đ± Jenna Ortega’s chilling confession: “I Was In A Psych Ward” after a soul-crushing existential crisis hit hard! đ What pushed the Wednesday star to her breaking point, and how did it reshape her life? The untold story will leave you speechless… Dive in now:

Jenna Ortega, the 22-year-old phenomenon behind Netflix’s Wednesday, has been refreshingly open about her mental health journey, revealing an existential crisis that struck before she turned 20 and ongoing battles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that leave her exhausted. While she has never explicitly stated being admitted to a psychiatric ward, her candid discussions about intense anxiety, repetitive rituals, and the toll of fame have sparked speculation and empathy among fans, especially as Wednesday Season 2 streams to massive acclaim. In a 2023 interview with Who What Wear that resurfaced amid her 2025 promotions, Ortega described a profound internal turmoil as she approached adulthood, wishing for a more carefree teenage experience amid her skyrocketing career.
Ortega’s existential crisis, which she tied to turning 20, stemmed from a hyper-focus on work that robbed her of typical youthful recklessness. “Iâm having that internal existential crisis because Iâm no longer going to be a teenager,” she admitted, reflecting on perfectionism that bled into her personal life. Starting young with roles in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle and Jane the Virgin, Ortega’s path to stardomâculminating in Scream and Wednesday‘s 252.1 million viewsâintensified self-doubt and isolation. As an introvert, the constant scrutiny and pressure to embody complex characters like the stoic Wednesday Addams amplified her sense of disconnection, leading to questions about identity and purpose that psychologists link to existential depression, a mood disorder involving feelings of meaninglessness.
Her revelations extend to OCD, which she described as “pretty intense” in a April 2025 appearance on the Heart Evening Show, where travel and new environments disrupt her routines. “Sometimes my nights consist of just being really exhausted and going up and down the stairs six times,” she shared, explaining rituals driven by “magical thinking”âthe belief that specific actions prevent calamity, like ensuring home safety. This subtype of OCD, often misunderstood as mere neatness, involves intrusive thoughts and compulsions that drain energy, affecting relationships and work. Ortega emphasized it’s not enjoyable but a response to anxiety, aligning with expert views that OCD loops the brain in obsessions and compulsions, treatable via therapy like exposure and response prevention (ERP).
The Wednesday set exacerbated these issues. During Season 1’s Romania shoot, Ortega endured breakdowns from sleep deprivation and skill-buildingâfencing, cello, and the viral dance choreographed amid COVID symptoms. She admitted to “hysterically crying” on calls home and hair-pulling from stress, behaviors tied to anxiety disorders. Creative clashes, like rewriting “asinine” lines for authenticity, created “awkward” tensions, resurfacing during the 2023 WGA strike where writers called her “entitled.” Showrunners defended her, crediting input for Season 2’s improvements, where she executive produced a darker, romance-free narrative.
Public backlash compounds her struggles. Body-shaming over red-carpet looks, surgery rumors post-Season 2 premiere, and invasive fans yelling slurs have left her “terrified,” describing fame as “dystopian.” As a Latina, she feels “misunderstood” in Hollywood, advocating via the National Bullying Prevention Center. Social media echoes this: Reddit threads speculate on her “depressed” vibe, while X fans defend against “weird vibes” claims.
Season 2, filmed in Ireland, brought relief with Tim Burton’s trust and co-star Emma Myers’ support, including body-swap episodes deepening Wednesday-Enid friendship. Its 89% Rotten Tomatoes score praises gothic evolution, though some critique sidelined plots. Ortega hopes for five seasons to “grow with the character,” balancing projects like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Her story mirrors stars like Billie Eilish facing mental health stigma, highlighting OCD’s seriousness beyond stereotypesâit’s a loop of distress, not quirks. Treatment involves therapy or meds, but Ortega’s openness shifts conversations, inspiring Gen Z amid millennial burnout. Fans rally on X with #StandWithJenna, urging respect. While no psych ward admission is confirmed, her vulnerability humanizes stardom’s shadows, proving resilience amid crisis. Netflix audiences, her strength fuels the iconâwatch as she reclaims her narrative.