Hannah Murray Opens Up About Cult Experience and Bipolar Diagnosis in New Memoir

Hannah Murray, known for playing Gilly in Game of Thrones, has spoken publicly about her experience in a wellness cult and the psychotic episode that followed.

In an interview with The Guardian, Murray said she became involved with the group in her late 20s after attending a healing session to cope with the emotional impact of filming the 2017 movie Detroit. She later joined classes connected to the organization and became deeply involved.

Murray said the group’s leader appeared powerful and “magical,” and she described feeling emotionally and psychologically drawn into the environment. She also said the group had strong sexual undertones, despite no physical relationships taking place.

Her mental health crisis escalated during a five-day course at a London hotel, where she experienced hallucinations and paranoia. She was later hospitalized under the UK Mental Health Act for 28 days and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Murray discussed the experience in support of her upcoming memoir, The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, which will be released June 23. She said she wants to reduce stigma around severe mental illness and people who have been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.