© Getty Images

Jonah Hill -

Jonah Hill revealed that his ongoing struggles with anxiety were worsened by the media circus and public appearances involved in promoting a new film. In an effort to be true to himself and work on his mental health, he announced that he'll no longer promote his movies. Hill's latest project, a documentary called 'Stutz,' features the actor and his therapist as they explore mental health and therapy. In his open letter, Hill wrote, "The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film."

Hill goes on to explain his decision to avoid publicity events: "I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events." He continues, "If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film." Hill concluded that he hopes the work will speak for itself and thanked his fans for their understanding and support.  

© Getty Images

Pete Davidson -

Pete Davidson, a star without social media,  shared an open letter to his friend Dave Sirus' Instagram as a way to publicly say goodbye to 'Saturday Night Live' after starring on the show for eight years. Ahead of his final episode in May, Davidson wrote, "I got to share so much with this audience and literally grow up in front of your eyes. We were together through the good and the bad, the happiest and the darkest of times," he continued. "I owe Lorne Michaels and everyone at SNL my life. I'm so grateful and I wouldn’t be here without them. I appreciate you guys always having my back and sticking up for me even when that wasn’t the popular opinion. Thank you for always believing in me and sticking by my side even when it seemed comical. Thank you for teaching me life values, how to grow up and for giving me memories that will last a lifetime." His letter accompanied a video of Jerrod Carmichael hugging him after he'd finished his first update and sketch on the show. "SNL is my home. I’m so happy and sad about tonight’s show. For so many reasons I can’t explain. Can’t wait to be back next year in a Mulaney musical number," Davidson concluded. 

© Getty Images

Shawn Mendes -

Shawn Mendes wrote a short letter to his fans as a way to "communicate with you guys in a real honest way" about his struggles and hopefully let others know they're not alone. "Sometimes I ask myself what it is that I should be doing with my life and what I always hear in return is 'to tell the truth, to be the truth,'" he began in his letter, which he posted on Twitter April 19. "I feel like that's a hard thing to do though. I'm afraid that if people know and see the truth they might think less of me." He admitted that when he's feeling low he either hides or puts on a show, but the truth is that he constantly feels as though he's "either flying or drowning." He noted that maybe that's what everyone's 20s feel like, but added that while he wants to be his "true honest unique self" without caring what others think, "most of the time it's a struggle."

"The truth is even with so much success I still find it hard to feel like I'm not failing. Hyper focused on what I don't have, forgetting to see all that I do. The truth is that I'm overwhelmed and overstimulated." But Mendes clarified he's okay, and that he just wanted to share his truth because it "might resonate with some people."

© Getty Images

Neil Young -

On January 23, Neil Young penned an open letter to his management team and record label demanding that they remove his music from Spotify. “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he wrote. A few days later, all his music was removed from the platform. "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both," he wrote, referencing the stream of misinformation about vaccines that Joe Rogan has been peddling on his podcast 'The Joe Rogan Experience.' Fellow folk legend Joni Mitchell joined Young with a message on her website on January 28, similarly calling for her music to be removed and explaining, "Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives." Mitchell did not specifically name Rogan in her post, but she did link to the same open letter signed by medical professionals and health experts. 

© Getty Images

Neil Young -

One month prior, 270 doctors, physicians, and science educators came together to sign an open letter asking Spotify to stop giving people like Rogan such a huge platform for harmful claims. The open letter included: “With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence.  Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy." Since Young's spotlight on the issue, Spotify has announced that they will be adding content advisories to clamp down on Covid misinformation. 

