A year has passed since film financier and philanthropist Steve Bing died from apparent suicide, and it has been a "bloody hard" time for friends and family, his son Damian Hurley admitted.
The 19-year-old, who Bing shared with ex-wife Elizabeth Hurley, made the confession while remembering his father on the one-year anniversary of his death.
"A year ago today, my mother and I received some devastating news," he wrote in an Instagram post. "I didn’t realise at the time quite how much it would affect me."
In his post, Damian recalled how intimidated he felt about having to open up about his grief.
"We all like to show ‘perfect’ versions of our lives- for me, the idea of publicly discussing something as personal as grief is terrifying ... but sometimes it’s necessary," he explained.
"The last year has been bloody hard- for everyone on the planet- and I think acknowledging that is vital. It’s not weak to struggle. In fact, to get through to the other side is immensely strong."
Damian concluded his post by thanking friends and fans for the messages of support he had received.
Bing died on June 22 at age 55 after jumping off the 27th floor of a luxury apartment building in Los Angeles. He was meant to have dinner with a close friend that evening, but at around 1 p.m. he plunged to his death. His friend, who spoke to The Sun on condition of anonymity, said when she received the call, she was shocked but not surprised.
"He had spoken to me about ending his life before. He would tell me, 'I've been thinking that I really don't need to be here anymore,'" she said. "'I really think that there's nothing left for me in the world to do, there's nothing left for me to pursue.'"
Bing's friend said that he never spoke of a plan but would often bring the topic up, especially in the last six months of his life. His friend said Bing promised not to act on his suicidal thoughts, but in the end it was all too much for him.
"There were so many things I would've liked to talk to him about," she said. "I just didn't get the chance."
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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