Jonah Hill is Putting His Mental Health First – Why We Won’t See Him Promoting Upcoming Films

Jonah Hill attends the world premiere of Netflix's — Getty images

While there are certainly many perks and privileges that come with being a celebrity, it’s becoming increasingly clear that fame can also put pressure and stress on the mental health of the human beings behind the famous faces — and actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill is the latest celeb to publicly prioritize his mental health. In an open letter obtained by TODAY, Hill said that he will not promote any of his upcoming projects — and he will instead focus on his mental health and anxiety.

According to Hill’s statement, the pulling back from film promotion and media appearances was actually spurred by realizations that came as he recently finished directing his second film, Stutz — a documentary about Hill, his therapist and mental health.

“The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film,” Hill wrote in his statement. “Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events.”

While Hill noted that pulling back from media promotion is an “important step to protect” himself, he also acknowledged that not everyone is able to step back from certain aspects of their work in a similar way.

“I usually cringe at letters or statements like this but I understand that I am of the privileged few who can afford to take time off. I won’t lose my job while working on my anxiety. With this letter and with Stutz, I’m hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff,” Hill added. “So they can take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly.”

You can read Hill’s letter in full via Rolling Stone here.