Despite the fact that Game of Thrones is over, the mania of its fandom has — for good and for ill — continued without any signs of slowing down. Oftentimes, the actors who have played some of the biggest roles in the series have faced the brunt of this mania. This is especially true for Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow. Harington has spoken out before about his distaste for the “bizarre and weird” fame the show gave him. He’s even gone to therapy because of it. Now, it seems, it has motivated him to check into rehab.
On the heels of a Page Six report claiming that the 32-year-old actor had checked himself into a “luxury rehab” in Connecticut, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed the news with his team:
“Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues,” read a statement released by his representative.
The original report, citing an unnamed “friend” of the actor, claimed that Harington had checked himself into the rehab resort “weeks before the show’s finale on May 19.” Apparently, the source continued, the actor was seeking treatment “predominantly for stress and exhaustion and also alcohol” as a result of Thrones‘ impending finale and the massive pressures he was facing as a result.
As EW noted, this isn’t the first time that the apparent stresses of the show’s final season have affected the actor. In a mid-April interview with Esquire, Harington recalled how he “broke down” as soon as he wrapped his final shot. “It was this onslaught of relief and grief about not being able to do this again,” he said. “It was about not being in this world, not getting to smell those smells, fight those fights, be with these people — the whole package.” This very moment was even partially depicted in the HBO documentary.
(Via Entertainment Weekly and Page Six)
