Zoe Saldaña Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles: 'I Battled Alone'

Zoe Saldaña is opening up about the mental health struggles she spent years confronting alone, revealing that pride, fear, and an unwillingness to speak up once kept her from getting the support she needed. Now, the Oscar winner is using her experience to encourage other women to stop pretending everything is fine when it isn't.

In an interview with People published Oct. 8, the 48-year-old actress admitted that some of her toughest experiences became even harder because she refused to ask for help.

"The challenges that were really hard to get through were the ones that I battled alone without any help, either because of pride or an inability to speak up or fear," she said. "And then the challenges that I feel like I was able to navigate easily and heal properly were the ones where I asked for support and a community rallied around me."

Saldaña said her 20s were particularly difficult, while her 30s brought a much-needed period of self-discovery. But even after learning to recognize when she needs support, the Lioness star acknowledged that maintaining her mental health isn't always straightforward.

"There are seasons where I feel ahead of it, and I feel capable," she explained. "And then there are times where I fall behind because I'm tired or really stressed."

The revelations come as Saldaña partners with Lancôme and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America for the beauty brand's "I'm Fine" campaign, launched ahead of World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10. The initiative challenges women to confront the pressure to appear emotionally strong, even when they're struggling.

And Saldaña admitted she's still guilty of falling into that trap.

"There's this bad habit of thinking that if you say you're fine, then everything will be fine," she said. "I still do it, but I just have to be honest with myself."

Her latest comments follow previous revelations about the challenges she's faced while building one of Hollywood's most successful careers. In 2024, Saldaña discussed how preparing for Taylor Sheridan's Lioness forced her to confront dyslexia and anxiety while mastering the show's demanding CIA dialogue.

She also credited co-star Nicole Kidman with providing a supportive working environment, describing their partnership as "true joy." The two actresses previously revealed that they regularly team up between takes to track down Sheridan whenever they need help working through particularly complicated scenes.

Saldaña's husband, filmmaker Marco Perego, also spoke about her emotional honesty, calling her "one of the best actors of her generation." He praised her willingness to confront difficult emotions, describing that authenticity as something he continues learning from her.

Now, Saldaña wants other women to understand that they shouldn't fear acknowledging their struggles. Citing campaign statistics, she noted that 80 percent of women admit to saying they're fine when they aren't, while 72 percent regret hiding their true feelings.

"That just lets you know we have to keep providing safe spaces for each other," she said. "Check up on each other. It can start with a conversation, but then it needs to become action. If you feel something but you don't know how to navigate it, just ask for help."