Jake Zyrus opens up about mental state prior to transitioning: 'It was a very dark place'

As the world celebrates Pride month, Jake Zyrus opened up about his mental health struggles prior to transitioning and urged the public to treat members of the LGBTQIA+ with kindness.

In an interview with Toni Gonzaga posted on YouTube on Wednesday, the Filipino singer admitted to trying to end his own life three times.

"I remember the last time that I wanted to kill myself because [I thought if I came out], it's over. [All I thought about] at the time was other people," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He said that his mental state when he was suicidal was "scary, because you can't feel pain at all."

"It's not something you want to be in, it's a very dark place," he said. "It's a very, very bad place to be."

Jake also talked about the struggle of growing up as Charice without being able to express himself, and coming out as transgender during a time when many did not understand it.

"The fear of acceptance, I didn't want to disappoint David Foster, Oprah, my mother, the pressure of you fitting in as well," he said.

"I remember standing in front of the mirror with all these people around me showing me photos of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato and telling me that 'Oh, be like this,' or 'You're gonna do this.' Fitting in, it was hard," he added.

According to Jake, the transition process itself had been "very easy. The only hard part was what people would say.

"I definitely understand that some people have different beliefs or opinions, but [for me], if you don't understand me, just be kind to me," he said.

"I think that's the most important thing not just for the LGBTQIA+ community, but for everything," he added.

Jake Zyrus, formerly known as Charice Pempengco, publicly came out as a lesbian in 2013.

The singer clarified over the years that he identified as a transgender man, officially going by the name Jake Zyrus.

The Philippine Suicide Hotline is 896-9191 or 0917-854- 9191. —JCB, GMA News