Eddie Murphy recently revealed details about his Eddie Murphy OCD Journey, sharing how obsessive-compulsive disorder has influenced his life since childhood. In his new Netflix documentary, he opens up about the compulsive behaviors he experienced, providing insight into his long-standing battle and recovery process.
The Early Signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
Murphy candidly described the repetitive actions that he struggled with as a child, particularly checking the stove multiple times before bed to ensure the gas was turned off. This ritual would consume about an hour every night and left him feeling confused about why he couldn’t stop.
I didn’t know what it was,
Eddie explained in his documentary Being Eddie.
I would go and check the stove in the kitchen and make sure all the gas was off in the kitchen. And I’d lay down for about, you know, five minutes, and I would get back up and go back in the kitchen and look at the stove again and check all the gas, and then I’d go back in the bed and lay there for about five, 10 minutes and then get back up and go look at it.
Despite this nightly compulsion, Murphy recalled thinking his actions were simply “weird” and kept them hidden from his family.
I’d just say, ‘That’s just some weird s–t that I do,’
he added.
My mother, nobody knew this was going on.
Recognizing OCD and Taking Control
It wasn’t until Murphy saw a news segment on obsessive-compulsive disorder that he connected the dots about his behavior, leading to a powerful realization.
One day I was watching the news and they did something on OCD,
he recalled,
and it was like, ‘Oh, that’s what I—I be doing s–t like that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, mental illness?’
With this new understanding, Murphy decided to confront his compulsions head-on, determined to stop the behavior despite the uncertainty and stigma surrounding mental health at the time.
I made myself stop doing it,
he said,
I was like, ‘I’m not doing it no more. I thought I was weird. I ain’t know I had some mental illness. F–k that. I ain’t have no mental illness. Mental illness, my ass.’ And I forced myself to stop doing it.
OCD’s Lingering Effects and Positive Impact
Even as an adult and father to ten children, Murphy admits the compulsions have not completely disappeared, though he manages them with awareness and self-control.
I check the gas every night, still,
he revealed.
But every now and then, I’ll check it twice, and say ‘No, motherf–ker, you ain’t starting that s–t again. Take your ass to bed.’
In his documentary, Murphy also reflected on how certain traits tied to OCD, such as a heightened attention to detail, may have contributed to his comedic success. He shared his perspective on humor as an acute perception of proportion, where noticing subtlety is key.
Sense of humor is ultimately an acute sense of proportion,
he explained.
The funny person notices stuff first.
Self-Acceptance Amidst Challenges
Murphy closed his reflection with a powerful statement about self-love, emphasizing the importance of embracing oneself despite struggles.
As he stated in the documentary,
I love myself. Always loved myself. That’s the most important thing.
Being Eddie offers an intimate glimpse into Murphy’s rise from stand-up comedy to Hollywood fame, while highlighting the personal battles he has faced away from the spotlight.
Through the documentary, people get a better understanding of how I got here,
he told Tudum in a November 12 interview.
A young person might think I just walked out of heaven into Hollywood, but that’s not quite how it happened. For the first time, they’re getting a little peek at me.
Mental Health Stories From Other Notable Figures
Gucci Mane’s Accountability and Recovery Path
Rapper Gucci Mane, also known as Radric Davis, opened up about living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in his October 2025 memoir Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man. After a significant mental health episode in 2020, he took steps toward healing.
After that, I was like, ‘Man, I got to really just hold myself accountable and take care of my health,’
he shared during an appearance on The Breakfast Club.
I don’t never want to have an episode again. I’m gonna see a therapist, [even] if I have to take medicine.
Motivated by his family, especially his wife Keyshia Ka’Oir and their children Ice Davis and Iceland Ka’oir Davis, Gucci Mane committed to seeking ongoing support.
My wife was pregnant with my little boy,
he said.
I don’t want to raise a family and then my mental health [is] gone. What if I have an episode I can’t come back from? So, I just started doing the work and started seeking help.
