Darren Hayes was always a storyteller. Growing up in suburban Queensland in the 1970s, his vivid imagination offered an escape from the realities of his daily life. Among childhood trauma, domestic violence and relentless bullying, he told himself he was going to be a pop star – and he did it.
But while Savage Garden achieved astonishing success, with multiple Australian number 1s, breaking into the US charts and selling over 35 million albums worldwide, the true story of Darren’s life was far more challenging than a three-minute pop song.
In Unlovable, for the first time, Darren opens up about the hidden battles that shaped his journey. Behind the glamorous facade of success, he was facing anxiety and depression rooted in childhood trauma and violence, and navigating his sexuality in a world – and industry – that was not always accepting.
This is not a memoir about the dizzying heights of fame; it’s a survivor’s story of enduring and overcoming profound lifelong scars.
Told with Darren’s raw honesty and lyricism, Unlovable is a magical dark fairytale that reclaims the terrors and obstacles of his past, revealing the resilient and courageous person that he is today.
