Jenifer Lewis is once again opening up about her mental health journey, sharing a candid reflection on living with bipolar disorder while celebrating the peace and confidence she’s found at 69. The actress, often affectionately called the “Mother of Black Hollywood,” spoke honestly about her diagnosis, years of therapy, and the work she says helped transform her life.
In a recent Instagram video, Jenifer Lewis reflected on being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 1990s while in her early 30s. Looking back on the decades since, she said taking care of herself remains one of the proudest accomplishments of her life.
“I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in my early 30s. I’m 69 now,” Lewis shared. “And I think my greatest accomplishment was that I went and took care of myself. And now, I’m in my skin after all of that work. And I’m able to enjoy the fruits of my labour.”
Lewis has never shied away from discussing the difficult periods she experienced before getting help. Over the years, she has spoken openly about living through severe highs and lows connected to bipolar disorder, including episodes of mania, depression, intense anger, and reckless behavior. She has also discussed struggling with addiction to sex and alcohol while trying to cope with her mental health challenges.
The actress often emphasizes that healing did not happen overnight. According to Jenifer Lewis, she committed herself to 17 years of therapy and spent 10 years on medication as part of her treatment journey.
Now, with decades of film, television, and stage work behind her, Lewis says she finally feels able to fully enjoy the life and career she worked hard to build.
“What’s beautiful is that my career was never work,” she said in the video. “I got to do what I wanted to do with my life and get paid for it.”
Lewis then reflected on the massive scope of her career with the same humor and honesty fans have loved her for throughout the years.
“Listen, I’ve done 68 movies. 650 episodic television shows. I’ve done 200 concerts all over the world,” she said before joking, “I’ve had 200 men all over the world. No, it was actually 63!”
Throughout interviews and in her memoir, Jenifer Lewis has consistently used her platform to speak about mental health and self-acceptance, particularly within the Black community. She has often said that sharing her story is important to help reduce stigma surrounding mental health conversations.
