Wayne Brady Discusses Depression, Admits Former Breakdown

Wayne Brady discussed his battle with depression with Entertainment Tonight on Monday. He admitted that at one point he had “a complete breakdown.”

Brady, 42, is best known for his improvisational comedy on Whose Line Is It Anyway? He also hosted The Wayne Brady Show, Don’t Forget the Lyrics!, and Let’s Make a Deal.

For all his humor, Brady mentioned that people always think he’s happy, similar to the public’s impression of Robin Williams. However, Brady said he’s had experience with depression because he thought he was unworthy of happiness.

Wayne Brady described it as, “You don’t want to move, you can’t move in the darkness. You’re like, ‘I am just going to sit right here and I want to wallow in this. As much as it hurts, I am going to sit right here because this is what I deserve. This is what I deserve, so I am going to sit here because I am that horrible of a person.”

Then Brady explained how depression spirals. He said he would tell himself lies about how he wasn’t worth anything. As he dwelled on his perceived worthlessness, nothing in his life felt like it mattered anymore.

His complete breakdown was last June when he turned 42. Sitting alone in his bedroom, he decided things needed to change.

Brady also told Entertainment Tonight how hard the death of Robin Williams was for him. Robin “was someone that brought such love and light to a few generations of people. When he was on stage [in] full Robin mode…you could not touch that man. He made everyone feel great.”

“And at the same time, knowing that he had this sense of…what I make up in my mind, this sense of self-worth, of belonging, of loneliness, of pain that all the money in the world can’t cure, all the accolades and all the awards, and all the love from people all over the world…All that love could still not stop that man from saying, ‘I am in so much pain.’”

Brady also discussed how it’s easier from someone in Hollywood to admit a drug problem than a mental health one.

The comedian concluded his interview saying that his mental health is improving. He thanks his ex-wife and still close friend Mandie Taketa for the help.

Wayne Brady’s advice for anyone else who may be struggling with depression is to admit that the feelings are real. Once those feelings are claimed, then making the decision to do something about them becomes easier.