LOS ANGELES, March 29 (UPI) — Wentworth Miller was the subject of a viral meme recently and took to social media in order to confront it head on.
The meme posted by online community LAD Bible on Facebook features the actor from 2010 when he was battling depression and had gained a significant amount of weight after starring in the hit television drama, “Prison Break.”
“When you break out of prison and find out about McDonald’s monopoly…” the post reads comparing Miller’s slim figure from the show to his heavier self. Some fans saw the photo as an act of fat-shamming while Miller turned things around by attacking the meme and using the opportunity to discuss his past struggles with food, depression and suicide.
“Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the rest,” the “Legends of Tomorrow” star wrote on Facebook Monday alongside the meme. “I’ve struggled with depression since childhood. It’s a battle that’s cost me time, opportunities, relationships, and a thousand sleepless nights. In 2010, at the lowest point in my adult life, I was looking everywhere for relief/comfort/distraction. And I turned to food. It could have been anything. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. But eating became the one thing I could look forward to.”
After revealing how the unflattering photo was taken by paparazzi, Miller described how he survived the unwanted attention and how he battled his depression. “I survived. … Now, when I see that image of me in my red T-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle,” he continued. “My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without. Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist.”
“The first time I saw this meme pop up in my social media feed, I have to admit, it hurt to breathe. But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness,” he concluded before urging his fans that are struggling with the same issues or who know someone who is to reach out for help.
Back in January, Fox announced that “Prison Break” would return in 2016 and reunite stars Miller and his co-star Dominic Purcell.
