Wentworth Miller pens powerful response to body-shaming meme

Internet memes are everywhere nowadays – and while some make us laugh, others cross a line. That was the case for Wentworth Miller when he came across a hurtful post showing two side-by-side photos comparing changes in his weight in recent years. In response, the star took to Facebook to post a screen-grab of the meme, and courageously wrote a frank, and heartbreaking, reply. "Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time," he wrote. "This one, however, stands out from the rest. In 2010, semi-retired from acting, I was keeping a low-profile for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I was suicidal. This is a subject I've since written about, spoken about, shared about. But at the time I suffered in silence.

Wentworth Miller posted an empowering response to the body-shaming meme

"Ashamed and in pain, I considered myself damaged goods. And the voices in my head urged me down the path to self-destruction. Not for the first time. "I've struggled with depression since childhood. It's a battle that's cost me time, opportunities, relationships, and a thousand sleepless nights. "Describing 2010 as "the lowest point in my adult life", Wentworth continued: "One day, out for a hike in Los Angeles with a friend, we crossed paths with a film crew shooting a reality show. Unbeknownst to me, paparazzi were circling. They took my picture, and the photos were published alongside images of me from another time in my career. "Hunk To Chunk." "Fit To Flab." Etc.

"My mother has one of those "friends" who's always the first to bring you bad news. They clipped one of these articles from a popular national magazine and mailed it to her. She called me, concerned. In 2010, fighting for my mental health, it was the last thing I needed."Long story short, I survived. So do those pictures. I'm glad."Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without. "Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist. Anyway. Still. Despite. "The first time I saw this meme pop up in my social media feed, I have to admit, it hurt to breathe. But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness. Of myself and others. "If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Reach out. Text. Send an email. Pick up the phone. Someone cares. They're waiting to hear from you. Much love. - W.M. ‪#‎koalas‬ ‪#‎inneractivist‬ ‪#‎prisonbroken."

Following Wentworth's response to their meme, The Lad Bible issued a public apology to the star. A Facebook message addressed to the actor read: "We posted two pictures of you last night to our Facebbok page, but tdoay we want to say we've got this very, very wrong. Mental health is no joke or laughing matter. "We certainly didn't want to cause you pain by reminding you of such a low point in your life. Causing distress and upset to innocent or vulnerable people is simply not acceptable. "TheLADbible continues to cover how prevalent mental health issues are among our audience, as well as the damaging stigma that surrounds such matters. "We applaud your raw honesty and promise to now cover such matters in the responsible manner that our audience expects. "Responding head-on to our post is something we applaud as it will help others through similar challenges in their lives. "Once again, we got this very wrong, and we wanted to say sorry."