Alan Ritchson attempted to take his life while going through a dark phase in his life. After being saved by a vision of his sons, he promised his wife, Catherine, that he wouldn't do it again.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleReacher star Alan Ritchson seems to be going through a tough time in his personal life. For those unaware, the actor and his wife, Catherine Ritchson, decided to go their separate ways after spending 20 years together as a married couple. The pair shared a joint Instagram post to announce the news. However, Alan and his wife reassured fans by saying that they will “continue alongside one another in a different way.”
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that the actor has gone through a difficult phase in his life. Alan has previously been open about how at one point he attempted to take his own life.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Ritchson opened up about the time he was working on the post-production of Dark Web: Cicada 3301, a film which he not only wrote and directed himself, but also produced and starred in. Alan recalled that he was reeling from the fallout and the fatigue and was later left stuck in bed for weeks. His condition left his wife and kids severely concerned.
While Alan’s movie initially took off, his suffering did not seem to end. He attempted to take his life in the attic of his home. Alan said:
“I hung myself. It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there.”
Thankfully, the Smallville star claimed that it was the vision of his sons that gave him the strength to pull himself back up. In the vision, Alan saw his sons, Calem, Edan, and Amory in their mid-30s, just a few years younger than he was at the time of his suicide attempt. He said that they calmly asked him not to do it and that they “wanted me to be here, alive and part of their lives.”
Alan also credited his ability to do “a million pull-ups” to get himself out of that situation before he blacked out. After his attempt to take his own life, the actor called a doctor immediately, and he was soon diagnosed as bipolar. He admitted that it took him some time to process, but he also understood that all the ups and downs in his life and periods of mania had an explanation.
Alan said that he had initially stormed out of the doctor’s office. But he turned around after getting only as far as the parking garage. He said:
“Deep down, I was comforted to know, ‘OK, there’s a name for this.’ I walked back in his office, and he didn’t miss a beat. I’m sure he’d had like 300 patients over the years do the exact same thing.”
Alan Ritchson said that one of his friends suggested that he and his wife, Catherine, should go to Las Vegas, have some fun, and reconnect as a couple after the incident. The actor thought that he had nothing to lose by trying that, as he “might kill myself tomorrow.” The same friend also suggested that Alan do MDMA, a proven therapy to treat PTSD in veterans. He shared:
“The moment it hit, I looked at my wife. We had not really seen each other in a long time because I was just missing things around me. I said, ‘We are one. We are one,’ over and over again. I held her, and we talked about suicide, and she’s like, ‘Please don’t do this to us.’ I kept saying, ‘I won’t. I won’t.’”
In a joint statement, Alan and Catherine explained that they have decided to end their marriage after 20 years. While they did not mention the reason behind their decision, the duo explained that they will continue to focus on friendship and co-parenting their sons. They further asked for privacy for their family as they continue to deal with this difficult part of their life. Alan and Catherine said, “Nothing can diminish what these years have meant to us, or the love and respect we will always share.”
What are your thoughts on Alan Ritchson and Catherine's split?
Also Read: Judd Nelson Looks Unrecognizable At 66 In Public Sighting In Hollywood, Fans Say 'Hard To Believe'