Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on the hit HBO show “Game of Thrones,” said in a recent interview that she’s battled depression for years and “used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger.”
TMZ reported that Turner made the comments during an interview on Dr. Phil’s podcast, and that fame caused her mental health problems – or at least exacerbated them. Thankfully, Turner said she didn’t believe she would actually hurt herself, but that suicide was “just a weird fascination I used to have.”
“It’s weird. I say I wasn’t very depressed when I was younger, but I used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger. I don’t know why though,” she said. “Maybe it’s just a weird fascination I used to have, but yeah, I used to think about it. I don’t think I ever would have gone through with it. I don’t know.”
Turner was 14 when she was cast as Sansa Stark, and online critics posted negative comments about her acting and her looks, according to TMZ.
“Sophie says she started giving in to her social media bullies, and she started doubting her acting chops and physical appearance. She says her insecurity led to symptoms of depression — and simple tasks like getting dressed would make her burst into tears,” the outlet reported.
Page Six reported that Turner said her decline came around the time she was 17, when her metabolism started to slow down and she gained weight.
“I was so in love with [working on ‘Game of Thrones’] … I couldn’t believe I was going to get paid for it … Everything was incredible, it only started to go downhill I think when I started to hit puberty and really puberty at like 17 and my metabolism was slowing down massively and I was gaining weight,” Turner said.
She added: “and there was the social media scrutiny and everything and that was when it kind of hit me.”
Turner got help through therapy and medication, and said her fiancé, Joe Jonas, helped her to be happy. The actress also said that since “Game of Thrones” has finished filming she will focus on her mental health, taking a break from acting.
Her character began as a timid young girl with a crush on a prince, but after suffering horrific abuse at the hands of multiple husbands, Sansa has hardened and turned into one of the fiercest characters in the series.
“Game of Thrones’” eighth and final season premiered Sunday, and fans took to the internet to react, as previously reported by The Daily Wire.