Janelle Monáe says her father's addiction and prison fuelled abandonment trauma

What was said

""My dad struggled with addiction growing up. And so, he was in and out of my life.""

Monáe says her early experiences of her father being absent due to addiction left her with trust issues and a persistent fear of rejection that later bled into break-ups and how she handled criticism of her work. She later adds that her father “had also gone to prison” and says forgiveness and therapy helped them rebuild their relationship.