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Jada Pinkett Smith Talks Mental Health After Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade Suicides

The “Girls Trip” star shared her own thoughts in moments of “deep despair.”

Jada Pinkett Smith opened up about her own struggle with mental health in the wake of last week’s reported suicides of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Smith, star of the movie “Girls Trip,” wrote on Instagram Monday that “mental health is something we should practice daily,” not just when times get tough.

“With the suicides of Kate and Anthony it brought up feelings of when I was in such despair and had considered the same demise...often,” she wrote. “In the years I spent towards my healing, many moons ago, I realized the mind and heart can be extremely delicate without the foundation of a formidable spirit.”

Her heartfelt caption accompanied side-by-side photos of Bourdain and Spade.

Smith, host of the Facebook Watch series “Red Table Talk,” added more to her thoughts in an appearance Wednesday on “Megyn Kelly Today,” telling Kelly that she had thought about suicide in moments of “deep despair.”

“There’s not one answer. Life is a journey to help us get to a place of healing. And I wish somebody had told me that,” Smith said.

“I wish somebody had told me that it’s going to be okay. We’re going to have obstacles, you’re going to have difficult times, you’re going to have really dark times. But just understand, keep stepping because life starts to reveal itself to you. The light will come.”

Smith had previously opened up about her struggles with addiction. In a Facebook post from 2013, Smith reflected on addiction and aging:

What I learned about myself is this, when I was younger I was not a good problem solver, meaning I had a very difficult time with dealing with my problems in life. I had many addictions, of several kinds, to deal with my life issues, but today, at 42, I have my wisdom, my heart and my conscience as the only tools to overcome life’s inevitable obstacles. I have become a good problem solver with those tools, and I am damn proud.

She didn’t specify what those addictions were, but said she wanted to continue on a path of “healthy understanding.”

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.