The 'Make Me Want to' singer opens up about his battle with mental health during his darkest hours after he was slapped with a sexual assault lawsuit that shattered his life.
- Apr 24, 2024
AceShowbiz - In a candid conversation with Kathie Lee Gifford, Jimmie Allen disclosed his emotional turmoil following allegations of sexual assault made by his former manager. The accusations, which surfaced in May 2023, not only threatened Allen's career but plunged him into a deep mental health crisis.
The country music star, known for his chart-topping hits, was accused of raping his day-to-day manager over an 18-month period. Despite Allen's assertion that their relationship was consensual, the lawsuit led to his suspension from his music label, BBR Music Group, and his removal from the CMA Fest 2023 lineup.
Amid the scandal, Allen grappled with the implications of the lawsuit on his personal life and career. "I was sitting there, and I literally felt like the whole world had just collapsed," Allen shared, revealing his concern over providing for his children in light of the career-threatening accusations.
The weight of societal judgment, where allegations are often taken as truths, pushed Allen to the brink of a grief so profound he contemplated suicide as a means to ensure financial security for his family through his life insurance. "It hit me," Allen confessed. "My life insurance covers suicide."
As his mental state deteriorated, Allen described feeling "brokenhearted" and "confused." He recalled loading his gun with the intention of ending his life until a timely text message from a friend intervened. "My friend Chuck texted me, 'Ending it isn't the answer.' I just stopped," he said.
Seeking professional help and attending a mental health retreat proved to be a turning point for Allen. He began to question the motivations behind his former manager's accusations, realizing that he had neglected her emotional needs. "I went from hating her to feeling bad for her," he said. "I realized that I had failed to make myself available for a conversation about her feelings."
In March, the lawsuit was dropped as part of a settlement. However, the scars of the experience remain etched in Allen's memory. "Every single day," he recounted, "I battled: Do I want to live? Do I not want to live?"
