Jared Padalecki’s fans just made the most beautiful, cry-worthy gesture
Back in March, Jared Padalecki opened up to Variety about his depression. Over the weekend, at Comic-Con, fans decided to return the trust, love and honesty he’s given them by throwing a surprise tribute during the Q&A section of of his panel. The moment the floor was opened up for questions, everyone in the audience held up faux candles, calling out, “Always keep fighting.”
“Always keep fighting” is in reference to Jared’s t-shirt campaign, which sports the same slogan, that he created to raise money for “To Write Love On Her Arms,” a non-profit that helps people with depression, addiction, self harm and suicide.
Jared snapped a selfie to capture the moment, Tweeting out his appreciation for the gesture:
When Jared opened up about his struggles with mental illness, it wasn’t something anyone saw coming. He himself didn’t understand it, telling Variety, “I mean, I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn’t figure out what it was; it doesn’t always make sense is my point.”
Exactly, it doesn’t always make sense. And that’s why it can be hard for people on the outside to understand it. But it’s important that we treat mental illness the same way we treat any other disease: just because someone’s life looks perfect doesn’t mean they can’t get a cold. But in this case, the cold’s in the head, and it’s foggy and difficult and scary, but people like Jared, and his fans, are holding up lights to help anyone suffering from the disease find their way out.
