*Fantasia Barrino is speaking out about surviving her 2010 overdose in Variety’s ‘The Power of Women’ issue.
The star of the upcoming movie-musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” was hospitalized for several weeks in Pineville, North Carolina, in August 2010. Barrino told Variety that she is in a much better headspace today.
“I don’t care if it gets ugly again,” she said, Complex reports. “I don’t care if there’s storms. I realized I have the spirit of an eagle. They fly over storms.”
Barrino said after she was revived in the hospital following the overdose, she was inspired to make better personal decisions when a nurse told her, “Don’t you come back in here no more. You fight” — and that’s what she was inspired to do.
“I left that hospital and said, ‘I’ll never do that again, because I have purpose,’” she shared. “I’m going to speak into every young person’s life and tell them, ‘Don’t you dare give up.’”
The “American Idol” winner has been married to entrepreneur Kendall Taylor for eight years, which she said has contributed to her happiness.
“I’m so HAPPY — in all caps — and I never thought I would have that,” Barrino said.
The mother of three previously spoke out about surviving an overdose in an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, People reports.
“I didn’t have any fight in me. I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted out,” she said on the series. “At that moment, I wanted out. I wanted it to be over with.”
The actress/songstress added, “I just sat in the closet and looked at the mirror and took all the pills in the bottle. I wanted to go to sleep and just be at peace. I knew exactly what I was doing. You can’t accidentally take a whole bottle of pills.”
Barrino can next be seen in “The Color Purple” movie musical that will be released in theaters nationwide on Dec. 25.
READ MORE: New Trailer Drops for ‘The Color Purple’ Starring Fantasia | Watch
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