When Rihanna Was on a 24 Hour Health Watch Back in 2011 Due to Stress and Anxiety

After a 10-month, 101-day tour in 2011, Rihanna was placed under a 24-hour health watch as a result of a rumored backstage meltdown that led to the cancellation of a performance on November 25, 2011, in Ireland.

It may not be surprising that the singer, who was 23 at that time, had her mental health affected so badly since she went on a nearly one-year tour that was incredibly demanding and time-consuming, per HuffPost. After the allegedly nearly postponed concert, Rihanna tweeted to her followers that she felt "so light-headed! WTF!!!!!"

Stress is what contributed to Rihanna's 24-hour health watch. According to the American Psychological Association, stress is normal – and even beneficial in tiny quantities. This is because it can help us overcome our worries and become more motivated. However, the APA states that there is also harmful stress, which might act as a warning flag to the body. HuffPost reports that this may be what happened to Rihanna.

This is not the first time Rihanna had to cancel a performance owing to her mental health. The Work singer discussed her anxieties in an interview with VOGUE UK in 2020. The singer experienced a panic attack right before performing at the Grammys in 2016.  “Are you kidding me? I left the Grammys one time. Left! In the middle of my hair and make-up. My hair half up, half of my lash on…” 

Rihanna fans were really disappointed in 2016 when the singer had to cancel her Grammy performance due to a medical issue. Her representatives had shared at the time that doctors had recommended her to take a 48-hour vocal rest due to a bronchial infection that put her "at risk of hemorrhaging her vocal cords." The singer had actually sung Kiss It Better in rehearsals just a couple of hours ago.

Just hours before performing, the Love on the Brain singer suddenly got up and left. Her team let everyone know at the time that it was vocal issues, but the singer revealed later that it was debilitating anxiety that was the real reason. Although she now jokes about it, she wants her fans to know that it is far more difficult for her than it appears. “Being on camera, being in a room full of celebrities is still not normal for me, by the way,” she revealed.

The singer struggles with anxiety otherwise too. “I can’t listen to my voice, you know.” Fans would be shocked to learn that Rihanna, whose voice is ubiquitous in our culture, experiences the same anxiety as any other person while speaking in front of an audience. “Oh, I’m nervous before even getting in the car to go to something,” she says. “It can be devastating. And when I pull up to the red carpet, I’m like…” she imitated crisis breathing.