Megan Fox Says She Had a 'Psychological Breakdown' Over Fear of Being Mocked in Hollywood
Megan Fox is opening up about a dark period in her life.
The actress, 33, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about nearly reaching a “breaking point” after the 2009 release of Jennifer’s Body in which she found herself consistently being sexualized in films and media.
“It wasn’t just that movie, it was every day of my life, all the time, with every project I worked on and every producer I worked with,” Fox said. “It preceded a breaking point for me.”
The pressure of unwanted attention had a severe effect on the actress.
“I think I had a genuine psychological breakdown where I wanted just nothing to do,” Fox said. “I didn’t want to be seen, I didn’t want to have to take a photo, do a magazine, walk a carpet, I didn’t want to be seen in public at all because of the fear, and the belief, and the absolute certainty that I was going to be mocked, or spat at, or someone was going to yell at me, or people would stone me or savage me for just being out.”
She added, “So I went through a very dark moment after that.”
The star said she attempted to speak out about her own #MeToo experiences while she was growing up in Hollywood and working on various film and TV sets, but felt as though her thoughts were unwelcome.
“I feel like I was sort of out and in front of the #MeToo movement before the #MeToo movement happened, I was speaking out and saying, ‘Hey, these things are happening to me and they’re not OK,’” she recalled. “And everyone was like, ‘Oh well, f— you. We don’t care, you deserve it.’ Because everybody talked about how you looked or how you dressed or the jokes you made.’”
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While Fox shares feminist ideals, she said she doesn’t feel as though “there is a space in feminism” for her.
“Even though I consider myself a feminist, I feel like feminists don’t want me to be a part of their group. What is supporting other females if there are only certain ones of us we support?” she said. “If I have to be an academic or have to be non-threatening to you in some way? Why can’t I be a part of the group as well?”
It was when Fox became pregnant with her first child, son Noah, with husband Brian Austin Green, that things began to get better for the Transformers actress.
“I think it took getting pregnant — that was the first real breakthrough where my consciousness shifted and my mind opened up and I was able to see from a birds-eye view and breath and take it in,” Fox explained. “And then another kid, and then another kid and with every kid, I feel like that’s always been the doorway into a better version of myself.”
In addition to Noah, Fox and Green also share two other sons — Bodhi, 5, and Journey, 3.
In December 2018, Fox admitted she felt as though she’d be seen as an “unsympathetic victim” if she shared her #MeToo stories.
“I didn’t speak out for many reasons,” she told The New York Times. “I just didn’t think based on how I’d been received by people, and by feminists, that I would be a sympathetic victim.”
“I thought if ever there were a time when the world would agree that it’s appropriate to victim-shame someone, it would be when I came forward with my story,” she continued.
Although Fox mentioned that she had “quite a few stories” involving misconduct directed toward her, she shared that she wouldn’t be commenting on them in public.
“I don’t feel it’s my job to punish someone because they did something bad to me,” she shared. “I’m not the universal hammer of justice.”
