Warning: The following story contains language about suicide.
Wil Wheatonis opening up more about the trauma he endured during his adolescence.
The 49-year-old actor spoke withAccess Hollywoodfor the outlet’s “Surviving Child Stardom” series in aninterview published Tuesday, revealing he once considered suicide.
Wheaton went on to say that he “learned, as a child” that if he wanted to get the “attention and approval from my parents” that all kids “deserve unconditionally,” he had to “do what Mom wants.”
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Wil Wheaton.Access/YouTube
" ‘And maybe if I do what Mom wants, for some reason, Dad will love me,’ " he recalled of his reasoning, alleging later in the interview of his father, “There was a time in my life where he made a choice that I wasn’t his son — I was Debbie’s ‘thing.’ "
Later, Wheaton admitted, “The only reason I didn’t kill myself as a teenager is that I didn’t know how. That’show much pain I was in. I thought maybe it would get my dad’s attention and maybe it would make an impression on my mom and she would have to seemeand not her ‘thing.’ "
“And I’m so grateful that, for whatever reason, I didn’t make un-revokable choices when I was younger,” he continued. “I’m just really grateful for all of it. I am a survivor.”
“I was silenced for my entire life, and I’m not going to be silenced anymore,” Wheaton also said.
Wil Wheaton (L); Jerry O’Connell.Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Michael Loccisano/Getty
In an interview withYahoo Entertainmentpublished in May 2021, Wheaton said that he “didn’t want to be an actor when I was a kid. My parents forced me to do it,” alleging of his actress mom, “My mother made me do it. My mother coached me to go into her agency and tell the children’s agent, ‘I want to do what Mommy does.’ "
“I deeply appreciate that,” said Wheaton, but he noted to O’Connell, “You were 11. How could you have possibly known?”
“Also, everyone in the audience who is a trauma survivor knows this: We’re real, real, real good at covering up what we’re going through,” he added.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
