‘American Idol’ Winner Fantasia Barrino Says She Found Purpose After Surviving Overdose
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American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino recently opened up about surviving an overdose in 2010. The singer, who is starring in the upcoming movie musical The Color Purple, said she found purpose after the ordeal.
American Idol Winner Fantasia Barrino Talks About Overdose
In 2010, Barrino survived an overdose of aspirin and sleeping pills. The singer told Variety in a new interview that she “just wanted the noise to stop.” At the time, her house was in foreclosure and her father was suing her over how she portrayed him in her memoir.
Barrino said that during her hospital stay, a nurse showed her magazines with her face on the cover, telling her she was “strong” and “a blessing” and adding, “Don’t you come back in here no more. You fight.”
“I left that hospital and said, ‘I’ll never do that again, because I have purpose,’” Barrino shared. “I’m going to speak into every young person’s life and tell them, ‘Don’t you dare give up.’”
Barrino added that she has “the spirit of an eagle.” She told the magazine of her relationship with husband Kendall Taylor, “I’m so HAPPY — in all caps — and I never thought I would have that.”
SEE ALSO: FANTASIA BARRINO CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH OPRAH WINFREY, ‘COLOR PURPLE’ CAST
Barrino Remembers ‘Summertime’ Performance
During her time on American Idol in 2004, Barrino delivered an unforgettable performance of “Summertime.” The singer told Variety that she took her shoes off for the performance because she “needed to be grounded.” She told producers, “This is how I used to sing back home.”
“It was just me and God,” Barrino shared. “That moment changed everything. I just went out and showed them who I am — that there was still some good in me, flawed and all.”
After she won Idol, Barrino’s grandmother told her that “the chains have been broken tonight,” adding, “Buckle up. Prepare yourself. Because with all of this comes the storm.”
Barrino reprises the role of Celie in the upcoming movie adaptation of The Color Purple musical, out on Christmas Day. The singer performed in a Broadway production of the show from 2007 to 2008, followed by the national tour.
