Actor Jeff Garlin revealed he contemplated suicide and suffered a nervous breakdown following his tumultuous departure from ABC sitcom The Goldbergs in December 2021.
The 64-year-old comedian opened up about the severe mental health crisis during an appearance on Ted Danson’s Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast. Garlin played family patriarch Murray Goldberg on the series from its September 24, 2013 premiere through part of its ninth season, exiting amid an HR investigation into allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct. His exit resulted from a mutual agreement between the actor and Sony Pictures Television. In addition to Garlin, the ABC family comedy starred Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, George Segal, Sam Lerner, Patton Oswalt, Noah Munck, and Matt Bush.
Garlin Calls Susie Essman During Breakdown
Reflecting on the dark period after walking away from the set, Garlin explained that the emotional toll triggered a complete breakdown.
Desperate for help, he contacted Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Susie Essman to deliver a direct message.
I reached out to Susie and I said, ‘I hate when people don’t reach out, but at noon today I will be dead. I’m letting you know I will be dead.’
Jeff Garlin, Actor and Comedian
According to Garlin’s account, Essman quickly contacted his ex-wife Marla Garlin and his girlfriend Sari Tracht. They enlisted his close friend Brad Morris, who stayed with him while the group researched and evaluated residential treatment options.
Actor Seeks Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Cincinnati
Presented with options that included a private facility in Beverly Hills, Garlin decided on a different path because he was serious about recovery.
I’m not going to some rehab in Beverly Hills. F— that, man.
Jeff Garlin, Actor and Comedian
He traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio in the dead of winter to undergo dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Garlin later learned he had type 2 bipolar disorder, a diagnosis he received at age 59 after experiencing symptoms that left him feeling either extremely dark, extremely happy to the point of mania, or mean. Publisher Rizzoli organized a limited campaign benefiting Comedy Gives Back, which provides mental health and crisis support to the comedy community, alongside the release of his photography book.
Wendi McLendon-Covey Pushes Back on On-Set Claims
Garlin also discussed the tension surrounding his short-lived return to the ABC sitcom after a producer visited his home and agreed to his demands for a substantial raise and a reduced schedule of one workday per week. He noted that the arrangement created resentment among some castmates who felt alienated, though he maintained he was unaware of it at the time.
His remarks prompted a public response from former co-star Wendi McLendon-Covey, who played his television wife and disputed his characterization of their time together in an Instagram comment.
Let’s just say I remember things very differently, as does the crew, the other actors, the writers, and our executives.
Wendi McLendon-Covey, Actress
Garlin Rebuilds Through Creative Work
Today, Garlin credits a combination of medication, ongoing therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, boxing, physical fitness, and creative projects with helping him regain his well-being. Reflecting on the long road back, he noted that feeling whole took years of active maintenance.
After Jeff Garlin left the ABC comedy The Goldbergs following an HR investigation stemming from multiple complaints about his behavior, he struggled mentally to the point that he considered ending his life. https://t.co/DK9r0WgpzE
Looking back at the depths of his crisis five years ago, Garlin shared a simple assessment of his current state on the podcast: I’m just now feeling really good. Just now. Maybe the book coming out, but around now, really.
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Jeff Garlin, who left the long-running sitcom ‘The Goldbergs’ in 2021, shared that he had a ‘nervous breakdown’ and was suicidal due to undiagnosed bipolar disorder during the end of his time on the show. https://t.co/6P5PMPwUX0