‘Game of Thrones’ star Hannah Murray recalls psychotic breakdown after joining wellness cult

Hannah Murray has opened up about suffering a psychotic breakdown after becoming involved with a wellness cult, admitting she made “terrible choices” during one of the darkest periods of her life.

The former Game of Thrones star revealed the experience while discussing her upcoming memoir, The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, in which she details her struggles with mental health and spirituality.

Murray said she was introduced to the group in 2017 through an “energy healer” she met via a personal trainer while filming Detroit. Despite believing she was too “smart” to fall into such an environment, the actress admitted she became deeply involved and spent thousands of dollars searching for what she described as “wisdom and specialness.”

The actress said the atmosphere within the group felt highly “eroticized,” even without anything explicitly physical taking place, and recalled being drawn to the cult leader’s confidence and charisma.

Murray later suffered a psychotic episode and was admitted to a psychiatric unit, where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Reflecting on the experience, she said people often underestimate how easily vulnerable individuals can be pulled into manipulative wellness spaces.

Now retired from acting, Murray said she avoids most forms of wellness culture entirely, including meditation, crystals, and yoga, because of how strongly they are linked to her past experiences.

The actress is best known for playing Cassie Ainsworth in Skins and Gilly in Game of Thrones.