“Stranger Things” star David Harbour is getting candid about mental health, revealing that he recently suffered a “breakdown.”
The 51-year-old actor bravely shared his recent health crisis while speaking with Variety for a new cover story. He has been open about his struggles with bipolar disorder in the past.
His reveal comes as the publication notes he skipped some of the celebrations for the “Stranger Things” finale, amid reports of odd behavior in San Diego around that same time. Variety noted he addressed the subject with “bracing candor.”
David Harbour Reveals ‘Breakdown’
“I had a breakdown,” Harbour reportedly said with a laugh, after the reporter attempted to broach the subject with “euphemisms.”
“I do suffer from some confusing stuff — it’s confusing as hell,” Harbour continued. “I think a lot of people have a friend or a brother or a co-worker that deals with mental health stuff, and they’re probably pretty confused when that person gets depressed or gets manic or has an episode.”
He further explained that, “Under times of extreme stress, that can cause somewhat erratic behavior, and it’s embarrassing, and I’m ashamed of it.”
“It’s not something I choose, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy,” he said, before opening up further about mental health. “I do feel like, for some of us, our gifts are inextricably linked with our illnesses.”
He shared that while his nervous system reacting “to the world in too-delicate way” can lead to moments of joy while acting, he added that it can also “force me, in moments of extreme stress, to act a little weird.”
Overall, Harbour said he wishes the public had a better understanding of mental health. “There’s a lot of irresponsible nonsense going on out there,” he added.
Harbour’s Stress Over ‘Stranger Things’
In the same interview, Harbour said some of his stress came from “false reporting” about him at the time.
In November 2025, the Daily Mail reported that Brown filed a harassment and bullying claim against him before production on the fifth and final season began. She, however, later insisted she had always “felt safe” on set before the pair happily posed together at the Season 5 premiere.
“It’s a show that went on for 10 years. We worked together for 10 years during her formative teenage years, playing father and daughter,” he told Variety. “I don’t know if people have families and friends that you spend a lot of time with for 10 years — you occasionally get in arguments, disagreements.”
“In families, it’s OK because you’re just in a disagreement and then you come back together. The problem with a billion-dollar show is that there’s just hundreds of people who want to get involved,” he continued. “It’s simple. It was just a simple rupture-and-repair thing that, once we cleared everybody out of the way and talked to each other, we’re fine.”
He went on to say that whatever happened between them “was completely normal,” adding that the two “adore each other and always have.”
Brown also issued a statement to Variety over e-mail, which ran alongside Harbour’s words.
“Obviously I changed so much from Season 1 to Season 5, and David was there through all of it,” wrote Brown. “Over time, our relationship became much more collaborative creatively. When you work with someone for that many years, we could really push each other emotionally in scenes.”
She added, “Even though the series has ended, there’s still a lot of gratitude. Getting to share that experience with him for so many years is something I’ll always remember and value.”
