A reporter who covers youth and internet culture for NBC News has gone public with his own struggles with mental health, saying he is retiring after “struggling with suicidal thoughts.”
Calhan Rosenblatt, who has worked at the Comcast-owned network for seven years, announced his decision to take a “short break” Wednesday in a heartfelt message to X’s approximately 29,000 followers.
In a post titled “tw (trigger warning): self-harm,” Rosenblatt wrote, “I wasn’t sure whether to share this publicly, but if it helps one person feel less alone… I think it’s worth doing,” he wrote.
Rosenblatt, 33, added that “a combination of factors” caused her to “hit rock bottom,” but “now she’s getting the help she needs.”
She said she hoped to return to work within “a few weeks” when she would “feel more grounded and stable.”
Rosenblatt wrote that her late mother, who died of ovarian cancer in 2019, left a letter before her death in which she wrote that her daughter “made my life worth living.”
“I was so worried that I was letting my mother down,” Rosenblatt wrote, “that I was letting her down by needing time away from work to recover.” He added that he was worried.
“Then I remembered one of the letters she left me: Her priority was my happiness,” she wrote.
“So I’m going to make that a priority as well.”
The Post contacted NBC News.
Rosenblatt declined to comment.
The Florida native frequently appears on the cable channel MSNBC, but last posted an article on the NBC News website more than a week ago.
“I feel immense guilt and shame at not being able to do my job,” she wrote Wednesday. [right now] “Journalism is more important than ever,” he said, referring to the ongoing anti-Israel protests that have disrupted college campuses including Columbia University, New York University, and the City University of New York.
“After years of pretending I was okay, I have to admit that I’m not okay.”
“I want to continue reporting and petitioning for years to come, but the only way to do that is to get help,” said Rosenblatt, who worked at the Daily Mail before joining NBC News.
She went on to say that she was able to make the difficult decision because of advice given to her by her late mother.
“Lastly, I was so worried about letting my mom down. I was failing her by needing time away from work to recover.”
“Then I remembered one of the letters she left me, which said her priority was my happiness. So I’m going to make that a priority too.”
Her viral post resonated widely.
Ethan Sacks, a longtime journalist who now writes for Marvel Comics, writes: But you are amazing. send love Thank you for sharing and helping others in similar situations feel less alone and isolated. ”
Washington Post reporter Gene Park wrote: I’m here with Calhan. You are never alone in this world. we love you and are here with you. I’m always here to talk. ”
In October, another NBC News reporter, Ben Collins, revealed on social media that he was “irredeemably depressed and anxious” after facing “death threats” for his reporting.
Collins, who covers “disinformation” for the network, was suspended from reporting for mocking Tesla CEO Elon Musk after he acquired the former Twitter company for $44 billion. be.
If you live in New York City and are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. I can. If you live outside the five boroughs, dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
