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Wentworth Miller Shares Heartbreaking Truth Behind Fat-Shaming Meme
The actor opens up about his suicidal past
After becoming the subject of a fat-shaming meme, Wentworth Miller responded with powerful honesty, opening up about his struggles with depression.
The meme, posted by LAD Bible, features side-by-side photos of Miller - one, a shirtless promotional photo of the toned actor from Prison Break, and the other, a paparazzi photo from the year after Prison Break ended in which the actor appears a tad heavier. "When you break out of prison and find out about McDonald's monopoly..." the caption reads.
Upon seeing the image, Miller shared it to his Facebook account and described the painful truth behind the second image.
"Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the rest," the Legends of Tomorrow actor began. "In 2010, semi-retired from acting, I was keeping a low-profile for a number of reasons.
"First and foremost, I was suicidal."
Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the...
Posted by Wentworth Miller on Monday, March 28, 2016
Miller went on to describe the various ways his lifelong battle with depression "urged [him] down the path to self-destruction."
"In 2010, at the lowest point in my adult life, I was looking everywhere for relief/comfort/distraction. And I turned to food," he continued. "It could have been anything. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. But eating became the one thing I could look forward to. Count on to get me through. There were stretches when the highlight of my week was a favorite meal and a new episode of TOP CHEF. Sometimes that was enough. Had to be.
"And I put on weight. Big f--king deal."
When Miller saw the fat-shaming articles at the time, it devastated him. However, now he's happy the photos exist. "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. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without," Miller wrote. "Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist. Anyway. Still. Despite.
VIDEO: Which Prison Break star got confused for an actual convict?
"The first time I saw this meme pop up in my social media feed, I have to admit, it hurt to breathe," he continued. "But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness. Of myself and others."
Following Miller's response, the LAD Bible posting an apology to Facebook. "We posted two pictures of you last night to our Facebook page, but today we want to say we've got this very, very wrong. Mental health is no joke or laughing matter," the site wrote.
Wentworth Miller,We posted two pictures of you last night to our Facebook page, but today we want to say we’ve got...
Posted by The LAD Bible on Tuesday, March 29, 2016