Singer and songwriter Taylor Momsen stepped away from the spotlight in May 2017, the time when she was at the peak of her career.

Her last few albums and singles with her rock band, The Pretty Reckless, were topping the charts. Her single ‘Take Me Down,’ released on September 29, 2016, had also reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.

But Momsen isolated herself, took a break from the limelight in the wake of the deaths of her close friends. 

Habituated to Being Alone

Speaking to People in September 2021, the 27-year-old singer shared she was depressed and lived in isolation before the country went into lockdown.

She initially went into her shell after Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell suicided at the age of 52 on May 18, 2017, while she was out on tour with him.

"Opening for Soundgarden was the highest of highs for me," Momsen remembered. "So to have it end so tragically was crushing.” The singer also said that she was shocked and not equipped to handle the truth.

When she was recovering from her grief, 11 months later, Momsen was traumatized by the loss of her longtime producer and close friend, Kato Khandwala, who passed away at 47 following a motorcycle accident on April 25, 2018.

The ‘And So It Went’ singer claimed that the news worked as the nail in the coffin for her. "I went into this hole of just utter depression and substance abuse. I was in a very unhealthy space,” she added.

Those two heartbreaking events weakened Momsen and made her habituated to staying alone.

Used to Be Full of Love

Momsen, who starred as Jenny Humphrey on The CW show Gossip Girl, was not always the silent, secretive, and isolated personality.

She was outgoing and often expressed her views on her dating life and ideal boyfriend.

During an interview with Teen Vogue in July 2009, the former actress even stated that dating boys of her age wasn’t her style.

“I would eat a boy my age alive,” she said. “I’ve had lots of relationships. Boys are so much less mature than girls as it is. There’s just no way.”

Momsen reportedly dated several boys in the past, including English media personality Jack Osbourne, musician Natt Weller, British actor Skandar Keynes, and her Gossip Girl co-star Chace Crawford.

But at present, The Pretty Reckless band's front woman has kept her relationship status under wraps.

Music Helped Her Overcome Depression

During her conversation with People, Momsen mentioned she had come out of her dark place.

She thanked her band members, Ben Phillips, Mark Damon, and Jamie Perkins, for constantly being with her and helping her overcome the depression.

The singer further credited her music, especially her band’s new album, Death by Rock and Roll, released on February 12, 2021.

"I'd given up on life, but then I turned to music," she stated. "It saved me. I am very lucky that I had my best friends by my side, pushing me in the new direction. Music has always been the constant."

The album Death by Rock and Roll pays tribute to the close people she has lost over the past few years.