Bridgerton’s Ruby Barker says she’s ‘so happy to be alive’ after leaving hospital

Bridgerton star Ruby Barker has said that she feels “so happy to be alive” after being discharged from hospital for mental health struggles.

The actor is best known for her role as Marina Thompson in Netflix’s romantic period drama series. She was a lead character in the show’s first season and made a brief appearance in the recently released second season.

Last week, Barker posted a six-minute video to Instagram telling fans that she’d been admitted to hospital to focus on her mental health recovery, having been “really unwell for a really long time”.

On Monday (30 May), the 25-year-old shared a new video to social media thanking her fans and explaining that she had now left hospital.

“You’ve made me feel so happy to be alive,” Barker said, adding that she was “doing OK” and “can’t wait for the future”.

“If I have any advice for my younger self, I would just tell myself, ‘Listen, it’s not all doom and gloom, even when you hit rock bottom,’” she said. “There’s funny stuff in life all the time. Sometimes you’ve just got to find the funny.”

Barker then thanked her Bridgerton co-stars and revealed a piece of advice that Eloise Bridgerton actor Claudia Jessie once told her.

“She told me to flip the coin. It might be dull on one side, but just flip the coin and you’ll find it’s shiny on the other,” she said.

“It’s training your mind to find the funny… to find the light, to find the positive. It’s a really hard thing to do, but if you can get into the practice of doing that, you’ve got it.”

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.