‘American Idol’ Winner 'Fantasia' Stronger With God After Suffering, Suicide Scare

By Julie Brown Patton
Fantasia Barrino
After a brush with a suicidial attempt, 2004 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino says the journey resulted in a closer relationship with God and her new ministry of seeking to encourage others, especially "broken" women. American Idol

One American Idol champion says her celebrity status caused her to attempt to end her life. But the 2004 Idol winner Fantasia Barrino also recently shared how the dark days led her to a close tie with God after her struggles.

Barrino is proudly telling everyone of her renewed and much stronger relationship with God. "I can thank God for those times because being here at the age of 32 making it through so much, I feel like it was a part of my journey," she said.

"I realize in life that we must go through things and understand that everything we go through is necessary. It was necessary for me to go through it for me to do my music and do what I do on the stage."

In a recent Christian Today interview, she explained how the period of her post-competition period became the worst years in her life. "I came off of 'Idol' taking care of my whole entire family, so I went through a lot of dark times. It was almost like being in a glass box where everybody could see me but I couldn't get out of that box. It was just me. No one wanted to help."

Other major sources of Barrino's frustration, according to World Religion News, were the hate attacks and negative reports on mass media. She was mocked for not being able to finish school and because of her relationship with a married man. In some interviews, she criticized how media representatives didn't focus on the good aspects of her life. "When you look on TV or turn on the radio or all the newspapers and the magazines, it was always something negative, and no matter how many things I did that were positive that never came out, so that was the hardest for me at that time."

Her latest single, "I Made It," off the new album "The Definition Of" is based on her life experiences. Barrino said she also found a new life mission in encouraging others who are also suffering from life's unending challenges.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't meet someone - young, old, black, white, female, male - that comes up to me and wants me to talk and encourage them. God allowed me to go through certain storms and certain tests to have a testimony, and share it to help somebody else along the way," she decided.

"Truly, I think my ministry is women. Broken women and young mothers - encouraging them. I want to also encourage them by saying, 'look, you guys. Love is there. It's out there and there's somebody for everybody.'"

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