Wentworth Miller admitted to contemplating suicide after a meme featuring the actor when he put on some weight began circulating online.
“Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the rest,” Miller wrote in a Facebook post.
The photo in question is from 2010, when Miller says he was semi-retired from acting due to his own struggles with depression. It shows him looking trim during his “Prison Break” days, side by side with him in a red t-shirt and clearly carrying a few extra pounds.
“First and foremost, I was suicidal,” he said. “This is a subject I’ve since written about, spoken about, shared about. But at the time I suffered in silence. As so many do. The extent of my struggle known to very, very few. Ashamed and in pain, I considered myself damaged goods. And the voices in my head urged me down the path to self-destruction. Not for the first time.”
Miller went on to say that in his semi-retirement, he would often turn to food as a means of coping with his mental health issues. The picture that was snapped of him came during this period.
“And I put on weight. Big f–king deal,” he said.
“Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle,” he continued. “My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without.”
Miller concluded by urging those suffering from similar mental health issues to seek help, posting links to several suicide prevention organizations.