Former actress Claire Brosseau is begging the Canadian government for a quick assisted suicide, saying the weight of her mental illnesses has become unbearable.

The 49-year-old’s career, which saw her star alongside James Franco and Daniel Stern, was quickly derailed as she struggled to cope with a laundry list of disorders. 

Brosseau suffers from manic depression, suicidal ideation, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD, and several other illnesses. 

The actress and comedian, who is single, has family and friends who adore her, but she has been saying for years that she no longer wants to be alive. 

Brosseau has been battling to access euthanasia under Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) program since 2021, and she made a rare appearance from her home to make another court bid covered by CTV News on Monday.

‘It’s unbearable. Every morning I wake up I don’t think I’m going to make it through the day,’ Brosseau said in a speech outside of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. 

The former entertainer said her mental illnesses have worsened over the last three decades despite trying everything she could to overcome them. 

She filed a motion on Monday to receive a medically assisted death via MAID, a process that allows Canadian citizens suffering from a ‘grievous and irremediable medical condition’ to end their life with the assistance of a doctor.

Canadian former actress Claire Brosseau is begging her government for a quick assisted suicide, saying the weight of her mental illnesses has become unbearable. She is pictured as the character Jenny Reynolds in the 2006 romcom A Previous Engagement

Brosseau has been battling to access euthanasia under Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) program since 2021, and she made a rare appearance from her home to make another court bid this week. She is pictured speaking outside Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Monday

Patients whose chronic illnesses are solely mental health-related, however, are not yet eligible for MAID. 

The mental health exclusion was set to end in March 2023, but has been delayed twice, meaning that Brosseau may not have access to MAID until 2027. 

Advocacy group Dying with Dignity filed a charter challenge in August 2024, arguing that the exclusion is a breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. 

Brosseau is also attempting to use a second legal route to access the program – by seeking a constitutional exemption which would allow her to receive MAID. 

Such exemptions are currently reserved for Canadians who have a serious and incurable medical condition. 

A court date for the motion has not yet been scheduled. Brosseau’s lawyer Michael Fenrick said he hopes to secure a hearing before the summer. 

‘This is an extraordinary remedy which we are pursuing, but the situation that Claire finds herself in is also extraordinary,’ Fenrick said outside the courthouse Monday. 

The 49-year-old actress and comedian from Canada, who is single, has family and friends who adore her, but she has been saying for years that she no longer wants to be alive

 Brosseau attended an elite drama college in Quebec before studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City.

The Canadian government has delayed expanding eligibility several times, saying a committee of lawmakers is reviewing recommendations from medical experts. 

Experts from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health submitted a brief to the committee last week outlining their concerns. 

The center said there is no consensus amongst psychiatrists for if or when a mental illness should be considered irremediable. 

Dr Allison Crawford, chief medical officer for Canada’s suicide crisis helpline, warned against expanding MAID to those with mental illness. 

‘Given the significant overlap between suicidal thoughts and behaviors and MAID, we will best serve those who are suffering with enhanced suicide prevention efforts,’ Crawford said. 

But Brosseau said she cannot bear any more delays in the process. 

‘I want to be clear about what these delays mean for me personally. Every month of delay is another month is suffering that I am told I must simply endure,’ she said.

The former actress attempted suicide countless times and has been treated by psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors across North America, she revealed in an open letter published to her Substack in 2025.  

Brosseau suffers from manic depression, anxiety, a personality disorder, suicidal ideation, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD, and several more illnesses

Brosseau has been battling to access euthanasia under Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) program since 2021, and she made a rare appearance from her home to make another court bid this week. She is pictured speaking outside Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Monday

She has tried dozens of medications, therapies, and guided psychedelics in an attempt to improve her mental health, but to no avail, the New York Times reported.

Brosseau was a popular honors student at her Montreal high school who starred in plays. She graduated at 16 and was recruited to attend an elite drama college in Quebec, where she studied theatre performance for two years.

After graduation, she moved to New York City and continued her studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. 

She gained steady work in musicals and films and gained good money in a line of work that leaves many struggling to make ends meet. 

But just as she started to make a name for herself, she suffered another depressive episode that saw her struggle to eat and drown her emotions with booze and drugs. 

Brosseau moved back to Montreal in her early 20s and was hospitalized for several months. 

As her mental health began to improve and her career once again started to thrive.

She appeared on Entertainment Tonight Canada and The Strombo Show, a radio show hosted by Canadian broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos, Macleans reported.

Brosseau landed supporting roles in film and TV projects with James Franco and Daniel Stern, secured a deal with a comedy club chain, acted in commercials in Los Angeles, and even got some writing gigs.

But just as she started to make a name for herself, Brosseau (pictured alongside Elizabeth Whitmere in A Previous Engagement) suffered another depressive episode that saw her struggle to eat and drown her emotions with booze and drugs

Brosseau (pictured in July) was diagnosed with manic depression at the age of 14. She was later diagnosed with anxiety, chronic suicidal ideation, an eating disorder, personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD, and a slew of other mental health conditions

Although she was earning a lot of money and she even landed her ‘dream part’ in a European film, Brosseau said her mental health conditions still impeded her success.

‘I had a great place to stay, and I was doing well on the film, and I was having fun on set, and every night I would go back to my hotel, and I would bawl and scream and rip my clothes apart,’ she told the NY Times.

‘And cry and just – I wanted to kill myself and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. And then the next day at work, I’d be fine and I’d have so much fun.’ 

Brosseau vowed to get her life together after she stumbled and smashed her face into a curb at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards. She had been drunk and high on cocaine, according to Macleans.

She got sober, underwent treatment at an intensive psychiatric care unit, and began a series of therapies. She also started taking prescribed antidepressant, antipsychotic, and anti-anxiety medications.

The actress remained in what she described as ‘remission’ for several years, but in 2021, as her career hit a low point, she attempted suicide again.

Brosseau said her mental health was so poor that she once ate peanuts, despite being allergic to them, in the hopes of triggering a fatal reaction.  

She decided to pursue MAID shortly after that, under the belief that it would be eligible for mental health patients in 2023.

Brosseau hosted a series of ‘farewell dinners’ with her friends, family, and closest colleagues in which she revealed her intentions to end her life.

Canadian health authorities delayed the removal of MAID’s mental health exclusion in 2023 and then again last year. The law is not expected to change until 2027.

Brosseau, alongside former war correspondent John Scully, who suffers from PTSD, is now suing the Canadian government for the right to die.

She has asked for ‘the same rights as others with incurable illnesses to choose when and how I die’ and alleged the current MAID law is discriminatory.

The lawsuit has fueled an already heated national debate surrounding assisted suicide. Brosseau’s own psychiatrists are even at odds over her case.

Dr Gail Robinson, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, told the NY Times that she believes MAID is a reasonable choice for the actress.

Robison said she would ‘love’ for Brosseau to change her mind, but ‘will support her’ if she does get the green light for MAID.

However, her other psychiatrist, Dr Mark Fefergrad, said ‘I believe she can get well’ and added ‘I don’t think MAID is the best or only choice for her.’

Fefergrad believes that given the nature of her illness, Brosseau’s request for MAID has to be considered differently from requests from patients with physical ailments.