After Jeff Garlin left the ABC comedy The Goldbergs Following an HR investigation following multiple complaints about his behavior, he suffered mentally to the point that he considered ending his life.
“I had a nervous breakdown and was going to kill myself,” the actor said this week on the Ted Danson show. Where everyone knows your name podcast.
Garlin contacted his and Danson’s comrades Limit your enthusiasm co-star Susie Essman, who asked Garlin’s friends to help her get treatment.
“I contacted Susie (Essman) and said, ‘I hate it when people don’t contact me, but today at noon I’ll be dead. I’m letting you know I’ll be dead,'” the actor recalled.
“And she called (ex-wife) Marla, and she called (girlfriend) Sari and my friend Brad Morris,” he said. “My girlfriend and ex-wife called him. He’s one of my best friends. He watched me while they were looking for a place to go.”
Eventually, Garlin checked himself into rehab in Cincinnati, Ohio, and underwent dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which helped him overcome his suicidal thoughts.
“I wasn’t suicidal anymore,” he said. “They helped me get to a point where I could stand and then I went out into the world and it took a while between therapy and bipolar medication and all that stuff until I felt somewhat whole.”
In 2022, Garlin revealed that he was bipolar, recently saying that his undiagnosed mental health issue affected his behavior. The Goldbergs.
Garlin said he “feels really good now” and is “very happy,” adding that he is sharing his mental health struggles to raise awareness.
“The fact is… for people who do what we do, we are as dark as you,” he said. “We have bad days, just like you. And I, Jeff Garlin, comedian and merry gentleman, was going to end his life. But I’m grateful to have friends and family. And people have been so supportive.”
Garlin is gone The Goldbergs in December 2021 after more than eight seasons as father Murray Goldberg. The mutual decision between Garlin and production company Sony Pictures Television came during production of the ninth season of the ABC series and followed investigations by HR and Vanity Fairthe latter reporting alleged verbal and physical behavior that made staff feel uncomfortable.
“My opinion is that I have my process for how funny I am, in terms of the stage and what I have to do. They think that gives rise to a ‘dangerous’ workspace quote. Now, notice, my stupidity of creating an unsafe workspace – I don’t understand what that is. And I’m on a comedy show. I’m still a kind, caring person,” Garlin said. Vanity Fair in December 2021.
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