Fantasia says Tyler Perry helped her when she 'lost everything'

Even though Fantasia Barrino walks the red carpet and performs before thousands of people, she says she's not a fan of being a celebrity.

The singer recently did an interview on the Tammi Mac Show after the BET Awards, where she performed her new single "Enough." She discussed fame, health and fitness and shared how Tyler Perry, who was presented with the Ultimate Icon Award at the show, helped her out when she needed it.

She said she was able to get in shape by eating right and exercising.

When the show's host implied that's not so difficult for someone with access to chefs and personal trainers, Barrino set the record straight.

“A lot of artists that you see, they look like they have it, and we smile and we come out and we put on a good show, but in real life, some of them are struggling and we don’t have it,” the Season 3 winner of “American Idol” said. “I’m just now building myself back up. I lost everything twice. So, I cook my own food. I don’t need no chef. I’m from North Carolina; my grandma and my mama taught me how to cook.”

She went on to say she also drives her own car and does her own grocery shopping.

“I’m just like you, sis. I’m just like you,” Barrino said.

The host asked Barrino what she thought of Tyler Perry's speech during the awards show. Perry was honored with the Ultimate Icon Award, and he inspired those watching with his speech about helping others.

“Tyler Perry’s actually a good friend of mine. He would call and check up on me. He was one of the ones, when I lost everything, he came and blessed me. And I thank him for that,” she said. “Everything he said last night is true. You look around and you could be working for 10 years, you’ve got all these people on your team, you’re paying this person, that person, and you look up, and you don’t have no money in the bank because you’ve given it to everybody else. That’s what I said about prostituting your gift. You have a gift and you’re allowing everybody else to profit off of the gift. So I love what he said.”

Barrino went from single mom to national sensation when she beat Diana DiGarmo to win the third season of “American Idol.”

Fantasia will soon release her seventh studio album, “Sketchbook,” which will feature collaborations with T-Pain, Jazmine Sullivan and Brandy.

The full interview with Tammi Mac can be watched in multiple parts on YouTube.

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