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Game Of Thrones Fans Come To Kit Harington's Defense After He's Mocked For Seeking Treatment

Kathryn Lindsay
May 29, 2019, 9:20 PM
Photo: Mike Smith/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images.
News broke on Tuesday evening that Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington has been on a wellness retreat in Connecticut while Game Of Thrones aired its final episodes. He's received an outpouring of support from the community, which has unfortunately included fans coming to the actor's defense after others made thoughtless jokes about his situation.
"Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues," Harington's rep said in a statement to Reuters, with a source telling Page Six that he's being treated "predominantly for stress and exhaustion and also alcohol."
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In response, some people began making jokes that his struggles with mental health are to do with the show's unpopular ending, or writing them off entirely and telling him to "grow a pair," according to one tweet. Luckily, an overwhelming majority of fans didn't let that slide.
"Really shows how far we haven't come when people are using phrases like 'grow a pair' to describe Kit Harington getting help for his mental health issues and addiction," one user wrote on Twitter. "This is outrageous and if this is what 'real men' sound like then fuck me I'm embarrassed."
"If you're making fun of Kit Harington for checking into rehab, you're the real joke," another wrote. "Saying 'I guess the ending was that bad' isn't funny. He's a real person with real issues and he chose to get help. Don't fuel the misperceptions about mental health for the sake of a joke."
"If you're one of these people who are laughing at Kit Harington for checking into rehab, you're an absolute joke," another fan said. "Just because he's a celebrity DOESN'T mean he's not human. Mental health isn't funny at all. He may seem happy on the outside but he's suffering on the inside."
Harington previously spoke about his troubles with mental health during Game Of Thrones, particularly in earlier seasons when his character was emerging as the star.
“It wasn’t a very good time in my life,” he told Variety. “I felt I had to feel that I was the most fortunate person in the world, when actually, I felt very vulnerable. I had a shaky time in my life around there — like I think a lot of people do in their 20s. That was a time when I started therapy, and started talking to people. I had felt very unsafe, and I wasn’t talking to anyone. I had to feel very grateful for what I have, but I felt incredibly concerned about whether I could even fucking act.”
Meanwhile, Game Of Thrones fans are making amends for other reasons as well, including raising money for Emilia Clarke's charity following the viral petition that demanded a new ending for the series. The show may be over, but the community will always keep themselves in check.
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