Ashley Parker Angel Says Hollywood Needs a Wake-Up Call on Mental Health

Ashley Parker Angel is weighing in on celebrity burnout and the fixation with healthy aging ... and he’s got a message for every overworked A-lister.

The former O-Town heartthrob was spotted out in NYC and we ask him all about Gen-Z introducing the idea of taking mental health breaks into workplaces -- especially in the entertainment industry -- and he tells us he's all for it, being that millennials didn't really touch the topic of mental health, vulnerably saying ... "I've been though it."

We asked Ashley specifically about Megan Thee Stallion stepping away from "Moulin Rouge!" following her split from NBA star Klay Thompson … and this former Broadway star didn’t hesitate to defend the move.

Ashley told us celebs are constantly under pressure to perform through pain, but says mental health has to come first -- even when fans, studios, and producers want the show to go on.

He pointed to Megan taking a break after publicly announcing the breakup as exactly the kind of self-awareness more stars need, saying people forget entertainers are human beings dealing with real emotions behind the scenes.

And Ashley wasn’t just talking music stars ... he says the nonstop social media cycle and public scrutiny are pushing celebs to their limits across the board and it's okay to take some space and have boundaries for yourself in today's society.

Ashley Parker Angel has been a fixture in pop culture since 2000 when, at the height of boy-band mania, he became a breakout star on ABC’s hit series "Making the Band" -- and is currently on his "Making the brand" nationwide GNC tour, helping people take control of their well-being and live at their highest level.