Wayne Brady is famous for his quick wit and sunny personality. But in 2014, he revealed he had been suffering from debilitating bouts of depression for years, and he was afraid to seek help. "Having a bad day is one thing, having a bad week is another, having a bad life ... You don't want to move, you can't move in the darkness," he explained to Entertainment Tonight. Brady said he continued to wallow in his misery and self-pity.
"This is what I deserve, so I am going to sit here because I am that horrible of a person," he continued. The "How I Met Your Mother" actor's 42nd birthday was a real low point. "I was there by myself, in my bedroom and I had a complete breakdown," he said. Speaking to Closer Weekly in 2019, Brady said he shared his story after Robin Williams' tragic death by suicide in 2014. "I thought that if someone who brings so much joy has the problem of loving themselves, then I can't ignore it."
Brady noted that his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa helped him get to a better place. "She was down with me when nobody in the world was down with me, except my mom," he told ET. In 2015, he filmed a PSA for Bring Change 2 Mind, an organization devoted to eliminating the stigma around mental health issues, per People. "I really wish that I would have spoken out earlier," he says in the TV spot.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
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