For many The Young and the Restless fans, Michael Muhney, who portrayed Victor Newman’s second son from 2009 to 2014, is the true Adam Newman. While This Is Us star Justin Hartley and Mark Grossman have taken over the character since Muhney’s portrayal, viewers remember him fondly. Recently, the actor opened up about suicidal thoughts he has struggled with for the last several years.
Last week, Muhney tweeted the true story of his mother-in-law’s death to suicide as well as his own suicidal thoughts. Muhney and his wife’s children grew up without his mother-in-law because she died 14 years ago. After marking the anniversary of her passing, the actor revealed that he had struggled the past five years with thoughts of killing himself.
He described thoughts of going over the yellow line into oncoming traffic and considering the life insurance money he would leave behind for his family. Muhney said that all his thoughts were over a devastating rumor and lie perpetrated on the internet. Very likely the rumor he is alluding to in his tweet is the one that he harassed his co-star Summer Newman actress Hunter King, which led to Y&R letting him go. Years ago, SheKnows Soaps reported about the entire situation in detail.
This is my true story. #MentalHealthAwareness pic.twitter.com/rNsAUDt9LK
— Michael Muhney (@michaelmuhney) June 7, 2019
Since then, Muhney has come out in support of King and asked fans to let the rumors die. So far, there is no good evidence that anything untoward happened between Muhney and King. The actor’s firing has been attributed to his poor behind-the-scenes relationships.
— Michael Muhney (@michaelmuhney) November 7, 2018
Ultimately, Muhney stated that instead of ending his life, he chose to talk to somebody about the pain and depression he has felt this past half decade. He shared his story in hopes that others who are experiencing such pain could find support from somebody who has been there and gotten help. The actor encouraged people to get help and speak with somebody before getting to the point of suicide.
Many fans responded with encouragement as well as their own stories of heartbreak and pain.
“Brave and generous of you to share, Michael. My husband took his life and left three young kids wondering how to cope. One attempted suicide. It’s a horrible legacy. Like they say, it’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Thank God you sought help,” one wrote.
Many followers also expressed their happiness that Muhney found help and worked through his dark times. They also thanked the actor for sharing in hopes of helping others, and they expressed how much they’ve missed him on the show.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. For readers outside the U.S., visit Suicide.org or Befrienders Worldwide for international resources you can use to find help.
