NEWSAlan Ritchson Reveals Alleged Extortion Plot Led to Suicide Attempt: 'I Was Depressed for the First Time'
Alan Ritchson was threatened by a former business partner.
Sept. 21 2026, Updated 12:00 p.m. ET
Alan Ritchson is opening up about a period he describes as one of the darkest stretches of his life.
"I'm a suicide survivor," he revealed during a recent appearance at FAN EXPO Canada. He also opened up about the alleged extortion plot that he said pushed him to a breaking point.
The Alleged Threat Came From a Former Business Partner
Alan Ritchson said a woman tried to blackmail him.
According to Fox News, Ritchson said a former industry colleague threatened to accuse him of rape if she didn't do as she asked.
"I was like in my mid-30s. I was depressed for the first time, and I was depressed because I had done everything right," Ritchson claimed.
He said the trouble started after a disagreement with the person in question.
"I had a falling out with a business partner that threatened to… if I didn't go up to her hotel room, at the Hotel du Cap in Cannes when I was selling a film there, great success for her company that I was running, that she would call TMZ and tell the reporter that I raped her in Cannes, and she would ruin my life," he said.
Ritchson did not reveal the woman's identity.
Ritchson Refused to Back Down
Alan Ritchson refused to meet the woman even after the threat.
Rather than meet her at the hotel, Ritchson said he chose to fight the alleged threat head-on.
"So it was like, she was blackmailing me to come up, and I was like, 'No, I'm not doing that.' I didn't want to do that," he recalled.
He hired a litigator and ultimately resolved the legal dispute. However, the victory felt hollow.
"I ended up winning a settlement, but I didn't win anything because what I was left with was this uncertainty about what happens in life when you do good, you know, and like when you try your hardest," Ritchson spilled.
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The Fallout Cost Him Financially and Emotionally
Alan Ritchson decided to hire a litigator to confront the threat.
Ritchson said the business partnership had already taken a toll before things escalated to blackmail.
"I lost everything in that relationship; she was a billionaire, and she actually tanked every bit of our business and cost me a lot, and also the threat of that looming over my head – I hired a litigator to fight back and make sure that couldn't happen," he shared, noting it left him feeling "really broken and depressed."
Ritchson Has Built a Career in Action Roles
Alan Ritchson has played multiple roles across film and television.
Ritchson is best known for the title in Reacher, which he landed in 2022. The part turned him into one of Hollywood's most recognizable action stars.
He has also appeared in Smallville, Blue Mountain State, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Titans.
