The Tragic Truth About LeAnn Rimes

Since breaking into the spotlight with her hit song "Blue," country music star LeAnn Rimes has racked up no shortage of achievements. At the 1997 Grammy Award ceremony, Rimes snagged two wins, making history as the youngest winner in Grammy history. "Oh my gosh, I never expected this at all. This award means more to me than anything in the world," a then 14-year-old Rimes said in her acceptance speech, per Grammy. 

Of course, this was only the beginning of a very successful decade-spanning career. Per The Tennessean, Rimes has since sold over 48 million records, with many more awards to her name. The secret? Rimes credits her resilience. "The thing about me is I have a lot of grit, and I have a lot of resilience. If I wasn't resilient, I wouldn't be here," she said during a 2022 interview with CBS Mornings. Beyond her successful career, however, Rimes has also had to stand strong through many of life's unpleasant experiences. From an autoimmune disease diagnosis to a long-time battle with anxiety and depression, here is the tragic truth about LeAnn Rimes. 

LeAnn Rimes has achieved much success in her career, but the singer's journey to marital bliss has not been a walk in the park. At 15, Rimes started dating Rimes actor Andrew Keegan, who was 19 at the time. Their romance was short-lived, as the pair ended up breaking up in 2001, according to NZ Herald. But while Keegan was Rimes' first high-profile romance, he certainly was not the last.

In 2002, the country singer married dancer Dean Sheremet, whom she met at an award show the previous year. At the time, Rimes was only 19, while Sheremet was 21, per Entertainment Weekly. Sadly, due to Rimes' busy schedule, the marriage soon became strained, with the singer often on tour and Sheremet staying back in Los Angeles. "I have my own dreams and goals, and I felt like there wasn't room for me. But it was the only way I felt I could have a successful marriage," the dancer told Nat's Next Adventure in 2015. "How could she be on the road and I be in L.A. eight months out of the year and still consider ourselves a healthy marriage?"

After seven years of marriage, Rimes and Sheremet announced their divorce in September 2009, with the singer hinting that it was a mutual decision. "This decision was amicable and we remain committed and caring friends with great admiration for one another," Rimes added in her announcement (via CNN).

In 2000, 17-year-old LeAnn Rimes filed a lawsuit against her father, Wilbur C. Rimes, and former comanager Lyle Walker, accusing them of misappropriating her funds and stealing about $7 million from her. "This is not the first time somebody has allowed his selfish interests to get in the way of the best interest of the children. It's not right just because it happens frequently," Tom Rhodus, one of the singer's lawyers, said at the time, per MTV. 

In her filing, LeAnn requested an unspecified amount in compensation, noting that she was uncertain of how much was stolen from her. "I go by the saying 'Money's the root of all evil.' And I definitely believe that the love for money is the root of all evil because it changes people," she said about the legal drama (via ABC News). Wilbur, however, fired back with a counter-lawsuit, alleging he was only protecting his daughter from her extravagant lifestyle — a claim the singer denied. "I was being called a spoiled brat by some people. But, you know, people don't know me," she said in response to her father's claims.

Eventually, after two years of back and forth, the father-daughter duo settled their dispute, with Wilbur expressing his joy at their reconciliation. "It is difficult to express just how happy I am that all of the legal troubles between my daughter and I are over," he gushed (via Billboard).

In 2008, LeAnn Rimes opened up about her struggle with psoriasis, a diagnosis she first received at age 2. By the time she was 6, most of Rimes' body was covered in red spots. "Not only does that take a physical toll on your body, but it takes an emotional toll. I was very self-conscious," Rimes told People at the time. In 2020, the country singer revealed she had suffered a relapse after 16 years in remission. "All hell broke loose in the world — and inside of me, as I'm sure it did for so many other people amid this pandemic," she wrote in a personal essay for Glamour. "Stress is a common trigger for psoriasis, and with so much uncertainty happening, my flare-ups came right back."

But while it might have taken her many years to open up about her psoriasis diagnosis, Rimes couldn't be happier with her decision to make it public. In a 2021 interview with Everyday Health, the country singer admitted opening up about her struggles had been an "incredibly healing step," adding that she was happy to help those on similar journeys. "I still get really emotional thinking about it because it was a very vulnerable piece for me. But to have other people all over the world be as vulnerable and share pictures of themselves, even — you know, it's just such a beautiful, beautiful thing."

In addition to her psoriasis diagnosis, Rimes has been candid about her mental health struggles. In 2012, just a few days shy of her 30th birthday, news broke that Rimes had voluntarily checked into a rehab facility to seek treatment for anxiety. "This is just a time for me to emotionally check out for a second and take care of myself and come back in 30 days as the best 30-year-old woman I can be," she told People at the time. 

The following year, Rimes delved deeper into her mental health struggles, revealing that she considered ending it all amid her cheating scandal with actor Eddie Cibrian and eventual divorce from her then-husband Dean Sheremet. "I think any smart person would know that that is always a possibility, that you could always get that sad. I worried that that was a possibility," the country singer told Entertainment Tonight when asked if she had ever contemplated suicide (via Page Six).

During a 2012 interview with Katie Couric, the "Life Goes On" songstress termed her struggles as a byproduct of being a child star. "When you start as a child, it's always about get it while you can," she explained. "I think it boils down to basically loss of childhood. I didn't really have a childhood."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

During a July 2013 interview with Entertainment Tonight, LeAnn Rimes revealed she suffered bullying as a child. "I was bullied when I was a kid — when I was in junior high," she told the outlet. "A lot of girls can get real mean during the sixth-grade year." Speaking more on the bullying experience, Rimes recounted getting her locker egged and almost being killed by a girl who took a knife to school. "I used to perform around Dallas and Texas, where I lived a lot," she shared. "My principal would put something on the bulletin board if I was in the newspaper or something, and there was this clique of girls that did not like it."

But while middle school days are well over for the singer, bullying went beyond childhood. "I've been such a target, I guess, for misjudgment lately, and [get] a lot of anger from some people, especially through social media,"  she shared with Entertainment Tonight. "Obviously, we're [celebrities] underneath a microscope and in the spotlight all the time, but it's no reason to be able to pick apart someone the way that a lot of people do."

Given her experiences, Rimes has since gotten involved in anti-bullying campaigns, particularly those aiming to help the LGBTQ+ community. In 2017, Rimes was honored with the Ally for Equality Award for her enthusiastic advocacy. "LeAnn Rimes is boldly using her influence in the music world to empower people to accept and be their true selves," Blake Brockway, co-chair of the HRC Nashville Equality Dinner, said at the time (per The Human Rights Campaign).