Ryan Reynolds Opens Up About His Mental Health Struggles, Inspired By 3 Daughters

Ryan Reynolds said his daughters have helped him become more open about his mental health issues. The actor recently revealed that his three daughters, James, 6, Inez, 4, and Betty, 1 inspired him to use his platform to speak up about his mental struggles.

In May, Mental Health Awareness Month, Reynolds shared his story about his “lifelong” battle against anxiety on Instagram.

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“Part of it is that I have three daughters at home and part of my job as a parent is to model behaviors and model what it’s like to be sad and model what it’s like to be anxious, or angry. That there’s space for all these things,” he said. “The home that I grew in, that wasn’t modeled for me really. And that’s not to say that my parents were neglectful, but they come from a different generation.”

“Part of that is to destigmatize things and create a conversation around [mental health],” he continued. “I know that when I felt at the absolute bottom, it’s usually been because I felt like I was alone in something I was feeling. So I think when people talk about it, I don’t necessarily dwell on it or lament on it. but I think it’s important to talk about it. And when you talk about it, it kind of sets other people free.”