Fiona Apple's Tragic Real-Life Story

In early 1996 a forlorn girl from the Big Apple became the biggest Apple in music. Tidal was awash in praise, and Apple began traveling the world. Her friends may have thought she was living the dream, but she wasn't. Her days became an endless procession of work and sleep, she explained to the LA Times. For many aspiring stars, fame would sweeten that sour situation, but aspects of it left Apple bitter.

Critics scrutinized her looks, and she criticized the scrutiny. Media outlets portrayed the 17-year-old as a taboo temptress. Irked, Apple reflected, "That's how the public sees me, as this pretty little girl, and I'm sure Sony's very happy about that. Because if you're pretty, you're more marketable. But that's wrong. And that's what puts pressure on me more than anything. I hate it. When I was younger and ugly, nobody liked me. Now people like me because I'm pretty? "

Even when she wasn't being ogled, Apple struggled with her looks. While making Tidal, she had an eating disorder and had to undergo therapy. She was determined to purge her body of any bits a sexual predator might try to grab. As a victim of bullying, a rape survivor, and a celebrity, Apple had been objectified. Perhaps that's why she lashed out when she took the stage to be honored during the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.