Duran wants to help others by sharing story of suicide attempt

Red Sox

“I just want people to feel like they have somebody to talk to and that we can get them the help they need.”

Speaking to reporters at Fenway Park on Tuesday, Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran shared more about his decision to reveal during a Netflix documentary that he attempted suicide during the 2022 MLB season. 

Duran shared in episode four of the Netflix series, “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,” that he attempted to take his own life amid the mounting pressure and criticism that he dealt with amid struggles that summer. 

Duran acknowledged on Tuesday that he didn’t plan to reveal that story during the docu-series. But he ultimately opted to share it to raise awareness of the hurdles facing pro athletes — and to support others who are dealing with their own mental-health challenges. 

“The situation just kind of happened, just kind of unfolded,” Duran told reporters. “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.”

“The whole purpose of me sharing is just to get it out there and let people know that they’re not alone,” he added. “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.”

During Duran’s media scrum, NESN’s Tom Caron told the outfielder that Samaritans — a suicide prevention service — had received triple the calls and texts since news of Duran’s story was first shared on Monday. 

“It means a lot,” Duran said. “That was the whole purpose of me sharing. It’s not easy to talk about, but I really thought deep down that if I could help at least one person, it was going to be meaningful. To hear that is awesome. I hope I can inspire people to talk about it more.”

While Duran noted that he has had access to several resources to help him navigate off-the-field challenges, he said he was still hesitant to discuss what he was going through with others. 

“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.”

But even with that initial hesitancy, Duran added that it’s important for others to speak up and share what they’re going through.  

“I know it’s not easy. I know that I never wanted to ask anybody because I always felt like I was a bother,” Duran said. “But I’ve been told by tons of friends and family that it’s never a bother to somebody that cares about you.”

Even with Duran’s candid comments, he added that pro athletes are still hesitant to discuss mental-health challenges.

“I think it’s still tough to talk about because I’d see people look at us just like we’re like super humans and they can say whatever they want to us and it’s not gonna affect us,” Duran acknowledged. “And they don’t really realize that we are humans at the end of the day. 

“Fans are still gonna be fans, they’re still gonna chirp us. But I think that talking about it more — we’ll just help athletes talk to other athletes about what they’re going through.”

Duran said he also intends to start his own foundation to help others facing similar circumstances. 

“For me, I just want people to feel like they have somebody to talk to and that we can get them the help they need,” he said. “I know I want to kind of focus on everybody, but also the younger generation, because I know growing up I had no idea what was going on. So I feel like if we can help them at a younger age, it just prepares them for their adulthood.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.