Jonathan Lipnicki Opens Up About Bullying and Depression After Jerry Maguire Fame: People 'Called Me a Has-Been'

Char Adams
Updated

Jonathan Lipnicki is opening up about the bullying and depression he experienced after gaining worldwide fame as the adorable little boy in Tom Cruises 1996 movie Jerry Maguire.

Lipnicki, who played Rene Zellweger’s son in the film, took to Instagram earlier this week to reveal that he endured years of ridicule from his peers after the initial attention of the famous movie died down.

“As a kid/teen I was made fun of relentlessly by some people who are now even my friends on FB,” he wrote in the moving post. “I was told I was a has-been and would never book a job again.”

Im sharing a little of my experience. It gives me anxiety being this open, but being bullied is a universal problem. I am not a victim, but rather empowered because I was able to turn to my art. I am grateful for the amazing life I have and I hope I can pass on that it DOES get better. As much as it is easier said than done, overcoming being bullied is a reality and I hope this resonates with all of you

A post shared by Jonathan Lipnicki (@jonathanlipnicki) on Mar 13, 2017 at 9:13am PDT

Many remember Lipnicki as the adorable little boy who blurted out random facts like, “Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds?!” to Cruise’s character.

Now 26, Lipnicki wrote in the Instagram post that he has snagged roles in several smaller films - an extra special accomplishment for the star who said his days as an actor were over.

Here goes nothing

A post shared by Jonathan Lipnicki (@jonathanlipnicki) on Mar 14, 2017 at 4:47pm PDT

“I was made to feel like garbage every day of middle school to the point where I had a panic attack every night before school, because I wondered how I would get through the day,” Lipnicki continued.

He added: “It was humiliating.”

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Well-wishes and messages of encouragement poured in to the comment section after Lipnicki uploaded the post. He soon shared a follow-up message, noting that he has never publicly discusses his “lifelong battle with anxiety and depression.”

“I’m here to help others by sharing my experience,” the actor wrote. “I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor and kids will hopefully see that they can be too.”

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com