Letitia Wright Gets Candid About Her Past With Depression

If you ever doubted the phrase "What is for you, will always be for you," get into Letitia Wright's testimony.

Black Panther star Letitia Wright recently opened up on the importance of prioritizing her sanity over the industry, and the benefits of finding your center before you lose your balance and sense of self.

The actress stars in this year's biggest film, Black Panther as his bomb, tech-savvy little sister Princess Shuri, who is arguably the smartest woman in the entire Marvel Universe (and also placing WOC in STEM on a pedestal). Her portrayal of the Disney princess has shattered stereotypes and ushered in depth to what a Disney princess brings to the table. With her latest role, Wright is the quintessential breakout star and has proven that her career is just getting started.

Wright has let it be known that in the wake of her recent successes, she has also found her peace, something most people twice her age still struggle to find.

However, the 24-year-old star admits the journey to peace wasn't an easy one. As a matter of fact, the Black Mirror actress reveals she was ready to forfeit fame, for the sake of protecting her sanity:

"I didn't want to do acting again. I was in a very, very bad place. I was willing to just wrap it up. I put so much pressure on myself.

"I would watch these women that I'm on the [ESSENCE] cover with and compare myself to them or anybody—Michael B. Jordan, John Boyega—comparing myself to these people. It was so hard for me to just accept that my path is different, not only with acting but other things too."

Wright also revealed on the Essence Yes Girl! podcast that she turned to God during her darkest hours, crediting her faith for helping her find her peace:

"I said I wanted to give [acting] up, then went into becoming a Christian. My friends told me about [Christianity] and I thought it was nonsense until I realized that it wasn't; that the spirit of God, the holy spirit, is very real. Once I realized that, I felt centered.

"The reason why I share this story is because I know there are people out there who are silently going through what I went through. It's a thing that goes on, especially creatives, putting so much pressure on ourselves and it leads to depression.

"The light that's in me now and the joy and the happiness that I feel, I didn't get it on my own. It's God working through me."

Wright also stopped by "This Morning" talk show and further detailed the dangers of "idolizing" fame, and that one of the major benefits of finding yourself, is losing the need to be validated by anyone else.

"I just needed to take a break from acting because I really idolized it. I came off [this] journey to discover God and my relationship with God, and became a Christian and it gave me so much love and light within myself.

"I felt secure and that I didn't need validation from anyone else, or from getting a part. My happiness wasn't dependent on that [anymore], it was dependent on my relationship with God.

"I'm centered in who I am [now] and I'm really grateful. I'm not perfect, as a Christian you're not perfect, but you're working everyday on it and trying to just, stay connected. And it's helped me a lot. I'm grateful."

As the scripture goes, For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Wright's transparency is the level of honesty that we need in Hollywood right now, especially young Hollywood. So often the "Get money" agenda is forced down upon us, with people measuring success and #Goals to fame and wealth, versus good faith and mental health. Her testimony is even more impactful because she is a black woman speaking so candidly about her mental health journey on a public platform.

In the past, we have seen young Hollywood shed light to mental health issues, particularly depression, through the voices of non-black celebs like Selena Gomez and Alessia Cara. But representation matters in a health aspect as well, and to hear Wright get so candid about her battles with depression and how God ultimately led her to the light is radical, progressive, and very much needed.

When it comes to life, it's not nearly as important to look the part, so much as it is to be the part. At the end of the day, you can't live your "likes," you can only live your life. What's the point of not being as happy as you appear to be?

It's pretty dope that Leticia has already found the true pursuit of happiness, and learned that when you live in your purpose, all else falls into place.

Featured image by Getty Images