Why Red Sox Star Jarren Duran Decided To Reveal Past Suicide Attempt
Jarren Duran didn’t plan to reveal his past suicide attempt in the Netflix documentary chronicling the 2024 Boston Red Sox, which was released Tuesday.
But during an interview for the eight-part docuseries, Duran had a change of heart.
“The situation just kind of happened, just kind of unfolded,” Duran told reporters from inside the Red Sox clubhouse prior to Tuesday night’s game, per NESN. “And I was sitting, kind of quiet. Didn’t really think that it was a good moment to talk about it. But then, like I said, I just thought this could possibly help people out there that don’t really want to talk about it. So I just took that leap of faith and hoped that it was going to do more good than bad.”
Duran discussed his 2022 suicide attempt in episode four — titled “Stay Alive” — of “The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox.” He said at the time of the incident that he didn’t want to bother friends and family despite hitting rock bottom.
“It’s just when you’re going through it, you just don’t really want to talk about it,” Duran said. “It’s just like you vs. you and you just kind of shut yourself off from the world. And it’s pretty lonely. The resources were there. You just don’t want to be a bother. Personally, that’s just what I thought. I thought I was just a bother to talk about it. I thought, ‘Why is my life so important to talk about when other people have to go through stuff.'”
Despite being open about his mental health struggles in recent years, Duran said he still struggles at times to voice how he is feeling, but relies on a close-knit group of family and friends to lean on.
The impact of Duran, who plans to start a foundation as he continues to be a mental health advocate, sharing his story has already been felt. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Duran will “save lives” with his candidness and Samaritans Statewide Hotline reported that it received triple the calls than it normally does after the news of Duran’s suicide attempt broke.
“The whole purpose of me sharing is just to get it out there and let people know that they’re not alone,” Duran said. “Even if I can just help one person, it’s meaningful. So I’m just trying to let people know that there’s always help and to make sure that they’re reaching out.”
The Samaritans have provided suicide prevention services in Massachusetts for 50 years. They have a 24/7 help line among other services and for people under the age of 25, they have a “Hey Sam” peer-to-peer texting service. The number for the text line is 439-726.
