Bowen Yang is putting his mental health first.
Over the weekend, the Saturday Night Live star took to Instagram to share with fans that he will be taking a temporary step back from his podcast, Las Culturistas, in order to focus on his mental state.
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The comedian vulnerably admitted in a Story post announcing the news that he’s recently been dealing with depersonalization:
“taking a very short break from [Las Culturistas]. bad bouts of depersonalization are f**king me up bad but i am doing my best to get better! please take care, be back soon.”
See (below):
According to the Mayo Clinic, depersonalization, or derealization, is a disorder that occurs when “when you persistently or repeatedly have the feeling that you’re observing yourself from outside your body or you have a sense that things around you aren’t real, or both.” The medical center added that the condition is more common for those who have experienced “traumatic” events, and that it can “interfere with relationships, work and other daily activities.” A scary thought for anyone who hasn’t ever had that feeling — scarier for those who have!
We’re so sorry to hear that Bowen is going through such a difficult condition, but we’re glad he’s prioritizing getting better.
Is the comic’s depersonalization spurred by trauma? Back in 2020, Bowen opened up to the New York Times about a “dangerous” event he experienced during adolescence: gay conversion therapy. He explained that when his parents discovered he was queer at age 17 after finding “lewd conversations” on his computer, they had a hard time coming to terms with his reality. He recalled:
“They just sat me down and yelled at me and said, ‘We don’t understand this. Where we come from, this doesn’t happen.’”
He added that soon after, his father set up gay conversion therapy sessions:
“I allowed myself the thought experiment of, ‘What if this could work?’ Even though as I read up on it, I was just like, ‘Oh, wait, this is all completely crackers.’”
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The actor remembered at the time:
“There was a huge chasm of misunderstanding. Neither side really understood where the other was coming from, and it led to very dangerous situations overall.”
However, we all know now that Bowen has since fully come to terms with his identity and proudly embraces it as he carves out success on both SNL and the Las Culturistas podcast, which he’s co-hosted with Matt Rogers since 2016. But childhood trauma has a way of showing itself when it wants.
Sending lots of strength and positivity Bowen’s way during this time. Share all YOUR support in the comments down below!
[Image via NBC/YouTube]
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