Penn Badgley’s Battle with Body Dysmorphia
Former child actor and Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley revealed his struggles with body dysmorphia, which began during childhood and worsened amid family upheaval.
I know that I hated my body,
Penn told The Guardian in April 2025,
and simply wanted a different one.
He discussed the pressures of conforming to conventional beauty standards after his parents’ divorce, connecting this struggle to feelings of depression and isolation.
There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have.
Providence came through spirituality, which Badgley credits for helping him persevere through difficult times and achieve inner growth.
That is what allowed me to persevere through the disillusionment, all the things I’d been grappling with,
he said,
and then come back to it all, but with hopefully some kind of inner transformation.
Eliza Coupe’s Struggles with Food and Recovery
Eliza Coupe, known for her role on Scrubs, has spoken openly about a challenging relationship with food, describing her experiences as closely tied to her lifestyle.
Some may call it an eating disorder, I just call it my life,
she revealed on The Funny Thing Is podcast.
My drug of choice was always food. I did crazy s–t with it.
Her habits included over-exercising and elements of bulimia, which she has worked to overcome by making significant wellness changes.
When I was 23, I cut all sugar out of my diet, quit drinking, and found yoga and breathing and stretching,
she told Bon Appétit in 2017.
That’s the best Ritalin you could give anyone.
Coupe continues to pursue holistic methods to address both physical and mental health challenges.
I’m an actress with food issues and body image issues—that’s real. But I’m trying to heal that part of myself and also handle my physical issues naturally by putting the best things into my body.
Candace Cameron Bure on the Difficulties of Addressing Depression
Full House alum Candace Cameron Bure has shared the personal challenges she faced speaking openly about depression, especially to those closest to her.
It’s very difficult to speak out about it, even to your most trusted people,
she revealed on her podcast.
At least for me, I feel like I should be strong enough to overcome that and then it feels so weak.
Billie Eilish’s Advice on Cultivating Patience
Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish has discussed how protecting her mental health includes ignoring online negativity and encouraged patience as a vital element of healing.
When people ask me what I’d say to somebody looking for advice on mental health, the only thing I can say is patience,
she told Vogue.
I had patience with myself. I didn’t take that last step. I waited. Things fade.
Katy Perry’s Honest Thoughts During the Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Katy Perry addressed the mental strain of social distancing, revealing how she found solace in secluded spaces.
Sometimes I don’t know what’s worse trying to avoid the virus or the waves of depression that come with this new norm,
Perry shared on Twitter. She added,
There is not really anywhere to go besides my car. So I go to my car a lot. That is my safe space.
Kendall Jenner’s Advocacy Through Personal Anxiety
Model Kendall Jenner spoke about her fluctuations with anxiety and the relief she discovered through understanding after recurring panic attacks.
finally kind of got the information that I needed about it,
she said during a Good Morning America interview.
For me, I have good days and I have some really anxious days, so I’m really off and on,
Jenner explained.
What I hope to accomplish is for people to not feel as alone.
Dwayne Johnson’s Message on Male Mental Health
Actor Dwayne Johnson shared his struggles with depression and emphasized the importance of men opening up about mental health.
We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up,
he wrote on Twitter.
Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.
Prince Harry’s Efforts to Destigmatize Therapy
The Duke of Sussex has talked openly about his own therapy journey and the relief that comes from realizing one is not alone in their struggles.
The experience I have had is that once you start talking about it, you realize that actually you’re part of quite a big club.
Taraji P. Henson’s Commitment to Mental Health Awareness
Empire star Taraji P. Henson credits therapy as essential to her coping with depression and leads an organization tackling stigma and increasing access to Black therapists.
I have a therapist that I speak to,
she told Variety.
That’s the only way I can get through it.
Lorde’s Exploration of PTSD Treatment and Identity
Singer Lorde has shared how her struggles with stage fright and an eating disorder led her to explore alternative PTSD therapies, deepening her understanding of her own gender identity.
I was touring without stage fright for the first time,
she told Rolling Stone.
