J Balvin has always been open about his long-standing battle with depression. For him, it hasn’t been an easy journey—while he listens to the voices around him, he also grapples with unexpected thoughts and emotions. In a recent interview, the Colombian singer, who shares a son, Río, with model Valentina Ferrer, revealed that he decided to end their relationship during one of his lowest moments.
Balvin opened up about his depression in a conversation with Juan Pablo Raba for Los Hombres Sí Lloran (Men Do Cry), going beyond simply explaining his condition to share how he has lived through it. “The pressure, the pressure of staying at number one,” he admitted.
He described his constant internal battle: “I have a global hit, I’m the most-streamed artist on the planet, and yet I struggle between thinking I’m the best and telling myself: ‘No, you’re nothing. You’re just a guy who’s doing well, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best. You’re not above anyone.’”
Fortunately, Balvin has always had a close circle of friends who keep him grounded when his thoughts spiral. “My friends would say, ‘You’re crazy’—in Medellín, we use ‘crazy’ to mean someone is feeling weak, so don’t take it the wrong way. They’d say, ‘You’re acting up; don’t come at me like that, we’ll put you in check real quick.’” He admitted that one of his closest friends, Carlos, stopped talking to him for a year after seeing him act arrogant around his team. “But it was only within my inner circle. No one could see me at a public event and say I think I’m the greatest, the baddest.”
As the conversation deepened, Balvin acknowledged that his relationship with Valentina Ferrer wasn’t always smooth sailing. They briefly broke up—something he takes full responsibility for. “Of course, I had that moment. It’s about the ego, and I still struggle with it. My daily battle is with my ego, and the pressure took a toll on me. At one point, I even broke up with Valentina. And heartbreak hit me hard—it shattered me.”
He continued, “For a long time, I felt like everything stemmed from an emotional place. The pressure from work, the heartbreak, and, in most cases, it was my fault. Then came the self-blame: ‘Why me? Why am I like this?’” he reflected, recognizing a pattern in his past relationships.
An ongoing battle
During the interview, J Balvin described what his mental health struggles feel like: “For those who don’t understand what chemical depression is, nothing can pull you out of it unless you take medication. Nothing! Nothing tastes good, nothing has color, nothing makes sense. It’s not about being ungrateful—it’s a chemical imbalance. That’s as simple, yet as complicated, as it gets.”
He explained that even in calmer moments, anxiety would creep in and trigger feelings of “derealization, depersonalization, and deep depression” all over again. This ultimately led him to share his struggles with the world in a video that reached millions. “For those feeling like I do, you’re not alone,” he assured, fully aware of the thoughts someone in a similar situation might have.
The singer encourages his fans to seek professional help if they’re struggling with depression. He also calls on those doing well to support loved ones who may be struggling—reminding everyone that compassion and understanding can make a bigger difference than they might think.