In a world where owning up to mental health issues is viewed as weakness, people often suffer in silence. There have been speculations about celebrities with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but only a few have been open about their struggle with the condition. Some of these public figures have leveraged their platform to foster conversations about managing the condition. BPD is a mental illness that affects an individual’s ability to keep their emotions under control. This can lead to intense mood swings, depression, unstable behaviours, and suicidal thoughts, resulting in issues with self-esteem and their relationship with other people.
Borderline personality disorder can be caused by factors stemming from genes, environment, and traumatic experiences. Understanding how these factors can affect an individual helps not only to eliminate the stigma surrounding the condition but also encourages early treatment and management. Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandon Marshall is one of the few celebrities at the forefront of opening up about his BPD diagnosis to create awareness around the mental health condition. Interestingly, he’s not the only one. Explore some of the celebrities with borderline personality disorder speaking out about their struggles.
1. Brandon Marshall
Behind the scenes of his success as an American professional football player, Brandon Marshall struggled to control his emotions. He displayed volatile behaviour in his budding years before deciding it was time to seek help. Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011 at McLean Hospital in Boston when he joined a 3-month outpatient program at the hospital and, on his way to recovery, learned to assess his emotions. Speaking to People in a 2021 interview, Marshall lamented that people suffer in secret for fear of stigmatization, and he aims to end it.
Marshall shared his diagnosis with the public at a press conference on July 31, 2011, expressing his intention to join the fight against the mental health problem. To create awareness about BPD and support others like him in accessing treatment, Marshall founded Project 375, a mental health awareness organization that aims to eliminate the stigma and stereotypes people living with mental health conditions are subjected to. He also teamed up with celebrities and organizations in March 2018 to launch the national mental health awareness campaign Who Can Relate.
2. Madison Beer
In a candid interview with The Face in August 2020, Madison Beer talked about how her past struggles inspired the title of her album ‘Life Support,’ which was released the next year. According to the singer, the internet and social media opened old wounds about her sexual abuse experience as a child. Having her nude videos leaked online at the age of 15 sent Beer on a dark path. She engaged in self-harm and attempted suicide twice, but treatment helped her get in touch with her emotions. Beer has been open about her diagnosis with borderline personality disorder amid backlash from trolls who think she’s lying to get attention.
3. Pete Davidson
Pete Davidson is one of the celebrities speaking out about their mental health struggles despite public backlash. He was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2017 after a long time of struggling with the symptoms and thinking he was dealing with something else. On Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in September 2017, he described the year as a “nightmare” as he found himself trying to figure out how to live with BPD.
Nevertheless, the diagnosis gave Davidson a sense of relief from the weight of dealing with confusing symptoms. The comedian has openly discussed his BPD diagnosis on platforms like Saturday Night Live and social media. Speaking to Charlamagne Tha God in a 2020 interview published on YouTube, Davidson got candid about his battle with depression to the point of entertaining suicidal thoughts. Ultimately, he just wants to create awareness about the condition to eliminate stigmatization around mental health care.
4. Madison Bailey
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According to BuzzFeed, Madison Bailey was officially diagnosed with borderline personality disorder as a teenager, and she has been living with it her whole life. The Outer Banks star has opened up about living with the disorder and dealing with the stigma it attracts. In a lengthy interview with Katie Krause on Entertainment Tonight in June 2022, Bailey revealed it was a relief getting her diagnosis, as it guided her path to identifying her triggers and dealing with them.
5. Linsey Godfrey
The Days of Our Lives actress got a double diagnosis of bipolar 2 and borderline personality disorder. She shared the news with her Instagram followers on March 9, 2021, and has been vocal about it. Linsey Godfrey is speaking out about the mental health issue to encourage conversations from closeted sufferers. She’s using every tool at her disposal to fight for herself and for others prone to stigmatization.
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