Alden Richards reveals 2024 was his ‘lowest year,’ says he hit ‘rock bottom’

Alden Richards opened up for the first time about how hard 2024 was for him and how he greatly struggled.

In his GMA Integrated News interview with Nelson Canlas, which aired in “24 Oras” Thursday, the Sparkle star described how difficult last year was for him.

“I think last year was my lowest year. Rock bottom. It took me six months to get over that. That was—hindi naman siya clinically diagnosed, but that was depression at its finest. That was depression,” Alden said.

He said that it was largely unknown to others, as he found it hard to discuss because he did not want to show weakness.

Alden also reflected on his tendency to be overgenerous to others.

“Inuuna ko muna lahat ng tao bago sarili ko. But last year, medyo—I think that was my breaking point kasi minsan ‘di ba tayo, we always go out of our way to help other people. Tulong, tulong, tulong. Bigay, bigay, bigay. Ang nangyari sa akin, paglingon ko don sa timba ko, wala na palang natira sa akin. And then that broke me to a million pieces,” he said.

During this period, Alden described being “clouded with a lot of negative thoughts.”

He mentioned that he found it hard to process his emotions and thoughts correctly even though he knew he had people around him who loved him.

“It’s very hard to be present na kahit nandito ka, wala ka dito,” he said.

When asked about his love life, Alden expressed his confusion regarding the mindset that a person’s happiness is based on their love life.

“It’s just this is my story, and this is how I want my story to be told [and] not based on the presumption of other people. I’m so done with that. I’ve been here long enough. I know I’ve done so much for the industry, and I would like to do more for the industry right now,” he said.

Alden was recently named 2024 Box Office King by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) for “Hello, Love, Again,” with Kathryn Bernardo as the Box Office Queen.

Alden is set to host GMA's upcoming dance competition “Stars on the Floor,” where he will also perform during a dance production.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News