A TV star claims she has been left feeling depressed for the last six months, after appearing on a popular family reality show.
Scheana Shay is known for appearing on Vanderpump Rules - a reality show which is known for plenty of jaw-dropping scenes and shocking moments.
But, the 40-year-old has claimed that it is not this show which has caused her to have poor mental health recently - it’s a beloved family reality show.
The star opened up on a new episode of her Scheananigans podcast about falling into a months-long depression following her brief appearance on Season 13 of The Masked Singer in the United States.
“I have really just been feeling depressed the last six months. It was something that I kept trying to just mask and say ‘no, I’m fine. It’ll go away’. But it all started around The Masked Singer,” she alleged.
Shay, who was previously married to fellow TV personality Michael Shay but is now married to personal trainer Brock Davies, initially turned down the offer to compete on the reality show, saying she feared public humiliation.
The show sees popular celebrities sing on stage with their identities concealed by costumes. They perform to a studio audience, a celebrity panel, and also viewers at home. The celebrity panel try to guess the identity of the celebrity behind the mask, aided by clues given by the host.
Every week, the public vote for their favourite singer and the one who receives least votes is elimated from the programme - and then their mask is taken off and their identity revealed.
The star explained: “I got asked to do the show. I immediately was like ‘hard pass, absolutely not’,” she recalled. “I didn’t care how much money they’re paying me. I was not going to go on another show on national television just to get made fun of.”
But, despite her reservations, Shay chanhed her mind and ultimately joined the competition as The Bat. She performed Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter but was then voted off after the first episode.
The mum-of-one, who shares four-year-old Summer Moon Honey with her husband, explained that this led to her mental health to deteriorate. “I totally had a meltdown in my trailer,' she said. “I’m like ‘this is why I didn’t want to do this show. I’m not good enough. I get sent home first. Now everyone’s going to make fun of me.’ I just wanted to put myself out there.”
Shay said that she then sought professional help to deal with her mental health. “I was able to talk to my psychiatrist and able to talk to my therapist,” she said.
The reality star came to realize that broader changes in her life, including her departure from Vanderpump Rules, were also impacting on her mental state. “As excited as I am for this new chapter of my life—I got to film The Valley, (The Vanderpump Rules spin-off) and be with all of my friends this past summer. It filled the void of not filming a season 12,’ Shay explained.
Shay was a Vanderpump Rules cast member from the very beginning, appearing on the Bravo hit since its debut in 2013. Over 10 seasons, she became known for her high-profile relationships and emotional storylines.
