Robbie Williams has revealed at his lowest point he once “slashed his wrists” and wanted to end his life.
The 49-year-old singer struggled with mental health issues after becoming a teenage star in Take That and then turned to drink and drugs in the early stages of his rise to stardom. And, whilst discussing a Netflix documentary series about his rollercoaster career, he has confessed to a suicide attempt.
Robbie said: “Thank God mental health is being talked about in a different way. I read something that triggered me, somebody talking about celeb washing of mental illnesses. And celebs making mental health issues sexy. There is nothing sexy about taking a knife and slashing your own wrists that I did. We need to be careful about what we say and how we say it."
Robbie in the documentaryWhen asked to clarify if he meant he had actually done this, he said: “I am on about me slashing my own wrists. The reason I say that is to qualify people are people, whether they are on MAFS [Married At First Sight] or Martin Scorsese’s new film. We need to be careful what we accuse people of. You think such and such is laying it on thick for attention saying they have autism. It is not OK.”
Robbie does not mention the incident on screen in his new series but does hint at it and gives fans a warts and all look at his career including footage showing him heading into rehab and being high on drugs, and a period when he was drinking every night. He was so depressed at his lowest point he says on camera he felt it might be “best if he just passed away”.
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In a new interview at the weekend, Robbie also described how hard it was making the new series and how he had to sometimes pause or fast forward some footage as he found it too painful. He said: “It was like watching a crash you were involved in, but in slo-mo. It was like enduring your mental illness at a very, very slow pace, over a very, very long time. And it’s a niche thing to experience, you know. There aren’t many support groups for it.”
Another section shows his mental health suffering as he is criticised heavily in the media. It reaches a climax with a gig in Leeds when Robbie has a panic attack that lasts the entire show. “It’s like those nightmares where you don’t know what’s happening and you can’t remember anything and you’re terrified. It was like that all night.” Thankfully for Robbie and his fans he now finds himself in a much happier place, married to wife Ayda with four children. He said: “I do feel lucky to have my family. Right now I’d describe myself as a very happy hermit.”
* Robbie Williams is released on Netflix on November 8. If you need help, Samaritans are available day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org
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