We’ve seen some truly spectacular television finales over the past 10 years – Breaking Bad, Mad Men… Lost? – but not many have divided opinion quite like Game of Thrones.
The HBO fantasy drama made the controversial decision to truncate its final two seasons, which resulted in a total episode count of 13 – as opposed to the usual lot of 20 – to properly bring down the curtain on one of the most ambitious TV shows of the modern era. And sure enough, if season 7 felt rushed, the eighth and final outing flew by us at breakneck speed.
Cities collapsed, dynasties fell, and fan favorite characters were brushed aside in favor of the core storyline. Indeed, it was nigh on certain that Game of Thrones season 8 would divide viewers into two camps, and though many are now having difficulty adjusting to a world with no GoT, it seems that it’s not only the fans who are struggling with life after Thrones.
Page Six is reporting tonight that Kit Harington has checked himself into rehab for alcohol use and stress. Apparently, the show coming to an end “really hit him hard” and since May 19th, he’s been at a Connecticut mental health retreat.
“The British actor has been undergoing psychological coaching, practicing mindful meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy to combat stress and deal with negative emotions at the facility, which costs over $120,000 a month,” the report says. “His actress wife Rose Leslie, 32, whom he met on the set of Game of Thrones and played Jon Snow’s Wildling companion Ygritte, is being ‘extremely supportive,’ we’re told.”
“He realized ‘this is it — this is the end’, it was something they had all worked so hard on for so many years. He had a moment of, what next?” a source told PageSix. “His wife Rose is being extremely supportive. Everyone close to him really wanted him to get some rest. Right now, he just needs peace and quiet.”
Continuing on, the outlet notes that apparently, Kit looks “really good” and for the moment, is totally “focused on his health and wellness” and dealing with his issues.
“The actor has been allowed the freedom to leave the facility for breaks over the past month and has been seen by locals in Connecticut heading to AA meetings, a fitness and wellness studio, plus a local book store. On the same weekend of the Game of Thrones finale, he was spotted at RJ Julia Booksellers in the small town of Madison, Conn., telling staff he was on ‘holiday’ in the area, according to local reports. One resident who has repeatedly seen the actor in recent weeks on his trips out of the facility told us, ‘Kit looks really good and appears to be very focused on his health and wellness.'”
Furthermore, Harington’s camp has confirmed that his stint in rehab won’t impact any of his upcoming work, and he’s simply staying in the facility during a break in his schedule.
“Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues,” Harington’s rep told Deadline. “It definitely won’t impact any potential upcoming work.”
So, all things considered, it doesn’t sound like the Game of Thrones star is in too bad of a spot right now, and though we imagine it won’t be long before he’s back on his feet, we still wish Kit Harington all the best and hope that his time in rehab can help him overcome the struggles that currently plague him.