Karamo Brown, one of the stars of the Netflix series Queer Eye, has opened up about a past suicide attempt in a heartfelt video he posted on his social media accounts last week.
Aug. 30 marked the 12th anniversary of his suicide attempt, which, he shared, came during one of the darker periods of his life.
“I just felt like life could not get any better, everything that was happening to me was never going to change, and I tried to take my own life,” Brown says in the video. “If it wasn’t for my best friends Raymond and Tre calling the ambulance, getting me off that couch, I probably would not be here today.”
Brown, who serves as the culture expert and sees himself as the “resident therapist” on the series, has been open about struggling with depression and using drugs and alcohol in the past to help him cope, according to Today.
“As you see me on Queer Eye helping people with their mental health, and you see me on my social media helping people, it’s because it’s important to me,” the star says in the video. “I know so many of us suffer from mental health issues, and we just don’t know where to turn.”
Brown encourages people struggling with mental illness to not give up and seek help that can change their lives.
“If you get help and you do the work daily, your life can change. I’m living proof of that,” he says.
If you or someone you know are contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The Crisis Text Line offers free 24-hour support when you text HOME to 741-741.
