Ronda Rousey Has Powerful Words After Media Frenzy Over Her Suicide Comments

On Feb. 16, in an interview with Ellen Degeneres, Ronda Rousey revealed she experienced suicidal thoughts after her crushing loss to Holly Holm at the UFC 193 MMA match in November.

“I was like, ‘What am I anymore if I’m not this?’ I was literally sitting there, thinking about killing myself,” Rousey told Degeneres. “In the exact second, I was like, ‘I’m nothing, what am I going to do anymore? No one gives a sh*t about me without this.’”

Rousey’s admission shocked many, and when other pro fighters weighed in on the remark, the support wasn’t as strong as it could have been.

Mike Tyson told TMZ he believed Rousey’s thoughts were merely representative of a “moment in time.” At a UFC press conference in Albuquerque on Feb. 17, Holm commented, “In the long run, she’ll be stronger mentally from it.”

When TMZ caught up with Rousey on Tuesday in Los Angeles, they asked about the feedback she’s received since her appearance on “The Ellen Show,” and she held nothing back. Referencing the work she’s done with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a free clinic in L.A., Rousey brought up that the organization’s last public event was focused on “erasing the stigma” of suicide.

“[T]aking the stigma away from everything suicide and making it actually acceptable for people to talk about and look for help and not feel ashamed of themselves for it — I think that should be encouraged,” Rousey told TMZ, adding that both her father and his father took their own lives. A family history of suicide is considered an increased risk factor, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

“It’s not about damning people, and I feel like there’s been an overly negative light on that,” she continued. “It’s something real people are going through, not something like a weakness that we should condemn.”

“I’ve never shied away from talking about suicide,” she added. “It’s really heavily affected our family, and anything I can do to make sure it affects as few people as possible, I’d be happy to do that. I don’t see why [my comments are] looked at as a bad thing. I only saw how big of a deal it was afterwards. I was just being honest.”

Watch Rousey’s interview in the link below:

 

If you or someone you know needs help, see our suicide prevention resources.

If you need support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

h/t Huffington Post