Robbie Williams has spoken out about a previous suicide attempt, and urged people to be “careful” about the way they speak about those in the public eye.
The chart-topping singer is currently gearing up for the release of a new Netflix documentary about his life and career, in which he opens up about his personal highs and lows.
During an interview with The Mirror to promote the doc, Robbie – who has always been candid about his previous issues with his mental health and addiction – said he was happy to see that “mental health is being talked about in a different way” compared to when he was at the height of his fame.
“I read something that triggered me, somebody talking about ‘celeb washing’ of mental illnesses,” he explained. “And celebs making mental health issues sexy.”
Insisting there was “nothing sexy” about a suicide attempt, he added: “We need to be careful about what we say and how we say it.”
He added: “The reason I say that is to qualify people are people, whether they are on [Married At First Sight] or Martin Scorsese’s new film.
“We need to be careful what we accuse people of. You think such and such is laying it on thick for attention saying they have autism. It is not OK.”
In a separate interview with The Sun, Robbie said he was taken to A&E after self-harming early on in his musical career.
“Other celebrities passed away doing what I was doing while I was doing it,” he recalled. “I did think, ‘Oh, I’m next’, and I didn’t care. It was sad. I had no resistance.”
Recalling one particularly difficult point, before his solo career took off, the star recalled how he self-harmed in London Bridge – “but it was more a cry for help, I guess,” he added.
Netflix previously said of Robbie’s candid new documentary, which is titled Robbie Williams: “This is the definitive four-part documentary series on the most successful UK solo artist of all time.
“Featuring hundreds of hours of intimate, never-before-seen personal archive spanning 30 years, exclusive access to Robbie and helmed by an acclaimed filmmaking team […] this culture-defining series is the first of its kind to explore the real human being behind the salacious headlines.”
The four-part documentary will begin streaming on 8 November, and follows David Beckham’s recent success with a documentary on the same platform.
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.