Former Bay Area librarian and current Reading Rainbow host Mychal Threets has revealed that he was placed on a five-day psychiatric hold following a week that saw him get candid online about his mental health struggles and subsequently cancel an upcoming appearance at TEDxSanDiego.
On Saturday, as the Chronicle reports, Threets took to Instagram to apologize for causing worry with the posts he'd made earlier this week in which he stated he was "not okay" and "seeking help."
Detailing the steps that followed, Threets recounted his decision to admit himself to a hospital, where he was subsequently placed on a five-day psychiatric hold. In an emotional admission, he acknowledged that he faces a long road ahead.
"I haven’t been okay for what feels like a very, very long time," Threets said. "I am not okay, but I have hope I will get to okay. … It’s gonna take a long time for me to be okay.”
Selected to follow in the footsteps of LeVar Burton as host of the reboot of Reading Rainbow, which returned last year, Threets was first a librarian at the Solano County Library before he left that position in 2024 to focus on his mental health.
As part of his latest update, Threets also took time to thank the healthcare workers who provided support during his hospitalization, crediting them with "saving my life."
Threets current situation means he will no longer appear at TEDxSanDiego, where he was scheduled to speak on August 27. Organizers for the event offered their support in a joint social media post with Threets.
Threets has previously acknowledged his struggles with mental health on several occasions.
As SFist previously reported, his celebrity initially rose during his tenure as a Solano County librarian, where his inspiring videos earned him profiles in the New York Times and the Washington Post. In 2023, Threets was recognized for his public service by the American Library Association.
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