Goldie Hawn rose to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood – and she’s held onto that status for decades. Some might say she was practically born into showbiz, and even today, this beloved actress works hard to entertain us all.

Hawn has faced many challenges, both personally and with her partner, Kurt Russell. Last year, she shared some of the struggles she experienced in her childhood.

Recently, Goldie opened up once more about her ongoing health issues. Born on November 21, 1945, in Washington DC, and raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, Goldie Hawn was the daughter of Laura and Rut Hawn.

By the age of three, Goldie had embarked on her path toward a career in entertainment. Her mother ran a dance school, and it was there that Goldie started taking ballet and tap dancing lessons. By age 10, she was already performing in productions like The Nutcracker, and 19 years later, she was running and teaching at her own ballet school.

Goldie Hawn – Mental Health Struggles

Looking back, Goldie Hawn had a wonderful childhood, although she did face some struggles early on. She has spoken about an emotional experience with a teacher that impacted her deeply. As she became more famous, her mental health began to deteriorate.

Being a celebrity might seem like an exciting career choice. Stars get to make films, travel the world, attend glamorous events, and earn a significant amount of money. However, fame also brings immense pressure. People often think that celebrities are always happy and perfect, but in reality, everyone has bad days.

The constant pressure to perform and be available for fans and the media can really take its toll. For Goldie Hawn, this eventually became a serious issue.

Mental health problems are increasingly recognized in Hollywood. These days, people are more outspoken about it, but it wasn’t always this way.

Battling Depression at 21

Last year, Goldie decided to speak openly about her own mental health. When she first found success at age 21, you might have assumed she was on top of the world. In reality, she was battling severe depression and couldn’t even go out in public.

Speaking on the talk show Good Morning Britain, Goldie revealed that her mental health struggles began in her early 20s.

“When I was young, I became depressed. I was 21 and I was rising to success,” she said. “I know it sounds terrible, but it’s a very, very difficult thing; I didn’t necessarily want that.”

Many people dream of becoming a celebrity, but that wasn’t Goldie’s dream. After her big breakthrough, instead of craving more fame, she just wanted to retreat from the limelight.

“I was very depressed and I had a lot of these issues where I couldn’t even go outside in public,” Hawn recalled.

She added: “I did have a plan and I didn’t have delusions of grandeur on any level; I was extremely realistic.”

“This is something that, for me, I worked through. I went to a doctor, I went to a psychologist, and learned about quieting my mind and what happens to the brain.”

Goldie Hawn Dreamed of a “Normal Life”

Goldie has been widely praised for her openness about mental health, and she continues to speak out. In a video promoting her appearance at a MindUp event, her mental health organization, Goldie spoke candidly about how her immense success didn’t bring her happiness.

“I wanted to go home, get married, open a dancing school, be happy, have children – I wanted a normal life and it’s not exactly what I was getting,” Hawn said, as reported by Hello magazine. She was just 24 at the time.

“My career just went boom, boom, boom and I got an Academy Award. As wonderful as it sounded, I would go back into my dressing room and lie down, and I was really freaked out about this anxiety coming over me again.”

Hawn added: “I literally truly lost my smile. For someone who wanted to be happy their whole life, I wasn’t very happy … After a year I began to come back into myself but believe me, I know what it is to be depressed, I know what it is to be anxious.”

Following the candid video, fans sent their love and plenty of messages of support.

“Thank you so much for sharing this @goldiehawn and you’re an inspiration!!” a second said.

“This made me cry, Goldie Hawn you are amazing!” a third wrote.

As Hawn’s career flourished – and she became even more famous – she dedicated more time to helping others.

For years, Goldie has been an advocate for mental health, especially focusing on helping children through her organization, MindUp. The group provides resources to help children understand their feelings, which became even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When this pandemic happened, it gobsmacked everyone,” Hawn said on Good Morning Britain. “We didn’t know how to handle our children, we were dealing with ourselves. It’s just a plethora of problems.”

Hawn also urged families, teachers, and children to seek help if they noticed signs of mental health struggles.

“It’s Okay to Notice They’re Not Well”

“For every one of us, we may have a different reason why we may feel low, or anxious, or depressed,” she said. “All I want to say is that if you really aren’t happy, we do need to be able to tend to ourselves, to go to a doctor. Don’t be embarrassed.”

On Mental Health Day, Goldie spoke out again, asking those with mental health issues to come forward.

“There’s an epidemic of mental health, or really mental illness, today like never before in history,” she stated.

“And I think it’s really important to know that it’s okay to befriend someone, to notice they’re not well,” Goldie added. “To let them speak about it, that it’s not anything to be embarrassed about.”

Goldie has certainly made time to look after her mental and physical health. Many thought her 15-year break from Hollywood would be permanent, but it turned out she just needed a rest.

“A break from anything we do sometimes is a good thing,” she said in 2017. “I forgot how much fun [acting] was. I came out going, ‘I could do it again!’”

Goldie Hawn’s “Secret” to a Healthy Life

At 76, Goldie always maintains a positive outlook on life, which improves her overall well-being. She even feels younger just by having positive thoughts.

“Youth is connected to the ability to see things new for the first time,” she once said. “If your eyes still look at life with wonder, then you will [feel] young!”

Goldie and her family, including her husband Kurt Russell, prioritize exercise and a healthy diet. Over the last decade, Goldie has focused on taking care of her body with a specific diet and workout routine.

“She always says you’re as young as you feel, and she still feels like a 30-year-old. She’s healthy and vibrant and comfortable in her own skin,” a close friend told Closer.

“[Goldie is] doubling down on working out. She’s never really just committing to one solid routine. Her big word is ‘diversity.’ Every day is different so she never gets bored of her workouts,” another source added.

In recent years, photos have shown Goldie and her husband, Kurt, frequently out walking or biking together.

“I try to have as much fun as possible”

So, what’s Goldie’s secret? According to her, there really isn’t one.

“I don’t eat a lot; I think we overeat,” she told People in 2016.

“And I drink my green juice every day! I do a lot of juice, I don’t put a lot of food in my stomach and I don’t mix my foods too much. So if I want to have like protein, I’ll just eat a bowl of lentils, I won’t mix it with a bunch of stuff.”

“I don’t have [a secret], I really don’t. I try to drink my juices, I try to work out every day a little bit, I find moments in the day.

I have short meditation spurts during the day, if I don’t have a long one in the morning, which sometimes the phone rings and you’re off and running, but I do find time to get quiet. I hike, I bike, I try to have as much fun as possible.”

Goldie Hawn is truly an inspiration and deserves applause for her work on mental health. Please share this article on Facebook if you admire Goldie Hawn!