He’s a talented TV star and Broadway performer, but Taye Diggs says he was speechless when his younger sister Christian was diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental health condition that affects how someone thinks, behaves, and feels. It’s an experience that Diggs, 53, only recently revealed publicly, in support of Live your besta new campaign to elevate the voices of people living with schizophrenia and promote impactful conversations about their aspirations.
Christian’s diagnosis of schizophrenia at age 28 came “out of left field,” the Rent It is Private office star told Yahoo Life. “We were relieved to be able to give her a name [withdrawn] behavior at that moment, [but] none of us knew what to do with that information,” he says, admitting that the only point of reference he and his loved ones had for the disease were “certain overly dramatized television shows.”
“I felt helpless as that older brother who was usually there for everything,” he admits, noting that being Christian’s older brother always gave him “a sense of pride and worth.” “But hearing this news about a loved one and not being close to them, not knowing what steps to take, was very upsetting.”
He adds: “I thought I always needed to have the answers and be present, and when I didn’t have them, I became paralyzed. But you can still be active and listen without judging, even if you don’t have the answers.”
Luckily, everyone in the family — including Diggs’ ex-wife, actress Idina Menzel, with whom he shares teenage son Walker — came together to help. “Walker’s mother said, ‘[Christian] you definitely need to see a psychiatrist,’” Diggs recalls. “[Later on,] I was with her at my son’s basketball practice and I thanked her. I said, ‘You are the one who led Christian’s path to clarity, which was passed on to us.’ I let her know that she had a lot to do with Christian’s situation now.”
Diggs’ late mother also helped by finding a psychiatrist who was a perfect match for Christian, and after she was on the proper medication, she began to get back on track.
Witnessing her sister’s journey inspired Diggs to help raise awareness that “no one’s life is over” when facing a schizophrenia diagnosis. “When you get news like we did, you don’t have to give up hope,” he shares. “There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”
Diggs also feels like she’s learned the importance of not jumping to conclusions when it comes to a diagnosis like this. “I was a little embarrassed that I was so quick to follow and lean into stereotypes and pity [her],” he says. “I immediately entered the place [of] ‘she won’t be able to live the life she wanted.’ While she was growing up, she was very happy, very active and smart. [But] I didn’t research it right away, which I should have done. Nothing I thought was true.”
He also regrets having “froze” and feeling uncomfortable discussing the matter with his sister. “I later found out that was the worst thing I could have done,” he says. “Christian said to me, ‘Imagine what it’s like to feel like you’re no longer in control of your mind.’ When you hear someone’s direct perspective, it forces you to look at the situation differently. It didn’t occur to me what she was going through. All you want is for people to listen to you, understand you, trust you, be patient and show you support. There is a sense of security that she needed most at that moment.”
Diggs plans to apply the lessons she learned about simply listening to everyone in her life, especially her son. He also makes a point of talking more often to his loved ones. “I’m usually terrible at this,” says Diggs. “[But] What Christian is going through has brought the family closer together and reminds us how important it is to just stay in touch with each other.”
Nowadays, the old All Americans star is proud of Christian’s progress. “Obviously, [schizophrenia] It never goes away, but she’s found a way to make certain adjustments in her life that allow her to do whatever she wants, and I think that’s amazing,” says Diggs. “After that and seeing how she is dealing with her life and loving it, I see her as a very successful adult doing her own thing. Now I respect her in a different way.”
