R&B artist Ray J was a recent guest on Pastor Jamal Bryant’s podcast, “Let’s Be Clear.” The two entered in for a “candid, clear, and coherent conversation.”
The conversation, however, might have been a little too candid, as Ray J later threatened the pastor if the recording—where Ray J opened up about mental illness and a specific suicide attempt—was ever released. After days of drama over social media, Ray J has apologized, and the interview was released.
Bryant introduces Ray J as “one of the most significant figures for this generation.”
Controversial Interview Between Pastor Jamal Bryant and Ray J Released, Detailing Ray J’s Suicide Attempt
Musical artist and actor Ray J has experienced incredible success alongside heart-wrenching controversy after an infamous video went viral, including his girlfriend at the time, Kim Kardashian. Ray J and Pastor Jamal Bryant have known each other for years. Bryant had a cameo in one of Ray J’s music videos, and the two have been friends. It’s no surprise that the two sat down to discuss the entertainer’s life and mental illness.
Neither of them, however, would have guessed that there would be controversy, threats, and an apology stemming from this interview.
Ray J talked about his early career, success, and the “personal toll of controversies.” Bryant offered some spiritual insight and attempted to steer the conversation toward “faith, resilience, and self-acceptance.”
During the “candid” interview, Ray J opened up about his mental health—namely being in the public eye for all his successes and failures. Throughout the interview, he referred to himself as a “liar” various times.
As shame and inauthenticity caught up to him, Ray J recalled being in Mexico and contemplating suicide at his hotel.
“I was hanging off the roof of the hotel in Cancún,” Ray J recalled. “I climbed off the roof, and I went off to the side of the roof, and I just laid down. I climbed over and I laid, and I went to sleep, and I said, ‘If I fall off, then it was meant to be.’”
Ray J calmly told his story of the attempt. “So, I went to sleep for about 2 1/2 hours, and then the hotel caught me, and then we went through all of this stuff, and then I had to go do these tests,” he said. “But at that moment, it was like, ‘Yo, you wanna make your family proud, but you’re living a lie.’”
