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Hobo sexual6/26/2023 Behind the scenes, Riley says she fought for her character "to have a voice" but eventually realized her efforts were useless. But in other ways, it became a reminder of the types of roles Black women, especially those who are plus-sized, are relegated to. The show introduced Riley to millions of fans and catapulted her into major Hollywood circles. Glee launched in 2009 with the promise of becoming Riley’s big break. American Idol had temporarily convinced her she wasn’t cut out for the entertainment industry, but this was validation that she was right where she belonged. Thankfully, Riley had been cast to play Mercedes Jones. After auditioning for American Idol and being turned away by producers, Riley began working for Ikea and nearly missed her Glee audition because her car broke down on the highway while en route. There wasn’t just childhood trauma to account for. “My fight or flight was on such a high level. “I was shaking in office,” she tells xoNecole. By the time she started seeing a psychologist and taking antidepressants in her thirties, her body had become jittery, a physical reminder of the trauma stacked high inside her. In a recent interview with Jason Lee, she recalls having suicidal ideation as a kid. The actress/singer has been in therapy since 2019, although she suffered from depression and anxiety way before that. ![]() Time has allowed Riley to grow more comfortable, giving fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, including her mental health journey and the ins and outs of show business. ![]() “She is who she is from when I met her back when she was singing in the front of the church to back when she landed major roles in film and TV,” Brooks says. If you ask Riley’s manager, Myisha Brooks, she’ll tell you the foundation of who the multihyphenate is hasn’t changed much since she was a kid growing up in Compton.
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