© Getty Images

Gigi Hadid on her daughter's privacy -

Gigi Hadid welcomed her daughter Khai in pandemic-afforded privacy. But now that the world is slowly starting to open up, the famously low-profile model decided to address the public about her and Zayn Malik's child. In what she titled a "letter from a mamma" on July 5, 2021, Hadid addressed the paparazzi, the press, and fan accounts about her wishes in raising her girl. "As our baby grows up we have to realize that we can't protect her from everything the way we wanted to and could when she was smaller," she wrote. She explained that she wants her daughter to see the diversity of NYC, but "without the stress of the media circus that comes with parents who are public figures." Hadid acknowledged the laws around paparazzi taking photos of children differ between states, though she's seen paps blur kids' faces in their photos. "From asking around," she continued, "I believe that that comes down to the integrity of the photographer, publications or fans sharing the images." And that's where her plea, and her argument for the protection of minors at large, comes in.

© Getty Images

Gigi Hadid on her daughter's privacy -

"You know we have never intentionally shared our daughters face on social media," she explained. "Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age, and that she can live as normal of a childhood as possible, without worrying about a public image that she has not chosen."

© Getty Images

Gigi Hadid on her daughter's privacy -

She continued, "It would mean the world to us, as we take our daughter to see and explore NYC and the world, if you would PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE blur her face out of images, if and when she is caught on camera. I know it's an extra effort—but as a new mom, I just want the best for my baby, as all parents do…and I hope this can continue the conversation to protect minors in the media, even if they come from a public family." She also thanked the paparazzi who have been respecting her wishes already. 

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on past bullying -

Weeks after coming under fire for resurfaced tweets that took aim at a then teenage-aged Courtney Stodden, Chrissy Teigen broke her silence with an open letter published to Medium. "It has been a VERY humbling few weeks," she began, explaining, "Not a day, not a single moment has passed where I haven't felt the crushing weight of regret for the things I've said in the past." She wrote that she is in the process of making amends with the people she has hurt. "There is simply no excuse for my past horrible tweets," Teigen continued. She tried to explain her motivation at the time to "troll" celebrities online and seem relatable, but she added, "I was insecure, immature and in a world where I thought I needed to impress strangers to be accepted."

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on past tweets -

Teigen expressed her own incredulity at her past words and actions, explaining that she's grown a lot since then. But, she added, "I'm telling you this for context, not seeking or deserving any sympathy," she wrote. "There's no justification for my behavior. I'm not a victim here. The subjects of your sympathy—and mine—should be those I put down."

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on past tweets -

"I won't ask for your forgiveness, only your patience and tolerance," Teigen wrote. "I ask that you allow me, as I promise to allow you, to own past mistakes and be given the opportunity to seek self-improvement and change."

© Getty Images

Christopher Nolan and more on UK cinema -

Christopher Noland, Steve McQueen, Ridley Scott, Guy Ritchie, and Jude Law are among 40 key figures from the film industry who penned a letter to UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for more support for UK cinema, which they say is “standing on the edge of an abyss.” Box offices around the world have been hit hard by COVID-19 closures, with the UK specifically experiencing a 76% drop from the year prior. They film industry pros called for “targeted funding support to ensure that future generations can enjoy the magic of cinema,” Deadline reports. 

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on losing a child -

On October 27, Teigen published a deeply personal essay about losing what would have been her third child with John Legend. "People say an experience like this creates a hole in your heart," she wrote. "A hole was certainly made, but it was filled with the love of something I loved so much."

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on losing a child -

The letter was filled with gratitude for all the support and kind words she has received, especially those that started with "You don’t have to respond to this, but…" She also wrote about what happened to her in the hospital (best read in the essay itself), her decision to share photos of her grief, and how she's adjusting to the grief.

© Getty Images

Chrissy Teigen on losing a child -

"I wrote this because I knew for me I needed to say something before I could move on from this and return back to life, so I truly thank you for allowing me to do so," she wrote. "Jack will always be loved, explained to our kids as existing in the wind and trees and the butterflies they see."

© Getty Images

Prince Harry on the press -

On October 1, 2019, Prince Harry issued a statement after his wife Meghan Markle sued the Mail for publishing a private letter she had sent her father. Defending his wife, he also references his late mother, Princess Diana: "I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.

