Mindy McCready on What Triggered Suicidal Thoughts
Following news of Mindy McCready's tragic passing today, we're looking back at one of our last interviews with the country singer where she opened up about what may have triggered her suicidal thoughts.
At the time of our interview in 2010, McCready had already made three attempts at taking her own life. In the sitdown she claimed that she didn't start having suicidal thoughts until her relationship with ex Billy McKnight became abusive.
"I got caught up in this whirlwind of trying to save him from himself and lost me in the process," said McCready. "My self-esteem was gone. I was in love with this man and trying to do everything I could to save his life and nobody cared about mine."
McCready went on to explain that McKnight wasn't around when she gave birth to their son Zander, but admitted that she also was absent for a portion of her firstborn's life.
RELATED: Mindy McCready Dies of Apparent Suicide
"[Zander] was 15 months old when I went to jail. He was so little that he doesn't remember," said McCready, who was sentenced to a year in jail for probation violation in 2007. "All he remembers is that I was there one day and the next I wasn't for six and a half months straight. They did bring him to see me once and he didn't remember me, and that was really hard."
At the time of our interview, McCready seemed to be feeling better which she attributed to Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
"A lot of people have said, 'Was that about TV for you ... or was it therapy?' And I can't speak for everyone, but for me it changed my life. It saved my life," she said. "Dr. Drew said so many amazing things to me that really made me think I really, truly want to know what was wrong with me, what was going on inside my head, why was I acting the way that I was?"
According to a police report, deputies responded to a report of gun shots fired on Sunday afternoon. Upon arriving, officers reportedly found Mindy McCready's body on the front porch and pronounced her dead at the scene from what appeared to be "a single self-inflicted gunshot wound." She was 37.