Will Smith opens up about his mental health struggle in a new docuseries, revealing that he once considered suicide.
The 53-year-old actor known for his jovial personality and comedic timing has attracted over 55 million followers on his Instagram.
However, he gets personal in his new memoir and docuseries, The Best Shape of My Life.
In May, Smith said that his midnight muffin snacking contributed to his weight gain in the viral Instagram reveal.
In The Best Shape Of My Life trailer, Smith aims to lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks and surpass his physique in the 2004 movie, I, Robot.
However, he reveals that his fitness journey made him address his mental health issues.
“When I started this show, I thought I was getting into the best shape of my life, physically. But mentally, I was somewhere else,” he said in the trailer.
Will Smith talks about suicidal thoughts
In the trailer for The Best Shape Of My Life, Will Smith talks about how his fitness helped him discover “a whole lot of hidden things about myself.”
The superstar actor also detailed writing his upcoming memoir, which “exposed” parts of his life that he had not previously disclosed
In the trailer, Smith makes a concerning confession to his family: “That was the only time in my life that I ever considered suicide.”
The trailer does not reveal the context behind Smith’s mental health struggle. It is also unclear whether he addresses the topic in his upcoming memoir, Will, or the docuseries.
In the trailer, which shows the actor training to lose weight, Smith admits his public persona was created for self-preservation.
“Now I’m about to show the world, how little I know about myself… What you’ve come to understand as Will Smith, the alien annihilating MC, bigger than life movie star, is largely a construction, a carefully crafted and honed character designed to protect myself, to hide myself from the world, to hide the coward.”
Will Smith is releasing the self-titled memoir Will with Mark Manson on November 9, 2021. The docuseries, which is a YouTube original, will debut on November 8.
His YouTube channel has over 661 million views and over 9 million subscribers.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741