© Getty Images

Prince Harry on the press - "Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son," wrote Prince Harry.

© Getty Images

Prince Harry on the press - "I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in," he continued. "There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behavior, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people."

© Getty Images

Meghan Markle on racial identity - Before she was a duchess, Meghan Markle also wrote an open letter, titled 'I'm More Than An 'Other'.' It was about creating her identity and finding her voice as a mixed-race woman.

© Getty Images

Meghan Markle on racial identity - She reflected upon the difficulty growing up in a non-diverse area, hearing her mother called the N-word, the struggle of being ethnically ambiguous in the acting world of clearly defined labels, where she wasn't black enough for the black roles or white enough for the white ones.

© Getty Images

Meghan Markle on racial identity - She faced a choice: "You continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it," and you can obviously tell which one she chose.

© Getty Images

Justin Bieber on fame, drugs, and depression - The singer took to Instagram on September 2, 2019, detailing how being a child star took its toll on him, leading to drug use, depression, and even to his being abusive in relatonships."I became resentful, disrespectful to women and angry," he wrote. "I became distant to everyone who loved me... I felt like I could never turn it around."

© Getty Images

Justin Bieber on fame, drugs, and depression -

"It's hard to get out of bed in the morning…when it feels like there's trouble after trouble after trouble," he also shared. "Sometimes it can even get to the point where you don't even want to live anymore. Where you feel like it's never going to change."

"It's taken me years to bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits."

© Getty Images

Taylor Swift on Scooter Braun-Big Machine deal - On June 30, 2019, it was announced that Scooter Braun’s media holding company, Ithaca Holdings LLC., acquired Taylor Swift’s former label, Big Machine Label Group. The acquisition means that Braun, the famed music manager whose clients include Justin Bieber and Kanye West, now owns Swift’s first six albums. The pop singer allegedly learned about the news with the rest of the world, and came forward on Tumblr with an untold story about Braun.

© Getty Images

Taylor Swift on Scooter Braun-Big Machine deal -

“All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years," Swift wrote. “This is my worst case scenario.”

“Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”

© Getty Images

Kim Kardashian on feminism - After posting a naked (but censored) selfie, Kim K faced an onslaught of criticism, including from Bette Midler and Chloë Grace Moretz. She decided to pen an open letter titled 'I Am Allowed To Be Sexy,' cutting through the noise to deliver a serious feminist argument.

© Getty Images

Kim Kardashian on feminism - She expressed confusion at how she is a "bad role model" for being proud of her body, empowered by her sexuality and unafraid of others' opinions. "I will not live my life dictated by the issues you have with my sexuality. You be you and let me be me. I am a mother. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, an entrepreneur and I am allowed to be sexy."

© Getty Images

Frank Ocean's letter to the Grammys - Addressed to longtime creative forces behind the Grammys, producer Ken Ehrlich and writer David Wild, the artist wanted to make it clear that he did not submit his latest album for consideration by choice, and not out of embarrassment from his last performance.

© Getty Images

Frank Ocean’s letter to the Grammys - He posted it on his Tumblr, and spoke about how real success is not being handed an award on TV. He dragged them for awarding Taylor Swift's '1989' Album of the Year over Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' and said he's open to talk about the "cultural bias and general nerve damage" of the awards.

© Getty Images

Spike Lee's beef with the Oscars - Set to receive an honorary Academy Award at the 2016 Oscars, the director wrote a letter explaining why he wouldn't be in attendance to pick it up. "We cannot support it," he said. "How is it possible for the 2nd consecutive year all 20 contenders under the acting category are white?"

© Getty Images

Charlie Sheen opened up about HIV - The star released an open letter about his HIV-positive diagnosis, which was, he said, "a 'mule kick' to my soul." He explained his subsequent substance abuse as a streak of self-harm and decided to put an end to paying off those who jumped on the opportunity to extort him for money.

