The Serious Reason Jonah Hill Won't Promote His Films Anymore

It wasn't always the case, but Jonah Hill has become one the most body positive stars in Hollywood. The actor has spoken candidly about being body shamed and his struggle with self-esteem and self-love, telling Ellen DeGeneres in 2018 that growing up in the spotlight and being judged for his looks took a real toll on his mental health. "I became famous in my late teens and then spent most of my young adult life listening to people say that I was fat and gross and unattractive," he shared. Adding that it took a long time to finally become happy in his own skin, the actor admitted that part of that negativity will always stay with him and that his journey was far from over. "I'm under construction," he mused.

Since then, Hill has been a major proponent of loving yourself and has shared a number of honest Instagram posts in an effort to inspire others. For example, in February 2021, he shared paparazzi photos of himself surfing and told fans (via Today) that he hadn't taken his shirt off in public until his mid-thirties, but now he no longer cared. "I'm 37 and finally love and accept myself," he wrote. It's a sentiment he commemorated permanently with a "Body Love" tattoo that August, per People. Then, that October, he begged fans to stop commenting on his body, explaining that even praise can be detrimental. "Good or bad I want to politely let you know it's not helpful and doesn't feel good," he wrote.

But he hasn't stopped there.

Jonah Hill is once again prioritizing his mental health. After speaking openly about his struggles with self-love, the actor has now revealed that, following a 20-year struggle with anxiety attacks, he'll no longer be doing press tours and media rounds to hype up his movies. Hill released an open letter to fans, in which he explained, per Rolling Stone, that public events have always made his anxiety worse and that he no longer wants to make himself sick for the benefit of others. "You won't see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself," he wrote.

The actor actually has two big upcoming projects in post-production, including the Netflix comedy "You People," which he co-wrote, produced, and stars in opposite an A-list cast, including David Duchovny, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The other flick, a documentary called "Stutz," is actually what inspired his decision to pull back from the spotlight. The doc follows Hill's own mental health journey and how therapy has helped him and pushed the actor to realize the importance of putting yourself first. And, while he acknowledged that he's privileged to be able to make such a choice and keep his job, Hill said he hopes "Stutz" will give those who are also struggling the tools they need and inspire everyone to talk about mental health without judgment. As for the whole media promo thing, he concluded, "I hope the work will speak for itself."