Lana Del Rey Debunks Wealthy Upbringing Rumors with New Post

Singer/Songwriter Lana Del Rey recently renounced alleged rumors of her growing up in glamour, making sure her fans know her childhood was anything but that. 

The artist openly discussed her experience of enduring sexual assault as a teenager, which led to her known addiction to alcohol. Del Rey explains that her reason for boarding school was a result of her addiction. Her parents thought it best to combat this struggle by enrolling her in a boarding school to remain sober. Del Rey grew up in Lake Placid, New York with two other siblings.

Furthermore, Del Rey revealed she was bullied at boarding school. She stated that she was called “white trash from Lake Placid,” leaving her with a small group of friends. Despite her middle-class status, the elite families of Manhattan looked down on her.

Lana Del Rey addresses rumours of growing up rich, in since deleted Instagram post. pic.twitter.com/XDQdHsRwsJ

— Season Of Lana (@SeasonOfLana) October 19, 2023

People need to leave Lana Del Rey alone, no one knows or owns her story but her. pic.twitter.com/LGIW1ccCV3

— The Cult Of Del Rey (@CinamonSluh) October 20, 2023

Rumors of her rich childhood arose from a 2012 article where The Guardian stated, “rather than being an outsider struggling for recognition, Del Rey is in fact the daughter of a millionaire who has backed her career.” Del Rey later claimed that her father had earned his money through online investing that took years to acquire, also stating this was something he started years before her singing career even began.

After attending boarding school, she studied at Fordham University and performed at small local venues under different stage names. Once she had her big debut on Saturday Night Live in 2012, she received negative comments for her performance. Later on, Del Rey confesses she was living in a hostel during the time. This was the first time her parents learned of her singing career as well.

To this day, Del Rey still gets judged based on her image as an artist and the lyrics of her songs discussing drug use and sadness. But through it all, Del Rey has remained strong and has become one of the most listened-to artists on Spotify globally. Her vintage aesthetic and wistful lyrics have been exalted by her fans and the melodies she sings are widely appreciated.