Oprah, Prince Harry announce date for mental health series

(Credit: Getty Images)

(Credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry has long prioritized the importance of mental health and that of others. To that end, he is behind a new Apple+ series focusing on the issue set to premiere on May 21.

Former royals Prince Harry and Meghan at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020, in London. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The Me You Can’t See, which boasts Oprah Winfrey as executive and co-producer along with Harry, will focus on access to mental health resources with a group of 14 mental health professionals and organizations on deck, per The Hollywood Reporter.

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Guest stars on the show will include pop singer Lady Gaga, actress Glenn Close, celebrity chef Rashad Armstead, Olympic boxer Virginia “Ginny” Fuchs, and NBA players DeMarr DeRozan and Langston Galloway sharing their mental health challenges.

“We are born into different lives, brought up in different environments, and as a result are exposed to different experiences. But our shared experience is that we are all human,” Harry said in a statement. “The majority of us carry some form of unresolved trauma, loss, or grief, which feels—and is—very personal. Yet the last year has shown us that we are all in this together, and my hope is that this series will show there is power in vulnerability, connection in empathy, and strength in honesty.”

(Credit: Getty Images)

Harry and his wife Meghan Markle opened up to Oprah about their own issues with mental health in their revealing interview earlier this year. Meghan said that the treatment from the British royal family left her feeling suicidal but she was not allowed to seek treatment. Harry has revealed that his mother Princess Diana‘s death in 1997 when he was 12 affected him to the point he sought treatment in later years.

In March, Harry announced he was joining BetterUp, Inc., a mental health coaching startup as its ‘chief impact officer’.

In what was described as a “meaningful and meaty role” by BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux, Harry will be involved in creating mental health product strategies and consulting on fundraising while advocating for mental health.

“I intend to help create impact in people’s lives,” Prince Harry told the Wall Street Journal. “Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness, and an all-round better life.”

Oprah, who has several shows with Apple+ in a deal that includes The Oprah ConversationOprah Talks COVID-19 and Oprah’s Book Club, all offshoots of the kind of content she provided via her historic eponymous talk show, has long made mental health a priority on her media platforms.

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“Now more than ever, there is an immediate need to replace the shame surrounding mental health with wisdom, compassion, and honesty,” Winfrey said in a statement. “Our series aims to spark that global conversation.”

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