Janelle Monae has "high anxiety" and "abandonment issues" because of her father

She told Vanity Fair US: "I'm happy that he is recovered, but what that left me with growing up was having abandonment issues, because I just never knew when he would show up. I have high anxiety. I've always had it."

The 'Hidden Figures' star recalled how she and her friends used to throw parties when they were in eighth grade and charge people $2 admission, but she would spend the hours before they started locked in the bathroom, convinced no one would turn up.

She said: "I was just like, They're not gonna show up. Nobody's gonna come."

Janelle - who identifies as pansexual - admitted her insecurity then impacted on her career and made her reluctant to talk about her personal life.

She said: "If I really talked openly and honestly about where I am right now, would I be abandoned? Would my fans abandon me? Would my family abandon me?"

As a result, the 'Harriet' actress has been trying to tackle her issues by keeping a journal and writing music which is "centred around what it means to deal with your trauma."

She added: "How does that sound? How does that feel? What are the colours there?"