Wayne Brady is opening up about his battle with depression and how Robin Williams’ tragic death led him to reach out for help, a quality he now regards as a “superpower.”
“Robin was someone that I respected greatly, [and I] was blessed to work with him. I was touched by him my entire life,” the “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” alum, 50, told Verywell Mind in an interview published Wednesday.
“And when you see someone who had the mind or Robin Williams and the kindness of Robin Williams and the talent of Robin Williams say, ‘I cannot talk to anybody about what is going on with me because it’s too great,’ I knew that I didn’t want that for myself.”
Brady now utilizes therapy and medication and even attends men’s support groups, in addition to cultivating mindfulness.
“I think, like a lot of people in the African American culture, I grew up thinking that therapy was a bad word or therapy’s not for me — therapy’s for white people, therapy’s for crazy people,” said Brady.
Oscar- and Emmy-winning comedian Williams died by suicide in August 2014, following issues from Lewy body dementia. He was 63.
The “Good Will Hunting” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” star’s son Zak Williams annually takes to social media to honor his father on the anniversary of his death.
“Dad, on the eighth anniversary of your passing, I’m remembering how incredibly kind and joyful you were,” the mental health advocate wrote this year. “I deeply miss you, you wonderful, hairy man and will be celebrating your life today.”
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