Halsey has not had an easy life.
After dropping out of school and being kicked out by her parents in New York City, she was forced to come up with some desperate plans to make money and survive--one of which was sex work.
"When I was living in New York, I was a teenager," Halsey, 24, said at Ending Youth Homelessness: A Benefit for My Friend's Place in Los Angeles Saturday night., according to E! News.
"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."
She was kicked out by her parents at 19. https://t.co/ktJxPp3o20— Metro (@Metro) 1554722403.0
.@halsey opened up about her battle with homelessness during a speech at an event in LA https://t.co/2dETgRyE8o— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) 1554727440.0
"A series of unfortunate circumstances lead me to be in that position, and it can happen to absolutely anyone," she continued.
"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."
@ComplexMusic That horrible sad a lot of struggling artists will resort to anything just to make money and survive… https://t.co/ICy5RW9t4Q— Ode (@Ode) 1554681695.0
While being honored at Ending Youth Homessness, #Halsey bravely opened up about the time she considered prostitutio… https://t.co/Fe9HM6uBT0— Pop Crave (@Pop Crave) 1554657587.0
@billboard ARMY, please read the article. The headline is sensationalized, but it’s about Halsey speaking at the En… https://t.co/LzNYWsyHoi— Al Dente Presidente Kim Namjoon (@Al Dente Presidente Kim Namjoon) 1554681140.0
Halsey, having been through the pain of homelessness, has been an outspoken advocate and protector for homeless people, especially on social media.
Please. Be nice. To homeless people. Please.— h (@h) 1431917290.0
My go-to care package for the homeless is a meal, a water, something sweet, chapstick, Advil and lotion. Even grabbing them 1 thing helps.— h (@h) 1431917534.0
I've seen way too many idiot kids and drunk adults bully homeless people. Realize how fortunate you are for fucks sake.— h (@h) 1431917630.0
If u know ur headed 2 a homeless area in ur city + dont wanna spend extra $, grab a water bottle, socks, a single tampon from home. ANYTHING— h (@h) 1431917883.0
.@Danny_Suede addiction is a mental illness + a majority of homeless people are NOT unemployed. You're a privileged little thing aren't you?— h (@h) 1429216210.0
If I see you take a "funny selfie" with a homeless person I will personally beat your ass, drunk or sober. Have some fucking humanity.— h (@h) 1416134714.0
There's a lot of homeless in Seattle so if ur coming tonight with intentions 2 give me a gift, please give some $ to someone in need instead— h (@h) 1412033528.0
Her first album, Badlands, was a breakthrough in 2015.
badlands is that halsey’s best https://t.co/2EMo5rDO1u— d loves 김태형 so much 🥰 (@d loves 김태형 so much 🥰) 1554780049.0
even though badlands will forever be my precious baby and #1 i really have a feeling that halsey's next album will be her best— lily (@lily) 1554780014.0
anyways while yall are unstanning bc of halsey, stream hopeless fountain kingdom, badlands and ly: answer— chase (@chase) 1554741702.0
i miss badlands halsey— lee seohyeon (@lee seohyeon) 1554776595.0
@JINSAINTLAURENT i’ve been gay for halsey ever since badlands— 𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖑 🦇 (@𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖑 🦇) 1554779861.0
When talking about why her parents kicked her out, she said, "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."
Halseeeeyyyyy U r the awesoooome! love ya!!!!!!! <3 #Halsey #withoutme https://t.co/hERux9eQyC— 𝕄𝕀ℤ ℙ𝔸ℕ𝔻𝔸 🐼🌈 (@𝕄𝕀ℤ ℙ𝔸ℕ𝔻𝔸 🐼🌈) 1554771140.0
Halsey recounts being homeless: "The reality is that this epidemic is deadly." https://t.co/o4R4Xxdnjy https://t.co/hGIVUQJ4yu— billboard (@billboard) 1554775805.0
"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."
"My Friend's Place," the organization for which Halsey was speaking, is located in northeast Hollywood, California. For more information on how to get involved with them, click here.