For years, there has been a lot of mythology and speculation about Lana Del Rey’s past. Most notable is the idea that she grew up wealthy despite presenting herself as having had humble beginnings. Also for years, Del Rey has tried to deny this and set the record straight. Now, she has done so again.
As Stereogum notes, in Instagram comments, Del Rey addressed a resurfaced interview from Ron Pope, a musician who performed with Del Rey some in the 2000s. Pope said Del Rey had a rich upbringing, but he has since said he “was given sh*tty intel” and apologized for “spreading that nonsense!”
Del Rey wrote in part:
“I don’t remember a Ron Pope, although I might if I saw him. The only people I still know from school are from home. And I wouldn’t say I grew up anywhere other than lake placid. Whoever he was I must’ve felt comfortable to tell him that I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and that I did live for a while in a trailer Alabama not Arkansas- as well as in North Bergen, New Jersey. I sold my life rights for ten thousand dollars to pay for that trailer. These rather backhanded complimentary tales tell a larger story of the energy that still overwhelms my story. Many of the people I had to go to school with will never know what it was like to do what I had to do or go where I had to go to feel safe. One thing I can say is that if we had grown up with money- I firmly believe I would not have put myself in the position to be in the spotlight. My difficulties lead me to one concept of how I could get out of the spot I was in. The only comfort I have in my deeply misunderstood trajectory is that it lead me to Jeremy and allowed me to stay near to my siblings.”
Find more from Del Rey’s comments here.