Harry Styles Helped Fund Hundreds of Free Therapy Sessions

Most celebrities happily accept free gifts, but Harry Styles did something different when he learned about a nonprofit that funds therapy for people who can't afford it.

Elena Kilgore founded Other People Fund, a nonprofit that sells mental health merchandise to pay for people's therapy sessions. Four years ago, she reached out to Styles' stylist to gift the singer a tote bag or shirt from her brand.

Styles' team surprised her by insisting on paying for the items, even though Kilgore was giving them away for free. "To this day, Harry Styles is the only major celebrity who has ever learned about my nonprofit clothing brand that helps people pay for therapy and then insisted on buying merch from it," Kilgore shared in a recent TikTok video.

Then Styles did something even more impactful. He wore the tote bag in public, where photographers captured him carrying it with the message: "I think we need to see other people. And by other people, I mean therapists."

The photos went viral. Tens of thousands of people discovered Other People Fund after seeing Styles with the bag, and sales exploded.

Kilgore launched her nonprofit right around the time Styles wore the tote bag publicly. The sudden attention allowed her to support the first 100 people who needed therapy funding.

The Ripple Effect

Today, Other People Fund has donated 1,100 free therapy sessions to people who couldn't otherwise afford mental health care. While it's impossible to know exactly how many came directly from Styles' influence, Kilgore credits him with making her mission possible.

When people buy merchandise from Other People Fund, 100% of proceeds go to Support for the Psyche, a nonprofit that accepts applications for therapy aid. The organization works directly with applicants and therapy providers to cover session costs.

Kilgore says she's gifted merchandise to many celebrities over the years, but most ghosted her afterward. "You know who else is busy? Harry Styles," she said in her video, praising him for following through when others didn't.

The singer's support of mental health causes extends beyond this moment. His lyrics often reference therapy, including his new song "Are You Listening Yet?" which mentions how therapy keeps therapists "well-fed."

For Kilgore and the hundreds of people who received free therapy sessions, one celebrity's choice to pay it forward created a wave of healing that continues years later.