Audra McDonald opens up about Julliard suicide attempt

Record-breaking Tony Award winner Audra Mcdonald has confessed to attempting suicide when the stress of attending top drama school Julliard became too much for her to handle.

The actress and singer, who became the first star to pick up six Tonys last month (Jun14), has opened up about the depression she battled as a young hopeful at the New York school.

In a candid new ABC interview with top film critic Peter Travers, Audra says, "When I was at Julliard, I had a suicide attempt. I tried to slit my wrist."

She obviously survived the attempt and now credits Julliard's caring teachers for helping her get past the darkest days of her life.

She adds, "When someone is suicidal, one of the first things you have to do is to protect them from themselves. They had a mental health facilitator there, a therapist there and they checked me into a mental health hospital, where I was for a month and got me the help I needed.

"Julliard was like, 'We think that that musical theater thing is more for you anyway. That seems to be where you're the happiest'. I went out and did (show) Secret Garden and then I came back and finished Julliard."

McDonald is now among the most beloved stars on Broadway.