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'Doctor Who' star John Barrowman opens up about suicidal ideation post-flashing scandal
The star spoke very frankly about the aftermath of his 2021 flashing scandal, and where his career is headed next.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, actor John Barrowman confronts the impacts of the scandal that halted, and nearly ended, his successful, decades-long career as a performer.
In 2021, Barrowman faced backlash for a series of “pranks” he had pulled in which he exposed and revealed his penis to fellow cast members on various TV and stage productions. This resulted in Barrowman’s future guest appearances on Doctor Who being scrapped, where Barrowman had been written in to reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness. He also was removed from his judge position on Stars on Ice.
Barrowman, now 57, stands by the defense that what he was doing was all in good fun, and that none of his other cast members ever complained. He told The Mirror, “Something that was a stupid prank that was done amongst cast members and who the cast members never complained, never said anything about, but a narrative was created that apparently I was going around and throwing my cock on people’s shoulders, which was not true. We had pranks, but they were amongst the company members and we all laughed and had fun. I was being, in a sense, publicly punished and humiliated for those things and also being cancelled.”
While he argues the acts were all jokes, the reaction was serious. After losing out on so many career opportunities following the scandal, Barrowman now admits that he was contemplating self-harm and suicide. He said “I had thoughts of suicide, going out and trying to do certain things and harm myself, and a couple of times debating how I was going to kill myself.”
What made this period even harder was a loss of support in Barrowman’s life. He said that, “I lost a lot of trust in other people after what I went through because people that I thought would’ve been there for me, ran. And a lot of them put themselves on the moral high ground and, to be honest with you, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
Ultimately, Barrowman decided, “I couldn’t do that to my friends and family.” Barrowman and his husband, Scott Gill, have been married since 2013, and have three dogs and two beautiful California homes together. “I’ve got a great husband. I’ve got three dogs. My mum and dad live with us now because of their age and health. I’m fortunate I’m able to take care of them,” he said. “I’m fortunate that I’m able to look after my family, and I’m also fortunate that I have a brain and am still physical, so that I can still create work for myself. So that’s what I’m doing.”
And that is exactly what Barrowman is doing, creating work for himself. After the actor recently exited Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, having decided on day 1 that the program wasn’t a good fit for him after all, Barrowman is heading back on tour. His new UK tour, Laid Bare, begins next month. The show will be, “Me and a piano,” he said. “I’ll be singing and telling stories. If people aren’t going to come to me with work, I’m going to create my own. I’ve always done that.”
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
