When 'Reacher' Star Alan Ritchson Tried to Commit Suicide: "I Hung Myself"

The Reacher star, Alan Ritchson is getting all the love and support of his fans with the recent success. However, with the rising stardom, the actor has refused to let go of his roots. Rather in an exclusive word with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson bared his vulnerable side for his fans to know. 

Speaking candidly about his struggling years, the actor revealed he once attempted to commit suicide. Ritchson disclosed that he experienced sexual assault by a photographer during his pursuit of a modeling career. "Let's be honest, it's like legalized sex trafficking. "The industry is not regulated, and it's a widely known secret that if you're hired on a job, you're basically being passed off to a photographer to be trafficked," he said. "The number of times and situations where I was put in horrific environments where sexual abuse was the goal and the paycheck that you were desperate for in order to survive was the carrot, I can't count on two hands. It was quite often," he added. "I was reeling from the fallout and the fatigue, and it got to the point where I was stuck in bed for weeks. My wife and kids were concerned, and I could see confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what was wrong," he explained.

The Black Mirror star disclosed, "I hung myself." The incident occurred in his Encino, California home, in the attic using a green extension cord. Reflecting on the moment, he described, "It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there." However, in a crucial moment, Ritchson made a spontaneous decision to lift himself just before losing consciousness. This decision was spurred by a vision he had of his sons, Calem (11), Edan (10), and Amory (8), envisioning them in their mid-30s. 

"They calmly asked me not to do it, and told me that they wanted me to be here, alive and part of their lives," he recalled. According to Marca, the actor then continued to spill the tea around his experience with substances like MDMA. Ritchson shared that a few months after his ADHD diagnosis a friend suggested he must give MDMA a try. "I had never done drugs but I was truly, like, 'Well, I might kill myself tomorrow, what do I have to lose?' So, I did it. I swear to God, the biggest light bulb went off, and it rewired my brain in the best way," he said. 

Speaking of his experience the actor explained, "MDMA is a proven therapy to treat PTSD in veterans, and it's something that can work in cognitive therapy settings. I loved it and wanted to do it every day." He further continued, "But, for me, for a year or two, it became like therapy. It allowed me to write and be productive. Thankfully, I was able to move past it."