Out Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller just shared a powerful Facebook post about online bullying culture, fat shaming, and depression that everyone should read.
Miller was struggling with depression in 2010, at which point he packed on a few pounds. He was inadvertently caught on a hike by some paparazzi, and the damaging meme you see above was born:
They took my picture, and the photos were published alongside images of me from another time in my career. “Hunk To Chunk.” “Fit To Flab.” Etc.
My mother has one of those “friends” who’s always the first to bring you bad news. They clipped one of these articles from a popular national magazine and mailed it to her. She called me, concerned.
In 2010, fighting for my mental health, it was the last thing I needed.
Long story short, I survived.
So do those pictures.
I’m glad.
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.
Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist.
Anyway. Still. Despite.
For their part, The Lad Bible has apologized in their own Facebook post. They wrote:
“Mental health is no joke or laughing matter. We certainly didn’t want to cause you pain by reminding you of such a low point in your life. Causing distress and upset to innocent or vulnerable people is simply not acceptable.”
Meh, they’re only apologizing because they got called out, and we’re sure they’ll do something similar within the month.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Anyway, we strongly encourage you to read Wentworth’s entire post. You’ll be glad you did. Like Miller, we’ll end our post with the following message:
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Reach out. Text. Send an email. Pick up the phone. Someone cares. They’re waiting to hear from you. Much love.
Noël Thibodeau
A true hero. God bless him!
Captain Obvious
It’s so sick how people act sorry when they find out they were bullying you at your worst but they don’t mind putting you there if they think you were at your best.
onthemark
Maybe he got prescribed the so-called “anti-depressants,” which do NOT work for most people, they don’t do a damned thing, except that they’re very good at making people gain 20 to 30 pounds seemingly overnight! (Talk about depressing.) The “anti-depressants” are quite a money-making racket.
James Benson
I really enjoy his New character on DC Legends of Tomorrow , Way to go Wentworth Miller ,
Roan
I don’t see any problem with the weight or his body, but that hairstyle isn’t working.
Kangol
Glad he’s speaking out about body-shaming and depression. He’s a star in every way.
oddchild1
The fact is the gay community is just as bad. The gay community body shames more than anyone. Just look at the comment section here on every day you see the same posts “Eww gross that skinny bitch needs to eat a sandwich.”, “Shamu needs to step away from the Haagen Das.”, “Jesus; steroids much; muscle queen’s dick must look like a belly button.”, “Doesn’t look like his balls have dropped he should disappear until he looks like a man and not a boy.”, “Methuselah should stop trying so hard and act his own age.” and it goes on and on. All these malcontents are tolerated and excused as “They’re just being bitchy and catty; it’s all in fun, it’s part of being gay.” No it’s bullying and has no place in polite society.
onthemark
Naw… sorry, not buying it. This is strictly an American thing. Americans need somebody to blame for them (us) getting fat fat fat fat fat, so lately we’ve started to fold the whole thing into the “identity politics” bullsh*t that we’ve already taken to such a ludicrous extreme.
This way, fat Americans get to blame the messenger. Now anyone who criticizes, or even overly-observes the fat person, becomes the bad guy. Maybe a bad guy who’s causing suicide! Eek. Ridiculous. Queerty’s last article on this subject actually blasted doctors for “medicalizing” obesity: how dare they!
Miller gives away the game when he admits he’s “glad” the photos exist. That’s because if the photos didn’t exist and all strangers everywhere had been nicey-nicey to him, he’d still be fat, because he’d never have had any incentive to do anything about it.
@oddchild1: Turn in your gay card immediately! 🙂 … Also, there’s a difference – in a LEGAL sense – between ordinary folks and the public figures who are made fun of on sites like Queerty.
Tackle
He doesn’t look FAT to me. I kinda like him thicker to the right. This is something that he blew out of proportion. He’s sending out the wrong message himself, by not liking, and embracing the way his body looks on the right.
heckles202
@onthemark: It’s none of ur effing business! Don’t judge again before I dust yo ass!!! Understood bitch!?
Dave Downunder
@Tackle: Agreed. I didn’t think he looked that fat at all. There are plenty of other actors around who are at least that size of bigger and nobody is commenting on them. I don’t think he would have made an issue of it if the paps hadn’t posted an article comparing him to his thinner days though. Either way it’s not nice and I always feel sorry for public figures who get fat shamed n the media. It’s just nasty.
Robothedestroyer
Whatever. H8ers gonna h8. He looked good then, does in the after pic too. I would not kick him out of bed. The hair… Ugh… Well that’s an easy fix. I understand tho, I’m also an emotional eatter and it’s a struggle. But better, like he said, than sex or drugs etc.
jjunke
oh boo hoo.someone called me fat, are we even allowed to use that word anymore, weigh challenged then, well he is/was……get over it.take another anti depressant for his first world ‘problems’.