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Millie Bobby Brown has opened up about one of the toughest periods of her life, revealing that a visit to Buddhist monks in Japan helped her overcome an anxiety attack that lasted three months.
Speaking on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, the Stranger Things star recalled being chased for 20 minutes by an unnamed group, an incident that left her shaken and triggered a long cycle of anxiety.
"I got chased by these people and it was a really traumatising, I would say, 20 minutes. It was very, very intense and very scary," she said. "I actually feel like I shut down and shut down for three months."
During that time, Brown experienced severe physical symptoms, including pneumonia and strep throat, which went untreated for weeks. She described feeling "broken" until she and her husband Jake Bongiovi travelled to Kyoto, where they visited a temple and meditated with monks.
"I went to Japan and I sat with these monks, and it was the most amazing experience," Brown shared. "It took me out of the cycle. I needed it." She recalled one monk in particular who seemed to recognize her struggle, telling her, "We need to meditate."
The actress said the moment gave her "peace in my heart," adding, "I will never forget the feeling."
Although the temple visit happened on Bongiovi's birthday, Brown said it felt like she was the one receiving a gift. "I remember being like, 'I'm sorry, I feel like it's my birthday.' Finally, peace in my heart. And my husband literally said, 'You radiated this light after.'"
Brown praised Bongiovi for being her biggest supporter throughout the ordeal. "My husband's one of those people, he just never questions," she explained. "He's like, 'What you're telling me, this is your truth. Even if this is your anxiety, you're still feeling it, it's still happening to you.'"
The actress, now 22, said she has since developed techniques to manage her anxiety.