There was a hook around my guts and everyone in the room was having the same feeling, [like] there’d been a huge pressure change. It made me realize how much I love and kind of need that very deep, visceral response to feel my music.
I felt like stopping taking my birth control, I had cut some sort of cord between myself and this regulated femininity,
she explained.
It sounds crazy, but I felt that all of a sudden, I was off the map of femininity. And I totally believed that that allowed things to open up.
Lili Reinhart’s Journey Through Anxiety and Depression
The Riverdale actress has spoken about receiving timely support from family and therapy during middle school, crediting it with saving her life.
When I was in middle school, I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression and the help and support I received from my family and a therapist saved my life,
she wrote on Instagram.
Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know.
Carly Pearce’s Long-Standing OCD Battle
Country singer Carly Pearce has been transparent about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder from childhood, acknowledging the challenges she faced keeping it private until recent years.
I would have told you three years ago my anxiety started during my divorce in Covid,
Pearce admitted on a podcast.
But I’ve had crippling OCD since I was a child.
I got really conditioned over the last 10 years to just zip it up and deal with it, and it just kind of got to a place where a couple years ago I just had to really start back into therapy, start really, like, trying to figure out all of these different things,
she explained.
Like, recognizing OCD was something—no, that didn’t come in 2020, that’s been there since I was 6 or 7.
Kristen Bell’s Strategies for Mental Wellness
Frozen star Kristen Bell has shared numerous coping mechanisms for maintaining mental health, ranging from medication to positive affirmations and physical activity, highlighting the importance of individualized methods.
Chrissy Teigen’s Openness on Postpartum Depression
Cookbook author and mother Chrissy Teigen has openly discussed her experiences with postpartum depression, encouraging others to speak about the condition without shame or isolation.
It got easier and easier to say it aloud every time,
Teigen wrote in a letter to Glamour.
I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.
Cara Delevingne’s Journey Toward Self-Happiness
Model and actress Cara Delevingne has described her teenage years marked by depression and suicidal thoughts, sharing how learning to be happy alone was a crucial step in her recovery.
I relied too much on love, too much on other people to make me happy, and I needed to learn to be happy by myself,
she told The Edit.
So now I can be by myself, I can be happy. It took me a long time.
Ariana Grande’s Advocacy for Therapy
Pop star Ariana Grande has stressed the life-saving impact therapy has had on her and urged her fans not to fear seeking help for mental health challenges.
lmaoaoo this is funny as f–k but in all honesty therapy has saved my life so many times.
If you’re afraid to ask for help, don’t be,
she said.
u don’t have to be in constant pain & u can process trauma. I’ve got a lot of work to do but it’s a start to even be aware that it’s possible.
Demi Lovato’s Ongoing Mental Health Journey
Demi Lovato has been transparent about her experience with addiction, mental illness, and sobriety, encouraging fans to embrace mental health as a continuous process.
A reminder to anyone struggling out there – this life is a journey with tons of ups and downs but you can’t give up.
Zendaya’s Openness About Anxiety
Zendaya has revealed early struggles with anxiety following a public mishap and has since cultivated ways to manage her stress, emphasizing the importance of stepping back when overwhelmed.
Sometimes you just have to take a step back so things stop stressin’ you.
Selena Gomez on Medication and Mental Health
Singer Selena Gomez described the rollercoaster of her mental health challenges and how finding the right medication drastically improved her quality of life.
My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time.
I found out I do suffer from mental health issues,
she stated.
I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed.
Lady Gaga’s Mission to Spread Awareness
Lady Gaga has made mental health advocacy a core part of her career, encouraging openness and breaking down stigma through her own shared struggles.
I have struggled for a long time, both being public and not public about my mental health issues or my mental illness,
she said at a 2018 event.
But, I truly believe that secrets keep you sick.
The stories of Eddie Murphy and many other celebrities emphasize the critical importance of recognizing mental health issues like OCD and depression. By sharing their journeys, these public figures help reduce stigma, encourage others to seek help, and foster a deeper understanding of mental wellness challenges that affect millions.
Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1059482452819755008
