Alan Ritchson is opening up about his life. In an intimate conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Ritchson talks about his struggle with mental illnesses, as well as his story of being the victim of sexual assault. The Reacher star says that being a model is like legalized sex trafficking, and that there are very few redeeming qualities to being a model. He states that if you're hired on a job, you're basically being passed off to a photographer to be exploited. I can't count on two hands the number of times I was put in horrible environments where sexual abuse was the goal and the paycheck that I was desperate for was the carrot. Ritchson said that low-profile modeling jobs were great, but they paid the bills for a long time. The actor claimed that he was sexually assault by a famous photographer after agreeing to a nude shoot for alucrative campaign. I told them to never call me again because I said 'F**k you' for sending me there. The last photo shoot I had was when I quit the industry. I swore it off and thank God I was able to make a switch to a new career, but it left some scars.
After leaving the modeling world, Ritchson's journey to fame was a long one. The actor tells The Hollywood Reporter that he tried to kill himself in 2019. Ritchson said that he had a vision of his three sons in their 30s that saved him. He says that he was diagnosed with the mental illness at age 36, and that he was asked not to do it. The experience allowed him to come to terms with his choice to be alive. I came out of that situation asking myself, 'What am I doing?', and then I wondered, 'Why am I here?' What I kept falling back on was the meaning and purpose of life as someone who believes that there is a creator and we are created beings, our purpose in life is to make the world a better place and serve others. Ritchson has been vocal about his diagnoses, including being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. In an interview for Men's Health's March cover story, the actor shared that he sees a psychiatrist who tries to detect any symptoms every week, as well as his wife and assistant, who both have a deep understanding of the disorder. Ritchson told the outlet that he's found a greater purpose in talking about his mental health on his YouTube channel. Sharing his experience has helped him out of periods of suicidal thoughts, by making others feel less alone in their own mental illness tunnels. He gushed about his wife's influence on his life in a post on his wife's 40th birthday. It's been a challenge, but she has the ability to awaken anyone within reach of her light. She's done it with me in powerful ways and if you ever meet her, she'll have an effect on you. The Reacher star wrote a sweet note to his wife, "Here's to hoping for an infinite number of cake days with you." If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please call the National Sexual assault Hotline.