A physically healthy Canadian actress is seeking court approval for medically assisted death due to severe mental illness.
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Claire Brosseau, a 49-year-old Montreal-based actress, says she hasn’t left her home in months due to severe bipolar and post-traumatic disorders. According to IMDb, she has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including the Hulu adaptation of Stephen King’s 11.22.63.
“It’s unbearable. Every morning I wake up, I don’t think I’m going to make it through the day,” Brosseau said outside the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on May 4, per CTV News.
Brosseau claims she is seeking assisted suicide after several unsuccessful attempts to end her life. Her previous attempts included a drug overdose, slashing her wrists, and eating peanuts, to which she has a severe allergy.
The actress stated that despite having many blessings, including friends, a devoted family, and her beloved Maltipoo, Olive, she is pursuing her right to die in court because she can no longer endure the “unrelenting suffering.”
“This is an extraordinary remedy which we are pursuing, but the situation that Claire finds herself in is also extraordinary,” Brosseau’s lawyer, Michael Fenrick, stated on Monday. He added that he hopes to have a court date set before the summer.
Family and Experts Push Back on Actress’s Request to Die by Assisted Suicide Due to Mental Health
Brosseau’s parents and sister expressed their horror upon learning of her plan to pursue assisted suicide. They noted that she is physically healthy, a situation that currently makes her ineligible under the law.
“I was furious. I really saw it as giving up,” her 51-year-old sister, Melissa Morris, told The New York Times.
“No mother ever wants to lose a child before them, but no mother wants to see incredible suffering,” the actress’s mom, Mary Louise Kinahan, added.
Meanwhile, one of Brosseau’s two psychiatrists, Dr. Mark Fefergrad, believes she can recover. “I believe she can get well… I don’t think [assisted suicide] is the best or only choice for her,” he told The Times.
Her other psychiatrist, Dr. Gail Robinson, shared a similar sentiment, expressing her hope that Brosseau would reconsider. “I would love her to change her mind. I would hope that she would not have to do this,” Robinson told the outlet, adding, “But I will support her.”
Since 2021, she has been fighting for access to euthanasia under Canada’s controversial Medical Aid in Dying law.
In 2024, Brosseau and the advocacy group Dying with Dignity sued the Canadian government. They argue that excluding individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness from MAID eligibility violates the Constitution.
Brosseau, who is single and childless, is seeking a constitutional exemption that would allow her to access MAID without a physical ailment.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.