"I can't even remember how many times I tried to kill myself"
About this Quote
Coming from an actress, the sentence also cuts against the industry's machine for packaging vulnerability. Hollywood loves a comeback narrative with clean beats; Duke offers something messier, less marketable, and therefore more credible. The subtext is an indictment of how fame can coexist with profound isolation - even amplify it - while the public keeps mistaking visibility for being seen. There's a quiet refusal of performance here: no poetic metaphor, no coy euphemism, just the plainest language for a taboo reality.
Context matters because Duke became one of the best-known public faces of bipolar disorder, speaking about mental illness at a time when "breakdown" was treated as gossip or moral failure. The intent isn't melodrama; it's testimony. By stripping away drama, she forces the listener into discomfort - and that discomfort is the point. It pressures a culture that prefers sanitized pain to confront the repetitive, survivable, and socially neglected nature of suicidal crises.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Duke, Patty. (2026, January 16). I can't even remember how many times I tried to kill myself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cant-even-remember-how-many-times-i-tried-to-101293/
Chicago Style
Duke, Patty. "I can't even remember how many times I tried to kill myself." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cant-even-remember-how-many-times-i-tried-to-101293/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I can't even remember how many times I tried to kill myself." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cant-even-remember-how-many-times-i-tried-to-101293/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.










