NEWSMillie Bobby Brown Reveals the 3-Month Anxiety Battle That Left Her Feeling 'Broken'
Millie Bobby Brown shared how a meditation retreat in Kyoto helped her heal after a three-month battle with anxiety.
July 14 2026, Published 12:50 p.m. ET
Millie Bobby Brown opened up about the three-month anxiety battle after a scary public encounter, revealing how a retreat in Japan helped her find peace again.
"I met this one amazing Japanese gentleman, who was just so calm and almost felt like he saw me. I was in the height of my anxiety at this point. He knew that I was kind of broken," the Stranger Things star shared on the Monday, July 13, episode of the "On Purpose With Jay Shetty" podcast.
Millie Bobby Brown Said a Public Encounter Left Her Struggling With Anxiety
Millie Bobby Brown recalled feeling too anxious to enter restaurants during her trip to Japan with husband Jake Bongiovi.
Before traveling to Japan, Brown struggled after being chased by fans while out in public.
"It was a really traumatizing 20 minutes. It was very intense, very scary. I feel like I shut down, and I shut down for three months. In that moment, something switched in my mind," she recalled.
During that period, everyday activities became difficult. She and husband Jake Bongiovi had already planned a trip to Japan to celebrate his birthday, but she arrived feeling overwhelmed.
Millie Bobby Brown said Jake Bongiovi supported her through her anxiety without asking her to explain what she was feeling.
"I went to Japan, not thinking it would be some spiritual journey," Brown said. "When I got there, I still really felt anxious."
She continued, "Sometimes we'd go to a restaurant and I'd say to my husband, 'I can't go in. We need to go back.'"
Brown, however, praised Bongiovi for supporting her without making her talk about what she was going through.
"I never had to explain myself to him — he knew, he got it," she recalled.
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Millie Bobby Brown Said a Kyoto Meditation Retreat Helped Her Heal
Millie Bobby Brown said a meditation session at a Kyoto retreat helped her find peace after months of anxiety.
While visiting Kyoto, Brown met a monk who invited her to a meditation session.
"He was like, 'We need to meditate,' and I was like, 'OK,'" Brown revealed.
She explained that it was not a private experience but a group meditation.
"We meditated in this garden for five minutes. I meditated with 50 people. It was not just us; it was a bunch of tourists like us." Brown said. "And it was amazing, and I will never forget the feeling."
The Enola Holmes actress said the short meditation gave her a sense of peace she had not felt in months.
Brown Said She Left Japan Feeling Like a Different Person
Millie Bobby Brown said a meditation session with other visitors brought her a sense of peace after months of anxiety.
The experience occurred on Bongiovi's birthday, but it felt like a gift for her.
She expressed, "I remember being like, 'I feel like it's my birthday. I just got given like the biggest gift of all. Finally, peace in my heart.'"
"My husband literally said, 'You radiated this light after.' It was exactly what I needed," Brown added.
Looking back, she believes the moment happened for a reason.
"I'm a believer in divine intervention," she said. "I think that healed me in a lot of ways."
