Former actress Claire Brosseau is pleading with the Canadian government for swift access to assisted suicide, stating that the burden of her mental health conditions has become insurmountable. The 49-year-old, who once shared the screen with James Franco and Daniel Stern, saw her career derailed as she grappled with a range of disorders, including manic depression, suicidal ideation, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorder, and PTSD.
Brosseau, who is single, has family and friends who care for her deeply, but she has expressed for years that she no longer wishes to live. She has been fighting for access to euthanasia under Canada's Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) program since 2021. On Monday, she made a rare public appearance outside the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to pursue another legal bid, as reported by CTV News.
"It's unbearable. Every morning I wake up I don't think I'm going to make it through the day," Brosseau said in a speech outside the courthouse. The former entertainer explained that her mental illnesses have worsened over the past three decades, despite trying every available treatment.
Brosseau filed a motion on Monday to receive a medically assisted death through MAID, a program that allows Canadians with a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" to end their lives with a doctor's assistance. However, patients whose chronic illnesses are solely mental health-related are not yet eligible. The mental health exclusion was set to expire in March 2023 but has been delayed twice, potentially leaving Brosseau without access until 2027.
Advocacy group Dying with Dignity filed a charter challenge in August 2024, arguing that the exclusion violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Brosseau is also pursuing a second legal route: a constitutional exemption that would allow her to receive MAID, typically reserved for those with serious and incurable medical conditions. A court date for the motion has not yet been scheduled, but her lawyer, Michael Fenrick, hopes to secure a hearing before the summer. "This is an extraordinary remedy which we are pursuing, but the situation that Claire finds herself in is also extraordinary," Fenrick said outside the courthouse.
The Canadian government has delayed expanding eligibility multiple times, citing a committee of lawmakers reviewing recommendations from medical experts. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health submitted a brief to the committee last week, expressing concerns. The centre stated there is no consensus among psychiatrists on whether a mental illness should be considered irremediable. Dr. Allison Crawford, chief medical officer for Canada's suicide crisis helpline, warned against expanding MAID to those with mental illness. "Given the significant overlap between suicidal thoughts and behaviors and MAID, we will best serve those who are suffering with enhanced suicide prevention efforts," Crawford said.
But Brosseau said she cannot endure further delays. "I want to be clear about what these delays mean for me personally. Every month of delay is another month of suffering that I am told I must simply endure," she stated. The former actress has attempted suicide countless times and has been treated by psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors across North America, as revealed in an open letter published on her Substack in 2025.
Brosseau has tried dozens of medications, therapies, and guided psychedelics in an attempt to improve her mental health, but to no avail, according to the New York Times. She was a popular honors student at her Montreal high school and starred in plays. She graduated at 16 and was recruited to attend an elite drama college in Quebec, where she studied theatre performance for two years. After moving to New York City, she continued her studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater.
She gained steady work in musicals and films, earning good money in a field where many struggle. However, just as she started to make a name for herself, she suffered another depressive episode that left her unable to eat and led her to drown her emotions with alcohol and drugs. Brosseau moved back to Montreal in her early 20s and was hospitalized for several months. As her mental health improved, her career thrived again. She appeared on Entertainment Tonight Canada and The Strombo Show, and landed supporting roles alongside James Franco and Daniel Stern, secured a deal with a comedy club chain, acted in commercials in Los Angeles, and even got writing gigs. Despite earning substantial money and landing her "dream part" in a European film, her mental health conditions still impeded her success.
"I had a great place to stay, and I was doing well on the film, and I was having fun on set, and every night I would go back to my hotel, and I would bawl and scream and rip my clothes apart," she told the NY Times. "And cry and just - I wanted to kill myself and I couldn't wait to get out of there. And then the next day at work, I'd be fine and I'd have so much fun."
Brosseau vowed to get her life together after she stumbled and smashed her face into a curb at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, having been drunk and high on cocaine, according to Macleans. She got sober, underwent treatment in an intensive psychiatric care unit, and began a series of therapies. She also started taking prescribed antidepressant, antipsychotic, and anti-anxiety medications. The actress remained in what she described as "remission" for several years, but in 2021, as her career hit a low point, she attempted suicide again. She said her mental health was so poor that she once ate peanuts, despite being allergic to them, hoping to trigger a fatal reaction.
She decided to pursue MAID shortly after, believing it would become eligible for mental health patients in 2023. Brosseau hosted a series of "farewell dinners" with friends, family, and colleagues, revealing her intentions to end her life. Canadian health authorities delayed removing the mental health exclusion in 2023 and again last year, with the law not expected to change until 2027. Brosseau, alongside former war correspondent John Scully, who suffers from PTSD, is now suing the Canadian government for the right to die. She has asked for "the same rights as others with incurable illnesses to choose when and how I die" and alleged the current MAID law is discriminatory.
The lawsuit has fueled an already heated national debate surrounding assisted suicide. Brosseau's own psychiatrists are at odds over her case. Dr. Gail Robinson, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, told the NY Times that she believes MAID is a reasonable choice for the actress. Robinson said she would "love" for Brosseau to change her mind but "will support her" if she gets the green light. However, her other psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Fefergrad, said "I believe she can get well" and added "I don't think MAID is the best or only choice for her." Fefergrad believes that given the nature of her illness, Brosseau's request for MAID must be considered differently from requests from patients with physical ailments.
