Courtney B. Vance Talks About His Family's Battle With Mental Health And Suicide
Courtney B. Vance, is celebrating his most recent star turn playing George Freeman on HBO’s breakout hit fantasy horror series Lovecraft Country. But he’s dealt with personal tragedies through his life and now he is opening up about mental health and suicide in his family.
During an interview with Good Morning America, the Emmy winner discussed his father committing suicide when he was 30 years old. Vance, now 60, said, “I was rocked. My mother called in hysterics.”
The actor revealed therapy is what helped him, “It saved our lives and saved each of our lives. I could have been a statistic myself. If the hero in my life, my father, did that to himself, that potentially could have been an option for me.”
Sadly, Vance’s 23-year-old godson took his own life over the summer, “He was in crisis. His mind -- it was attacked. And he couldn’t take it anymore.”
Nonetheless, Vance, who is married to actress Angela Bassett is still optimistic and hopes by telling his story others can be saved, “We’re going to break this curse, we’re breaking it right now.”
Watch the interview below:
While the suicide rate among Black Americans is relatively low at 6.61% in 2017, that number is significantly greater than it was in the previous years, according to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention.
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor.
