Last month, Jon Bon Jovi was praised for talking a woman off the ledge of a Nashville bridge. The incident occurred when Bon Jovi was filming a music video for their song "People's House." The frontman notice the woman standing over the railing of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses the Cumberland River, and confronted her with his team. He managed to talk her back to safety, and stayed with her until emergency services arrived at the scene.
During a recent discussion with Stephen Colbert, Bon Jovi opened up about helping the distressed woman. "We'd all do the same thing," he said before noting the incident proves that mental health is a "real" issue.
“This lady, she was completely coherent, had all of her wits,” he recalled. “She had said to me, ‘Look at me. I’m in paper scrubs with no shoes, no phone, no money, nowhere to go. They let me walk out of the hospital.’ … She said, ‘I am not suicidal or homicidal.”
When Colbert pointed out that she was clearly still in danger, Bon Jovi agreed, saying: “Obviously on the wrong side of the rail – in a situation,”
“I spoke with her, and then the wonderful police department, fire and emergency rescue came – and a therapist came and talked to her," he added. “But that’s all: I was just there."
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, there is help. Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by dialing "988," reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting "HOME" to 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org.