Robbie Williams has shared a powerful post regarding his experience of “boy band dysphoria” whilst in Take That.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the ‘Angels’ hitmaker posted a lengthy message in which he reflected on several claims made by his ex-manager Nigel in a new series titled Boybands Forever.
The three-part series, which Robbie also featured in, shines a spotlight on the struggles faced by boy bands including Take That, Westlife and Five.
In his poignant message, Robbie, 50, spoke candidly about his own drug addiction in addition to the struggles of his former bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange.
Responding to an “assertion” Nigel made about his drug addiction, Robbie wrote in an open statement: “Allow me to respond to your assertion. My drug taking was never your fault. My response to the warped world that surrounded me is solely my own.”
He went on to describe the “pattern” that emerges with boy bands, explaining that “Some are fortunate through a series of self-examinations and help to overcome their experience. Some never quite manage to untangle the mess of the wreckage of the past.
“I’m not breaking anyone’s anonymity by sharing the side effects of boyband dysphoria that relate to just us lads. Everyone has publicly put this on record.”
© Getty ImagesRobbie included a list of his former bandmates and briefly mentioned their struggles including Mark who battled with alcoholism and Gary who suffered from an eating disorder.
Alongside Jason’s name he wrote: “Whatever effect Take That had on him is so painful he can’t even be part of it.”
© Getty ImagesElsewhere, the father-of-four spoke about his own addiction, and responded to Nigel’s claim that he “would have known if it was that bad”.
Robbie said: “Yet again, it was okay to not know what level my addiction had reached. It’s okay to not understand anything about the effects of addiction and alcoholism. None of us did.
© Getty Images“I do however take exception to your version of my truth. In modern parlance, to deny someone’s lived experience is called gaslighting. I’m beginning to understand that the gaslighter is unaware that the Color gas cooker is their own. Maybe it’s time for an air fryer.”
This isn’t the first time Robbie has spoken openly about his time in the band and his struggles with depression and addiction. In his 2023 Netflix documentary, the singer revealed that he went into rehab in 2007 and ended his relationship with his now-wife Ayda as he needed to focus on his sobriety and mental health.
Despite their separation, the couple later rekindled their romance and went on to tie the knot in 2010. Together they are proud parents to four children: Teddy, Charlie, Coco and Beau.