Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") Hospitalised After Suspected Suicide Attempt

[PeterG]

Along with the Tudors, Meyers has appeared in the movies "Mission: Impossible III", "Match Point" (with Scarlett Johansson and Emily Mortimer), "August Rush" (with Robin Williams, Keri Russell and Freddie Highmore) and "Vanity Fair" (with Reese Witherspoon and Gabriel Byrne).

imdb.com says about Meyers that...

...at the age of 3, his father left the family, leaving his mother to care for Jonny and his 3 younger brothers alone.

Rhys Meyers grew up with a tumultuous childhood, spending some time in an orphanage and being permanently expelled from school at age 16.

More info here:

Yahoo article link

The 33-year-old ''Bend It Like Beckham'' star, who has been in-and-out of rehab five times for alcohol problems, was taken away by an ambulance to a facility near his home.

Paramedics answering a 999 call found him slumped on the floor and had to call police after he refused treatment at the scene for more than 30 minutes, reported Sun online.

For some reason I always tend to think that famous people have had great lives and are privileged and have it easy. Things like this are a reality check, I guess, I hadn't known anything about his childhood. I can't imagine having just one parent and then also being put into an orphanage!

The article also mentions his alcoholism and that he has gone into rehab five times to try to conquer his demons (my wording).

One thing that I think is pretty crappy is that somebody, a neighbour or one of the "professionals" alerted the media, who were there when Meyers was released from the hospital. And then they stick a microphone in his face asking for a comment (I imagine they would have known he had tried to commit suicide). Very nice...

I hope he has some people in his life to support him, but if he's already been to rehab five times, I'm guessing those around him don't have the skills to help him with whatever he is struggling with...

[skatesindreams]

Very sad news.

I hope that he recovers and gets whatever help he needs to go forward.
He's young and has many years ahead of him.

[Cheylana]

It's a shame -- I loved JRM as King Henry in The Tudors (even though he physically didn't look the part, I thought he really grew into the role), and of course he's super easy on the eyes. But he's been troubled for a very long time--all those rehab stints, the racist rant, getting banned from airlines.... well, I hope he gets the help he needs.

[DarrellH]

Hopefully, his life will get better, or he will at least learn to deal with it all better.

[PeterG]

But he's been troubled for a very long time--all those rehab stints, the racist rant, getting banned from airlines.... well, I hope he gets the help he needs.

I hadn't heard about the racist stuff. Found this mention of it which led him to the fourth rehab stint...

So the most recent drunken display at an airport earlier this month where Jonathan Rhys Meyers was banned from United Airlines? Yeah, turns out he wasn’t just getting disorderly, he was getting racist. When an airline worker prevented him from boarding his flight to LA he started flinging around the ‘N’ word with his vodka breath.

[Buzz]

WAHHHHHH??????????? That cannot be! He is one of my dream actors for the role of Stannis on GOT. Hope it is just an accident of some sort and I will pray for him to have a speedy recovery.

[genevieve]

I'm very sorry to hear this - he was magnificent in Velvet Goldmine.

I hadn't heard about the racist tirade though

[PeterG]

He is one of my dream actors for the role of Stannis on GOT.

Just in case it saves anybody time googling and wiki-ing, GOT translation (thanks wikipedia):

Game of Thrones is an American medieval fantasy television series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The series is based on author George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of seven planned fantasy novels, the first of which is called A Game of Thrones. The series debuted in the U.S. on April 17, 2011.[3]

[Jenny]

I was wondering why a suicide attempt is being assumed, and now TMZ says a source says it wasn't. He has a long history of drinking and being hard to deal with when he's drunk, so it makes sense that he would resist attempts to help him. There are no reports so far of other substances - and drinking is not usually how one tries to take one's own life. Given that he's just out of his fifth rehab, I could also see that he was shamed at being caught drunk again, and wanted to be left alone.

Too bad - as Peter said, even those with seemingly everything going for them have demons.

[danceronice]

I generally don't buy the OMG MY LIFE SUCKS excuse to feel sorry for celebrities (lots of people had miserable childhoods. Suck up and move on.) But if he is an *alcoholic*, he has a physical and psychological addiction mostly the result of getting hosed by the genetic lottery (some people can drink like fish and walk away the next day, true alcoholics cannot--once they start, they are stuck without help). I hope he gets treatment and the media backs off and lets him get it. It's a physical disease in addition to being a mental one and rehab isn't helped, even if the patient's mentally ready and wants, it by a bunch of people hounding them. (I mean, gee, if public shame worked, Lindsey Lohan would be cured by now. </sarcasm>)

[Satellitegirl]

Hope he gets some help. Alcoholism is awful.

[PeterG]

I was wondering why a suicide attempt is being assumed, and now TMZ says a source says it wasn't.

The first part of the article I linked to started with this:

Troubled actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers was rushed to hospital after a suspected suicide attempt by overdosing on unspecified pills at his home.

[Latte]

I have a very bad feeling about this guy. What a shame.

[reese]

I generally don't buy the OMG MY LIFE SUCKS excuse to feel sorry for celebrities (lots of people had miserable childhoods. Suck up and move on.) But if he is an *alcoholic*, he has a physical and psychological addiction mostly the result of getting hosed by the genetic lottery (some people can drink like fish and walk away the next day, true alcoholics cannot--once they start, they are stuck without help). I hope he gets treatment and the media backs off and lets him get it. It's a physical disease in addition to being a mental one and rehab isn't helped, even if the patient's mentally ready and wants, it by a bunch of people hounding them. (I mean, gee, if public shame worked, Lindsey Lohan would be cured by now. </sarcasm>)

No one was making the "OMG MY LIFE SUCKS excuse to feel sorry for celebrities" argument here. And Jonathan himself has never made it, as far as I know. I find it a bit obnoxious to dismiss childhood trauma by asserting that a lot of people had miserable childhoods, therefore it's not that special, so no one should get sympathy or special treatment as a result of it. Yes, a lot of people are permanently damaged as children, and if you look around you, you'll notice that a lot of people are seriously damaged adults. I think they all deserve a certain amount of empathy.

[Latte]

^that^

[AragornElessar]

Well Said Reese!!

So sad to hear this, but not surprised. As a fan of The Tudors, I'd read/heard a bit about JRM's Alcohol demons and how it was putting a wedge into his relationship w/his girlfriend. Such an insanely talented guy, but I have such an awful feeling that one day, we'll be hearing about his passing either from an OD or from alcohol poisoning.

I really hope he gets the support he needs and that the Media backs off. Sadly, I think we all know the Media part is wishful thinking.

[PeterG]

No one was making the "OMG MY LIFE SUCKS excuse to feel sorry for celebrities" argument here. And Jonathan himself has never made it, as far as I know. I find it a bit obnoxious to dismiss childhood trauma by asserting that a lot of people had miserable childhoods, therefore it's not that special, so no one should get sympathy or special treatment as a result of it. Yes, a lot of people are permanently damaged as children, and if you look around you, you'll notice that a lot of people are seriously damaged adults. I think they all deserve a certain amount of empathy.

[PrincessLeppard]

Whatever lame entertainment show Mario Lopez hosts (it's right after the local news I watch) is saying it was NOT a suicide attempt, but a relapse.

I know it's Mario Lopez and all, but I think they usually get their stuff right.

[overedge]

.

I really hope he gets the support he needs and that the Media backs off. Sadly, I think we all know the Media part is wishful thinking.

No, we don't know this. The TMZ and Perez types may hound him, but there are plenty of media outlets that either won't care or who will respect whatever wish for privacy he expresses.