She was one-third of one of the most successful girl groups of all time at the turn of the millennium, but Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams has revealed that she was depressed and “suicidal” while the group were at the peak of their powers.

Williams, now 37, earned scores of Billboard hits and Grammy awards with her bandmates Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland in the early noughties. However, amid the multi-platinum records and world tours, she was struggling with depression.

She appeared on American chat show ‘The Talk’ on Wednesday (October 18th) to discuss her battle, which began in her teens but continued into her early thirties. At the time, she felt it was just "growing pains" but it took years for her to figure out what the truth was.

Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams revealed she suffered from depression while in Destiny's Child

“I’m in one of the top-selling female groups of all time, suffering with depression,” she told the panel, which includes current ‘The X Factor’ judge Sharon Osbourne.

“When I disclosed it to our manager [Beyonce’s dad Mathew Knowles] at the time, bless his heart, he was like, “You all just signed a multi-million dollar deal. You’re about to go on tour. What do you have to be depressed about?”’

More: Kelly Rowland says she “loves her Destiny’s Child girls” but there are no reunion plans anytime soon [archive]

When Destiny’s Child formally split in 2006, Williams became a successful solo star, acting on television and on stage in Broadway and the West End.

However, while still in the band and under pressure to constantly perform, she admitted “I was suicidal… and wanted out.”

After the interview, she took to social media to thank viewers for their kind thoughts, but also to reiterate that she didn’t want to actually quit the band. “I’m so thankful for the support! I just ask that the headlines and quotes reflect what I said. I didn’t say I “wanted out of the group.”’ 

More: A short history of ‘forgotten fourth member’ of Destiny’s Child, Farrah Franklin [archive]