'Suits' Star Reveals Leaving Hit TV Series Due to Alcohol and Depression

If you've never watched the television series ‘Suits’, you need to immediately.

Originally airing from 2011-2019 on the USA Network, it was an absolute weekly MUST-WATCH for those that knew about it before its latest resurgence, thanks to Netflix picking up the rights to it last year. The show starred Patrick J. Adams as Mike Ross, a lawyer who lied about attending law school, finding himself in some of the biggest legal battles in New York City alongside his mentor Harvey Specter, played by Gabriel Macht. Adams' character Ross was also the one that had an on-screen relationship with Rachel Zane on the show, played by Meghan Markle before she became "Meghan Markle." 

However, in 2017, at the height of the show, Adams abruptly quit the series, something that in a new interview he says was due to his reliance on alcohol and also the effect the show was having on his mental health.

SUITS CAN NOW BE WATCHED ON NETFLIX

"I didn’t have the tools to deal with that depression beyond just spending money and drinking too much, you know, and not really knowing how to talk about it or in therapy sort of, but not really doing it… Like, there are all these things that I knew I needed to probably be doing, and I wasn’t doing," Adams said on the Dinner's on Me podcast.

"I wasn’t taking good care of my mental health, and I was drinking too much come the end of seventh season," Adams continued before adding that by that time, he "was pretty miserable… and pretty depressed."

The result would be Adams walking away from the show before its final two seasons, along with Markle, who had bigger plans, like marrying Prince Harry and becoming the Duchess of Sussex.

ADAMS HAS SINCE TURNED SOBER

Adams said that his drinking during those years eventually led to it having an effect on his relationship with his then-girlfriend and current wife, Troian Bellisario. He adds that he had to step away from the show because his family was more important than just a paycheck.

"The only reason to stay was money," Adams explained. "I didn’t know what else to offer. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and think about the money [Gabriel Macht] made those last two years, but I never regretted the decision for a second."

Adams has since been sober and is married with two kids. 

In recent years, Suits has had a resurgence thanks to Netflix picking up the rights to the series. The buzz has even led to an upcoming spinoff series, "Suits LA" that will premiere on Peacock this coming February. Macht's character Harvey Specter was recently confirmed to be returning to the series for a select few episodes.

As of now, Adams has not been rewritten into the Suits LA story, but has continued acting. He recently starred in the TV series "A League Of Their Own," and "Sneaky Pete." 

HAVE YOU WATCHED SUITS? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow

Written by
Mike “Gunz” Gunzelman has been involved in the sports and media industry for over a decade. He’s also a risk taker - the first time he ever had sushi was from a Duane Reade in Penn Station in NYC.