Mychal Threets, the 36-year-old host of the rebooted "Reading Rainbow" on YouTube, told followers he is "not okay" and plans to seek hospital-level help, drawing an outpouring of support and a pointed nudge from actress Yvette Nicole Brown.
Threets posted the announcement Monday on the social media platform Threads. His message was direct and unguarded: "I am not okay. Maybe I'll never be okay. I'm seeking help." He added that he planned to go to the hospital the following day. "In this moment I am safe. By God's grace," he wrote.
The post continued with gratitude for the people around him. Threets wrote that "no matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me." He closed with a simple line: "Thank you for your care. I will always love you." Page Six reported that it had reached out to Threets' team for comment but had not received a response.
One day before his hospital announcement, Threets posted a selfie on Threads with a message aimed at anyone struggling. He quoted a line from the long-running British sci-fi series "Doctor Who": "Nobody important?! Blimey, that's amazing. D'you know, in 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before."
Then he added his own words:
"You ARE important. Can't wait for you to discover it for yourself. Please stay to find out. The world is not easy, but the world is best with you in it."
Read together, the two posts sketch a man publicly encouraging others while privately reaching a breaking point of his own. By Monday, the encouragement gave way to candor about his own condition.
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown responded directly to Threets' Monday post. Her comment was brief and urgent:
"If you need the help, maybe go tonight, friend."
Fans also flooded the post with messages of support, though specific details of those responses were not reported.
Threets has been open about his battles with depression and anxiety. Known widely as "Mychal the Librarian," he built a following through enthusiastic social media posts about books, libraries, and the joy of reading before stepping into the spotlight as host of the "Reading Rainbow" reboot, which launched on YouTube in 2025. The original series was hosted by LeVar Burton.
In a January interview with People magazine, Threets described the tension between his natural introversion and the public life that found him. He told the magazine he had grown more comfortable talking about libraries and mental health "just because I love it all," but acknowledged the cost.
"But had I known all this was going to happen, I probably would've never started posting."
He also credited books, family, friends, and libraries with keeping him alive. "I wouldn't be here today," he told People.
That admission puts Monday's announcement in sharper relief. Threets did not describe a specific triggering event, and no details about the hospital or the type of care he planned to seek were made public. What he did share was unambiguous: he needs help, and he intends to get it.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs a free national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for anyone facing mental health or substance-use challenges.
A man who spent the last year telling strangers they matter finally said the same thing to himself. That took more courage than any broadcast.
