Actor Alan Ritchson recently revealed that he had become suicidal after surviving several sexual assault incidents. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the ‘Reacher’ star shared his harrowing journey of sexual assault, battling mental health disorders, and overcoming thoughts of suicide.
Opening up about his ordeals, Ritchson recounted an incident where he attempted to take his own life after enduring years of sexual abuse in the modeling industry. He vividly recalled how he hung himself with a green extension cord in his California home.
Recalling the overwhelming feeling of despair and desperation, the actor said, “It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there.” It was only a vision of his sons that saved him from the brink of death as he pulled himself up at the last moment.
The 41-year-old actor also opened up about his struggles with bipolar disorder and ADHD, as he asserted the importance of seeking help and receiving proper diagnosis and treatment. Speaking about the sexual assault he faced for a long time as a model, the actor brought to light the harsh realities of the modeling industry.
“There are very few redeeming qualities to working in [the modeling] industry. Let’s be honest, it’s like legalized sex trafficking,” he said. “The industry is not regulated, and it’s a widely known secret that if you’re hired on a job, you’re basically being passed off to a photographer to be trafficked.”
“The number of times and situations where I was put in horrific environments where sexual abuse was the goal and the paycheck that you were desperate for in order to survive was the carrot, I can’t count on two hands. It was quite often,” Ritchson added.
Alan Ritchson Reveals The Incident That Led Him To Attempt Suicide
Ritchson later switched to the film and television industry but the instances of sexual assault continued there as well. He remembered an incident when he was assaulted by a photographer yet again.
“I was booked for a shoot for this very famous photographer,” he recalled. “I was sent into a hotel room to do nudes with the promise that if I did the shoot, he would offer me a very lucrative campaign for a magazine and a clothing line. I was sexually assaulted by this guy.”
In another incident, Ritchson claimed he faced threats and coercion from a business associate “She gave me an ultimatum to come to her room and said that if I didn’t, she would destroy the business and she would destroy me by calling TMZ to claim I sexually assaulted her,” he recalled.
Ritchson was left devastated after this. “I was super depressed and didn’t know how to navigate that,” he said, adding that he attempted suicide.
Despite the challenges he faced, Ritchson remains resilient in his ongoing journey of healing and self-discovery. He also asserted during the interview that it’s important to speak out about his past traumas, so that others who may be struggling with similar experiences would get empowered.
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