Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Emma Chance | Celebrity | June 25, 2024
Jared Padalecki has been "proudly open" with his mental health struggles. In 2015 he talked about being diagnosed with depression after experiencing a breakdown on the set of Supernatural. What he didn't reveal is that he was suffering from suicidal ideation at that time.
"It was 2015, I had a really low moment," he said on the I've Never Said This Before podcast. "I was letting my thoughts take over and going to places of dramatic suicidal ideation. I called my wife and she said, 'Get home.'"
He then checked himself into a mental health clinic for "a couple of weeks" and he hasn't "been suicidal since--not for a moment." He says he "needed a full reset," and explained how working in Hollywood from a young age exacerbated his problems.
"I had spent 15 years in this industry. You go to an audition or on a red carpet and they don't want, 'Jared, how are you doing today?' 'Oh today was rough, I didn't sleep.' They want, 'Oh, it's great! Excited to be here!' So I had done that for so long, trying to focus on what's best for the person who's talking to me as opposed to just being honest."
But now he's determined not to wear his experience "as a scarlet letter," and while he still deals with "highs and lows," he's an advocate for therapy and encourages people with similar struggles to "seek help" and "open up."
"It's not like I'm shameful like, 'Hey, I see a therapist, I've been to a clinic.' I wear it proudly. I put it on my face and tell everybody."
Lately, Padalecki has been starring in Walker, which is currently in its fourth and final season on the CW.
He and his wife also host an Instagram book club, and included on his profile is a link to donate to Out Youth, a charity serving LGBTIQIA+ youth in Texas. So, sounds like the guy is putting his money where his mouth is!
Dropping tomorrow, Tuesday 6/25, my special conversation with the incredible @jarpad and @GenPadalecki on my podcast, "I've Never Said This Before." We chat all about processing the end of a show, #Walker, that means so much to them, what they have most learned about themselves... pic.twitter.com/uXn0omV4aI
— Tommy DiDario (@tommydidario) June 24, 2024
