Kesha Turns 30 and Finds Her Peace: 'I'm Happiest When I'm Present in My Real Life'

Kesha opened up about finding her peace at a cyber-bullying panel with Refinery29 at South by Southwest Tuesday

Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Refinery29

Kesha got raw and real about her relationship with social media in a conversation about how women must reclaim their domain.

At a cyber-bullying panel with Refinery29 at SXSW on Tuesday, the singer stressed the importance of women taking ownership of their lives online—in addition to opening up about her eating disorder, passion for animals and new music.

The star seems to have found peace since turning 30 recently and realizing that “the internet is not a healthy place for me. I limit myself on reading comments. There may have been so many positive ones but I always gravitate towards reading the negative ones. I realized I was making trolls and bullies the truth, making them my higher power. I have become a woman in a lot of ways, reclaiming my personal space, my body, my confidence.”

She added, “I am happiest when I’m present in my real life, not my online life. “

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For her March 1 birthday, Kesha and her close friends decided on a safari in Kenya to celebrate turning 30. There, she got closer to nature, which seems only natural as she says she is happiest when around animals and fighting for their rights.

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On the choice of Africa, she said, “I was trying to figure out where to go, and I wanted to be in the dirt. I set up a camp in the middle of the Maasai Mara and had hippos bumping up against the tent in the middle of the night. The day I turned 30 I was on safari and I saw two lions having sex and I thought, ‘I think my 30s are going to be dope.'”

Kesha, who recently did a PSA for NEDA (National Eating Disorders Awareness)became visibly upset when talking about her battle with eating disorders.

“People don’t want to talk about eating disorders … and I just want people to know that they are not alone. It is not your fault and it is not a weakness. It is a disease,” she said. “I used to be embarrassed to talk about it, but now I want to talk about it. It can kill you, I almost died.”

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The pop star — who is still battling in court with her former producer, Dr. Luke — shared how she now has a healthier image of her body and a better mental outlook, giving up her tough girl image and settling on a softer, more vulnerable and honest Kesha.

“I ditched the idea of what my image should or should not be at this point. I have let go of trying to control things. And the new music is just me speaking honestly about my life for the first time ever without anyone dictating anything. Me speaking truthfully from my guts,” she said.