Douglas Booth has revealed that his father “tragically” ended his own life this year. The BBC star turned to Instagram on what should have been his dad Simon’s birthday to share the devastating news. The My Salinger Year actor, 33, posted a touching collection of photographs featuring his late father, including one showing Douglas and his sister as youngsters, wrapped in Simon’s loving embrace.
Additional snaps captured him with his family during various outings, including a picture of Douglas’s actress wife Bel Powley standing beside Simon. Further images depicted Simon fetching the family Christmas tree, as well as unwinding in the garden with the family dog settled on his lap. The Greenwich-born star wrote: “Today would have been my dad’s 64th birthday.”
In a devastating revelation, he proceeded to disclose that Simon tragically passed away earlier this year.
Douglas wrote: “On the 4th May this year, my dad tragically took his own life. I’ve struggled to find the words for this loss. There are questions I’ll never have answers to, and I’m slowly learning to live with that. What I do know is that my dad was a gentle, kind, generous man, and he is deeply missed.
“In time, I want to find a way to turn this pain into something useful – to support and champion places that give men space to connect, talk, and feel understood. Too many men find themselves isolated, unable to express what they’re going through, or unsure of where to turn. Loneliness is a quiet epidemic. I’ve struggled with anxiety myself, and I know how frightening it can feel to be battling something internally while the world carries on around you.
“It isn’t as simple as ‘checking in’ on the people you love – sometimes they can’t hear you, even when you’re trying. And as people get older, lose the structure of work, or face changes in their identity or their bodies, the world can become even harder to navigate. My dad also struggled – with undiagnosed autism – and didn’t always have the tools to reinvent himself or ask for help.
“Losing someone to suicide is a complex grief, and my heart is with anyone who has walked this path. I’m incredibly grateful for my family, my friends, and at times complete strangers who have helped me begin to get through this.
“Happy Birthday Dad. I love and miss you. Always.”
Douglas’s poignant final photograph captured Simon perched on a countryside fence, gazing across sprawling fields as twilight descended upon the horizon.
If you have been affected by this story, you can **contact the Samaritans, call 116 123, email **jo@samaritans.org or visithttps://www.samaritans.org/
