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Ruby Barker, who plays Marina Thompson on Bridgerton, just revealed that she’s in a mental hospital. She wanted to get the truth off her chest for the purpose of transparency to her Instagram followers. Ruby was admitted earlier after being “really unwell for a really long time” and says she’s feeling better and will be discharged soon. She mentioned Mental Health Week and expressed gratitude to numerous people for supporting her through hard times.
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“I’m going to take a little bit of a break for myself, and I want to encourage others. If you are struggling, please, do yourself a favor, take a break, stop being so hard on yourself.”
“People used to always tell me not to be so hard on myself and I never really, really knew what that meant. What does that really mean? To ‘stop being hard on yourself’ or ‘to love yourself’. You hear these terms. You hear these buzzwords, catchphrases, and the world can be such a confusing place.
“And you’re trying to do you at the same time as having all these existential threats… It is mad out here. It is mad…”
Ruby continued to talk about how she didn’t hit rock bottom but is on to “new heights,” thanks to finally taking that time and space for herself. Further, she emphasizes that the dialogue around mental health needs to change so that people can feel more comfortable having conversations about it and seeking the help that they need.
The Instagram video post features nearly 6 minutes of refreshing honesty. Ruby ends it by candidly singing a song from one of her favorite artists, whose music she credits with helping her through hard times.
“Listen, I’m not the singer, she is. And you don’t know who she is. Get with it. Yeah, check out Sexton. She’s absolutely amazing.”
Ruby emphatically thanked her friends, Netflix, and Bridgerton executive producer Shonda Rhimes for their parts in saving her, whether it was through work or friendship.
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place in May every year and is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation.
