Wayne Brady reveals depression battle

Wayne Brady talks about his experience with depression in an interview with 'Entertainment Tonight
Robin Williams' suicide taught Wayne Brady a serious life lesson.

"These secrets kill," the 42-year-old "Let's Make a Deal" host told “Entertainment Tonight's” Nischelle Turner regarding his own battle with depression.

"Some days you don't want to move," he said, describing his struggles, which he's kept secret until now. "You can't move in the darkness."

Although he's battled depression for years, his fans and even friends would likely never know because of his quirky and funny onscreen appeal.People are like, 'Wayne Brady's always happy!'" he said. "No I'm not. Because I'm human."

Brady described how his overwhelming feelings of sorrow would kick in once the cameras were off.


"You're like, 'I am just going to sit right here and I want to wallow in this," he revealed of his dark thoughts. "'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.'"

Host Wayne Brady, right, says he often turns off that smile when the cameras are off
In 2006, his second marriage to Mandie Taketa fell apart, pushing him further into the darkness.

But it wasn't until June that Brady truly hit a wall on his 42nd birthday.

"I was by myself in my bedroom and had a complete breakdown," he recalled, adding how he knew that "this is not good."With the darkness came a light, and Brady realized he had to make some real changes in his life, if only for his young daughter with Taketa, Maile.

Still, coming to terms with his struggles and making them public was another challenge he faced, especially due to the pressures of Hollywood.

"It's actually cool to go into rehab for some people. Some publicists are like, 'You know what, sweetheart, you need a drug problem,'" he said of what seems to be acceptable behavior for the stars.But if someone says, 'Ugh, I'm clinically depressed,' that sounds like someone's making something up," he said, adding how the reaction is often, "'You aren't depressed.'"

Following Williams' death by hanging in August, Brady took to Twitter to express his grief.

"Depression is real," he wrote. "God Bless Him and his family."

Now that he's opened up about his own battle with depression, Brady is grateful for the outpouring of support he's received.

"I'm blown away by the positive responses about the @etnow story!" he tweeted Monday. "Much love to all of you who reached out. We're not alone, people!"


Source:nydailynews