‘Reading Rainbow’ Host Mychal Threets Offers Hopeful Update After 5-Day Psychiatric Hold
The librarian and media personality says he is still struggling and “not OK,” but remains hopeful and thanked medical staff who he says saved his life.
Black News 
Beloved librarian Mychal Threets is offering an update after recently stepping away to seek more intensive mental health care, and the media personality wants his supporters to know that while his journey is far from over, he is safe and hopeful about what comes next.
The 36-year-old host of the “Reading Rainbow” reboot revealed Saturday that he had just returned home following a five-day psychiatric hospitalization.
“I just wanted to apologize for worrying so many people,” Threets said in a video on Threads. “I just got back from a five-day stay at the hospital, a five-day psychiatric hold. I haven’t been OK for what feels like a very, very long time. I am not OK. But I have hope that I will get to OK.”
Threets, who has built a devoted following through his infectious love of books, libraries and literacy, was candid about the fact that his recovery will take time, HuffPost reports. He also expressed gratitude to the medical professionals who cared for him during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
“I’m on the struggle bookmobile. It’s gonna take a long time for me to be OK,” he continued. “It’s going to take a long time, but I just wanted to say thank you to the multitude of doctors, nurses and mental health workers I saw — it’s not enough, but thank you, you saved my life.”
He then turned his attention to the fans and supporters who had expressed concern for his well-being, offering a message that acknowledged the reality of struggling while encouraging others to give themselves grace.
“Three, six, nine, it’s okay to not be fine. We’re struggling. We’re human beings. We’re doing our best,” he said. “Thank you for being you. Thank you for staying. Maybe I’ll see you at the library. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
Threets captioned the video with a brief but reassuring message: “I am safe [mending heart emoji].”
The update comes less than a week after Threets announced that he was voluntarily seeking hospital care. In an Aug. 17 Threads post, he wrote, “I am not okay. Maybe I’ll never be okay. I’m seeking help,” before adding, “Going to the hospital tomorrow. In this moment I am safe. By God’s grace.”
He also thanked the people who had supported him through his struggles.
“No matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me,” Threets continued. “Thank you for your care. I will always love you.”
Threets has previously spoken openly about living with depression and anxiety while navigating his sudden rise to prominence. Despite nearly 1 million Instagram followers and a public career built around connecting with people, he told People in January that fame has not changed his fundamentally introverted nature.
“I’m still a very introverted person,” he told People in January. “I think because of what’s happened in life, I’ve become more extroverted. I’ve been more comfortable talking about the library, talking about library stories, talking about mental health, just because I love it all. But had I known all this was going to happen, I probably would’ve never started posting.”
For now, Threets is making clear that he still has work to do. But after a frightening period, he has something equally important: hope that one day, he will get to OK.
See how social media is rallying around him below.