© Getty Images

Charlie Sheen opened up about HIV - "I'm claiming back my freedom … I accept this condition not as a curse or scourge, but rather as an opportunity and a challenge. An opportunity to help others. A challenge to better myself."

© Getty Images

Sinead O'Connor to Miley Cyrus - O'Connor didn't like that the young pop star cited her as inspiration for her sledgehammer-licking music video, and the Irish singer sent an open letter to Cyrus about getting prostituted by the music industry. Low blows ensued, and everyone forgot that the whole thing started with a compliment.

© Getty Images

Wentworth Miller to Russia - The 'Prison Break' star penned a daring open letter to a Russian film festival in which he actually came out publicly. Miller had previously denied he was gay, but upon hearing of Russia's anti-gay laws, he turned down the festival's invitation. "As a gay man, I must decline," he wrote bluntly in a letter.

© Getty Images

Jennifer Aniston to tabloids - After over a decade's worth of pregnancy rumors, the actress cut through the buzz in an open letter on the Huffington Post in July 2016, criticizing journalists for their relentless hounding when there are real issues in the world that deserve coverage.

© Getty Images

Jennifer Aniston to tabloids - "The sheer amount of resources being spent right now by press trying to simply uncover whether or not I am pregnant (for the bajillionth time... but who's counting) points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they're not married with children," she wrote.

© Getty Images

Ryan Gosling shares his PETA-passion - Less than two weeks after the Humane Society released an undercover investigation into the treatment of one of Costco's largest egg suppliers, the actor went all out in his open letter to CEO Craig Jelinek. He called for the retail giant to go cage-free, and called the deceptive carton labels "appalling."

© Getty Images

Kristen Stewart to the world - The actress didn't beat around the bush in her brief open letter apologizing for having an affair with her 'Snow White and the Huntsman' director while dating Robert Pattinson. She wrote that she was "deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment [she] caused," and said of Pattinson, "I love him. I love him. I'm sorry."

© Getty Images

Red Hot Chili Peppers on the infamous Super Bowl show - Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers broke the silence on the band's unplugged, mimed performance (only the vocals were live) during the Super Bowl. He explained that they weren't given a choice, but that they could have plugged the guitars in and "thought it better to not pretend."

© Getty Images

Jada Pinkett Smith on her relationship - Mrs. Smith caught people's attention when she said her husband could "do whatever he wants," spurring rumors of an open marriage. In an open letter on Facebook, she clarified that they can both do what they want and while they don't have an open relationship, they do "have a GROWN one."

© Getty Images

Lady Gaga on PTSD - Gaga wrote an open letter on her charity's website called 'Head Stuck In A Cycle I Look Off And I Stare,' addressing her PTSD diagnosis, and explaining what the condition meant for her and how it affected her.

© Getty Images

Lady Gaga on PTSD - Besides getting clinical help, she believes "the most inexpensive and perhaps the best medicine in the world is words. Kind words… positive words… words that help people who feel ashamed of an invisible illness to overcome their shame and feel free."

© Getty Images

Nathan Fillion's love letter to 'The Walking Dead' - The actor wrote a letter to the hit show, raving about it more deeply than a lover. "What matters is that we are being made to feel. Emotions are welling up from nothing—nothing but a well-crafted story."

© Getty Images

Nick Cannon to Hollywood - When former child star Amanda Bynes had a breakdown and went into psychiatric care, she had a lot of people bashing her. Nick Cannon, who knew her from her Nickelodeon days, wrote a sweet open letter to his "sister" saying that she was "not alone," adding "I'm here for you. I understand."

© Getty Images

Shirley Manson calls Kanye a small, petty child - After Kanye West claimed Beck didn't respect artistry when Beck won Best Album over Beyoncé at the Grammys, Shirley Manson took to Facebook to put him in his place. "Grow up and stop throwing your toys around ... Ps. I am pretty certain Beyonce doesn't need you fighting any battles on her account."

