Marie Osmond has revealed that her son, who committed suicide in 2010, was "bullied very heavily" right up until the day he jumped to his death from an eighth-floor apartment at age 18.
The 59-year-old opened up on Tuesday's episode of "The Talk," sharing how she thought the ridiculing played a big role in her son Michael Blosil's decision to take his own life.
"I have never spoken about this before," she said, as reported by USA Today. "But my son, who died, he was bullied. He was bullied very heavily right up until the time that he committed suicide, because of his sobriety."
According to reports, Blosil entered rehab in 2007 at age 16, but friends told authorities he was sober at the time of his suicide, HuffPost noted.
"The Talk" co-host said she held on to the messages that her son's tormentors sent, but chose not to intervene or take action.
"I've got the texts — I mean they're horrendous, and I never took action against it, but I can tell you, honestly, that I believe that that was a high component in him just feeling overwhelmed and that he didn't fit in," she said. "I never took action against the three kids."
Osmond explained that, in her heart, she believed the bullies knew what they had done and it was something they would have to live with. She decided to open up about the ordeal in hopes that "maybe it'll help other kids that don't think much about it, take it seriously."
Osmond speaking out about her son's suicide comes days before World Mental Health Day, which takes place on Oct. 10. The aim of the day is to bring awareness to mental health disorders including depression, which is something Blosil reportedly struggled with.
In a suicide note, he wrote of how a lifelong battle with the illness left him feeling alone and out of place, as per HuffPost. There were also reports that Osmond had attempted suicide and was hospitalized as a result in 2006, although she has fervently denied those claims.