Taraji P. Henson says mother made her a ‘fighter’
Published:Thursday | December 10, 2020 | 12:09 AM
Taraji P. Henson says seeing her mother held at gunpoint made her a “fighter”.
The Empire star has been opening up about her own mental health for her new programme and recalled how she gained strength from her mom being robbed on two separate occasions.
Speaking in a preview for her new Facebook Watch show, Peace of Mind With Taraji, she said, “The first time I was six. She was held at gunpoint. I’m 50, I remember like it was yesterday. Watching her go through that, because she didn’t crumble, what she didn’t realise was that she was putting fight into me. It made me a fighter. That’s just how it affected me. Not saying I wasn’t traumatised”.
When Taraji confirmed she was set to host a show about mental health on Facebook Watch, she admitted the issue was something that was “dear to her heart”.
She said in a statement: “I’ve long been a mental health advocate for the black community and created the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in 2018 that has provided resources to thousands of people who are struggling. I’m looking forward to bringing this new talk series to Facebook Watch, where I can continue to create conversation around an issue that is near and dear to my heart”.
The 50-year-old actress previously revealed her “life’s purpose” is talking about mental health.
Henson – who has been honest about her own battle with depression and anxiety for several years – shared, “I feel like I found my life’s purpose, talking about mental health. I was trying to find it through acting, but then people get caught up in the celebrity. This is real, this is straight to the chase. This is me ... The suicide rate has taken off. It amazes me that five-year-olds are contemplating suicide. That’s a word you shouldn’t even understand at five years old. We don’t talk about mental health, we don’t deal with it. For generations, we’ve been told it’s a weakness, to pray our problems away – and that’s just not gonna cut it. I’m only one voice. I need help. If we can teach children about sex education and physical education, why not mental? That’s where we start attacking this issue: with the children.”