Luke Combs Opens Up About His Struggle with Pure O: “It Can Feel Like It’s Taking Over”
Country music star Luke Combs has opened up about his ongoing battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), describing it as a “particularly wicked” struggle that has deeply impacted his life. In an emotional interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Combs spoke candidly about how his condition, known as purely obsessional OCD (Pure O), manifests not through visible compulsions but through relentless intrusive thoughts and anxiety.
“Probably the worst flare-up of it I’ve had in three or four years started about two days before this trip,” Combs revealed, referring to his recent visit to Australia for a show at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. “It’s something that in some way I at least think about every day. There’s some tinge of it to some extent every day.”
Unlike the common perception of OCD—characterized by physical rituals like repeatedly flicking light switches—Pure O is largely internal. Combs explained that while others might visibly enact their compulsions, his struggle happens entirely in his mind, making it difficult for those around him to notice when he’s suffering.
“It’s thoughts, essentially, that you don’t want to have… and then they cause you stress, and then you’re stressed out, and then the stress causes you to have more of the thoughts,” he shared. “Then you don’t understand why you’re having them, and you’re trying to get rid of them, but trying to get rid of them makes you have more of them.”
Combs admitted that his OCD has, at times, derailed his life and career. “It held me back so many times in my life where you’re trying to accomplish something, you’re doing really great, and then you have a flare-up, and it just ruins your whole life for six months.”
Despite the overwhelming nature of his condition, Combs has learned to manage it over the years. “I’m lucky to be an expert in how to get out of it now,” he said. “I’m probably 90 percent out of my flare-up now … and in the midst of doing a world tour, right?”
His most recent struggles have been among the worst he’s faced in years, with obsessive thoughts consuming him for “45 seconds of every minute for weeks.” Some of these intrusive thoughts have included unsettling violent imagery and existential fears about his own identity. However, he has found strength in understanding that these thoughts do not define him.
“When it happens now, I’m not afraid of it because I’m not like, ‘What if I’m like this forever?’ I know I’m not going to be like this forever now.”
Combs first opened up about experiencing OCD-related anxiety during middle school in a 2021 interview on The Big Interview with AXS TV. At the time, he likened his obsessive thoughts to someone feeling the need to constantly adjust blinds or straighten a carpet—but all happening inside his mind.
Beyond his personal struggles, Combs continues to thrive as one of country music’s biggest stars. He has landed four No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, including This One’s For You (2017), What You See Is What You Get (2019), Growin’ Up (2022), and The Prequel (EP) (2019). His recent albums Gettin’ Old (2023) and Fathers & Sons (2024) both peaked at No. 2.
By sharing his experience, Combs hopes to shed light on a condition that many struggle with in silence. His resilience and honesty serve as an inspiration, proving that even in the face of overwhelming anxiety, there is hope for healing and growth.