Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is opening up like never before. The ‘Born to Run’ singer shared emotional memories about his struggle with mental health, a story that now plays out on the big screen in his new biopic ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’.
In an interview on ‘The Radio 2 Breakfast Show’ with actor Jeremy Allen White, who portrays him in the film, Springsteen recalled how his “first breakdown” changed his life. He said that back in his younger days, people didn’t talk about mental health at all.
“I was embarrassed to see a psychiatrist,” he admitted. “Mental illness ran through my family. I had aunts and cousins who were very ill, and we just got used to it. No one got help, there were no medicines or therapy. Everyone just suffered quietly.”
The film which releases in theatres on October 24 captures that painful chapter in Springsteen’s journey. He praised White’s performance for showing the emotional truth of that time.
“Jeremy really captures my deterioration then,” Springsteen said. “I didn’t even know what was happening to me. I was lucky because my manager, Jon Landau, had experience with this kind of thing and got me the help I needed.”
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That help Springsteen believes may have saved his life. But he also remembers how deeply shameful it felt to even ask for it. “I was totally embarrassed,” he said. “For years, I would disguise myself before going into my psychiatrist’s office. I’d wear a baseball hat, dark glasses, and sneak in quickly so no one would see me.”
It took him years to overcome that feeling of shame. “Where I grew up, therapy was something you just didn’t talk about,” he explained. “It was forbidden. But now it’s been a big part of my life, for the last half of my life, actually.”
The upcoming film doesn’t just revisit his music but also the emotional cracks beneath the surface, the ones that shaped the man behind the legend. For Springsteen, speaking out now feels important, especially in a world that’s more open about mental health.
“I was lucky,” he said softly. “Not everyone gets the help they need. But I did.”