David Harbour was absent from events celebrating the Stranger Things finale because he suffered a “breakdown.”
Dealing with a “Breakdown”
The 51-year-old actor was missing from several events scheduled around the end of the Netflix show late last year, and he was subjected to gossip about his “erratic behavior.” David has now confessed he was battling mental health issues linked to his bipolar disorder.
He told Variety, “I had a breakdown. I do suffer from some confusing stuff – it’s confusing as hell. I think a lot of people have a friend or a brother or a co-worker that deals with mental health stuff, and they’re probably pretty confused when that person gets depressed or gets manic or has an episode.”
Personal Issues
David’s absence from the Stranger Things events came less than two months after his pop star ex-wife Lily Allen released her album West End Girl. It was widely believed to be a scathing condemnation of their marriage.
However, David insisted he’s been struggling with much more complicated personal issues. He told the publication, “There’s a lot of irresponsible nonsense going on out there … Under times of extreme stress, that can cause somewhat erratic behavior, and it’s embarrassing, and I’m ashamed of it.”
“It’s not something I choose, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I do feel like, for some of us, our gifts are inextricably linked with our illnesses. To have a nervous system that reacts to the world in a too-delicate way can allow me to have that moment that I love …”
“But it can also force me, in moments of extreme stress, to act a little weird.”
Lily’s Album
In the interview, David also addressed Lily’s album. He insisted that the situations she sang about, which included infidelity, did not reflect his experience of their marriage.
He said of the record, “It was weird. I do believe that it is the privilege of every artist to use their experience to create art, and so I respect her for doing that …”
“Stories are complex and that’s why I say I respect her creation of art to channel her experience. It wasn’t my experience.”