Halsey reveals she considered having sex for money when she was a homeless teenager in New York
Halsey got candid about a very dark phase in her life while attending the Ending Youth Homelessness: A Benefit for My Friend’s Place gala in Los Angeles on Saturday night. The singer revealed that she considered having sex for money during the time she was homeless and didn't know where her next meal was coming from.
As reported by E!News, 24-year-old Halsey shared, "When I was living in New York, I was a teenager. My friends were picking out decorations for their dorms, and I was debating on whether or not I should let a stranger inside of me so I could pay for my next meal. It wasn’t because I did something bad. It wasn’t because something was wrong with me, and it wasn’t because my parents didn’t love me—because they did very much. But a series of unfortunate circumstances lead me to be in that position, and it can happen to absolutely anyone."
She had first opened up about her time being homeless during a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone. She had also spoken about being accepted into the Rhode Island School of Design but could not afford to go there. Since she did not choose a less expensive community college, she was kicked out of home by her parents.
"They just didn’t agree with a lot of things about me. I remember one time I had $9 in my bank account, and bought a four-pack of Red Bull and used it to stay up overnight over the course of two or three days because it was less dangerous to not sleep than it was to sleep somewhere random and maybe get raped or kidnapped."
Towards the end of the Ending Youth Homelessness gala, Halsey told other guests about the importance of helping homeless youth and said, "While it’s very exciting that I am a record-selling, show-playing pop star, when I tell people that story, they go, ‘Oh my gosh, you went from being homeless to being a pop star? That’s amazing. We should help these people because we don’t know what they could become."
She also spoke about how her life changed when she met Capitol Music Group's Jeremy Vuernick who handed her a record deal. "When I met him, I had crazy hair, I had one demo in my pocket and I was carrying a gray duffel bag. Sat down in his office, at his cubicle, and he asked me, 'What's in the bag?' I looked him dead in the eyes and I said, 'This is my house,'" she shared.