I do to appear like everything is OK.” She admitted that this pretense eventually “caught up with me.” The 30-year-old artist believes she’s been struggling with the disorder, which is characterized by extreme emotions and impulsiveness, for “probably forever.” 

Doja Cat shared that she’s “been in therapy for years now, and I am so relieved and so proud of myself.” She acknowledged that while she’s “made it so far,” she still makes mistakes, emphasizing that treating and healing from BPD is an “eight-year process.” Her honesty about the ongoing nature of her treatment highlights the importance of appropriate treatment that can prevent tragic deaths like those of Liam Payne.

Candid confessions like these help normalize conversations around Mental Health

While Doja Cat made it clear that she wasn’t diagnosing Chappell Roan with BPD, she totally gets why the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer might appear “uncomfortable” on the red carpet. She really admires Chappell’s ability to “be uncomfortable comfortably in front of people and protect herself.” Doja Cat added that she “had to learn how to be honest with myself. I lied to myself for years—for most of my life—and to see her sit there, I love it.” 

She also pointed out that Chappell, whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz, “is not hurting anybody” when she calls out unruly behavior. Doja Cat then added, “Let her have an attitude, because I would love to have one as well.” 

The “Say So” artist has been embracing being candid in her life. Last year, she chose to recognize what she achieved in her performance at the Oscars rather than listen to critics. Recently, she has been sharing “epiphanies” about her health, talking about why she sought liposuction in 2023. She now believes she might unknowingly be suffering from lipedema, a disorder that causes fat buildup in the lower part of the body. 

She described her experience with the condition, saying, “I was just building up all this ass and ankle and calves and knee and thigh. I had a whole ton of it.” It’s clear she was genuinely surprised by this discovery, stating, “I had no clue, and nobody brought up lipedema to me.” It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes our bodies are dealing with things we don’t even realize, and it takes a lot of self-awareness to uncover them.