© Getty Images

James Franco's love letter to Jonah Hill - James Franco's thoughtful and entertaining letter, titled 'My Friend, Jonah,' explores Jonah Hill's growth as an actor, some trademark Franco humor, and a dash of personal moments between the two made everyone's hearts warm and gooey.

© Getty Images

Dylan Farrow's open letter in the NY Times - "What's your favorite Woody Allen movie? Before you answer, you should know..." the filmmaker's adopted daughter began. She detailed the alleged sexual assault at the hands of Allen dating back to when she was seven years old, and called out all the actors who continue to work with him.

© Getty Images

Dylan Farrow's open letter in the NY Times - She added that while she considers herself lucky now, surrounded by support, "others are still scared, vulnerable, and struggling for the courage to tell the truth. The message that Hollywood sends matters for them."

© Getty Images

Tupac's now-open letter to Madonna - In a 1995 letter, written at 4:30 am from jail, Tupac apologized to his then ex-girlfriend Madonna for breaking up with her because of the implications of him dating a white woman.

© Reuters

Tupac's now-open letter to Madonna - He explained that he felt he was letting down the very people he believed made him who he was, and offered up his friendship again. "This experience has taught me not to take time for granted," he ended the letter, one year and eight months before his untimely death.

© Getty Images

Mila Kunis on gender discrimination - In an open letter titled 'You'll Never Work In This Town Again' on A Plus, the actress criticized the way women are made to believe that speaking up for themselves could threaten their livelihood.

© Getty Images

Mila Kunis on gender discrimination - She wrote, "Throughout my career, there have been moments when I have been insulted, sidelined, paid less, creatively ignored, and otherwise diminished based on my gender," and explained that she learned, all too slowly, that you don't need to play by the rules of the "boy's club."

© Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson to Clive Davis - It's safe to say the former American Idol was not a fan of music mogul Clive Davis' autobiography. In a 2013 open letter, Clarkson disputed his memory of her crying in his office over a hit song she didn't want to record, and said the incident was caused by Davis calling her a "s**tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts he bestows upon me."

© Getty Images

Solange on belonging - After a group of cranky older white women ruined Solange's family trip to see Kraftwerk, verbally attacking and throwing rubbish at them just for dancing to a song, Solange wrote an open letter on race and feeling unwelcome as a black woman in a predominantly white space.

© Getty Images

Solange on belonging - The letter, though heartbreaking, is deeply poetic and tackles the differences in how black people are contextualized in the media as compared to white people. "We belong. We belong. We belong," she writes at the end, half to herself and half to anyone who can relate. "We built this."

© Getty Images

Lily Allen on the migrant crisis - In a piece called 'Why the Press Want to Stop Celebrities Like Me Talking About the Migrant Crisis,' Allen hit back at British tabloids who bashed her visit to a refugee camp, explaining that the press is trying to falsely frame refugees as people trying to take advantage of the system.

© Getty Images

Björk to critics -

After being criticized for moving around too much in her DJ sets, the Icelandic singer posted an explosive open letter on Facebook, pointing out that no man had ever received the same criticism, and alleging critics unfairly picked on her because she wrote songs about things others than romance. "Eat your bechdel test heart out."

© Getty Images

Sonam Kapoor's open letter on self-love - The Indian actress is one of the highest-paid in Bollywood, but when she was young she didn't think she'd ever make it—even after she started to make it. "Eventually, I didn't even need the tabloids to point out my flaws," she wrote, "I could look at myself on camera monitors and predict what would be criticized."

© Getty Images

Sonam Kapoor's open letter on self-love -

She tore down the unrealistic beauty standards that have women "sprinting through Jurassic Park in heels, fighting supervillains in strapless corsets, being stranded on deserted islands for days without a hint of stubble," and shared a devastating and rare honesty.

See also: Famous women reveal the moment they felt successful.

© Getty Images