Alan Ritchson has recently opened up about attempting to take his own life after a traumatic experience changed everything for him.
For those of you who may not know, Ritchson is an actor who is best known for starring in the Amazon Prime series Reacher after initially appearing as a contestant on the third season of the reality television show American Idol back in 2004.
Thanks to his incredible talent as well as his charming personality, he's managed to garner a loyal fanbase, accumulating over 2.8 million followers on Instagram alone.
But for someone who has always showcased a happy and positive stance in life, fans were shocked to find out that the star had previously tried to take his own life after being sexually assaulted when he was a model.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he opened up about his experience in the industry.
"There are very few redeeming qualities to working in that industry. Let’s be honest, it’s like legalized sex trafficking," he said. "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."
"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," he stated. "It was quite often."
When asked if he had experienced any inappropriate environments himself, he recalled a traumatic event in which he was abused.
"I was sent into a hotel room to do nudes with the promise that if I did the shoot, he [the 'very famous photographer'] would offer me a very lucrative campaign for a magazine and a clothing line. I was sexually assaulted by this guy," he told the outlet.
Naturally, the actor was upset, stating that he "stormed" out of the place and straight to his agent.
"I stormed in [to the office] and said: 'F*** you for sending me there. You knew what was going to happen, and you did it anyway,'" he recalled.
While his agent at the time was trying to calm him down by saying that it was "okay" and he knew the guy could be a "little aggressive", he decided that enough was enough.
After quitting his job, he quit the entire modelling industry.
"I quit the industry and it was the last photo shoot I’ve ever had," he said. "Those pictures were never seen or published. That was it.
"I swore it off and thank God acting found me at the exact same time so I was able to make a switch to a new career, but it left some scars," he added.
However, one of the darkest days in his life occurred one night in 2019 when the star attempted to take his own life using a chord in his attic.
"I hung myself,” he told the interviewer. "It all happened so fast, and I was dangling there."
He also added that a vision of his three children in their mid-30s made him change his mind on the whole ordeal and he managed to pull himself up just before he blacked out.
"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 stated.
After some further health battles, Ritchson finally got to a place of stability and since then has managed to build his portfolio as an actor and still continues to live his life to the fullest, despite having to endure trauma at the hands of abusers in the industry.
He truly is an inspiration!
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
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