Taraji P. Henson Explains Why She Took A Trip to Bali: ‘I Hit A Brick Wall’

Taraji P. Henson is opening up about the trip to Bali she took at the start of the year after realizing she hit a roadblock in life and “wasn’t happy anymore.”

The Academy Award-nominated actress appeared on Sherri Thursday and got candid about her decision to visit Bali for a personal recharge.

“I wasn’t happy anymore. I lost a sense of joy,” she revealed.

Henson, 52, has been a consistent figure in Hollywood since her breakout in John Singleton’s 2000 cult-classic, Baby Boy. After more than two decades of starring in major motion pictures, the Hidden Figures star was nearing a breakdown.

“I’ve been doing this for 20-some odd years. Working, grinding, whatever you want to call it. And I come up for air, and I hit a brick wall,” she explained.

Henson documented her Bali excursion on Instagram. Posts showed the film star embracing her “fears” on the Bali swing and relishing in her Black girl joy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson)

Taking the trip was the first step Henson took to move past fear and caress the beauty in the unknown. She even went through the entire experience completely sober.

“If you let fear take over, it will let you believe in it. So I got past my fear, I went, [and] I did the whole trip dry. Eat, pray, love,” she shared.

“Because going by myself made me stay present. I had to have conversations with these beautiful people I met, and we still stay in touch.”

In December, Henson appeared on Angie Martinez’s In Real Life podcast and opened up about the decision to visit Bali. “I decided to take control and find my joy again, that deep joy. Without a drink. Without that outside anything,” she said.

Earlier this month, the What Men Want star stressed her newfound importance of maintaining her mental health to remain the best version of herself.

“I fight for my mental health because I want to live. I’m choosing to want to live. I want to live,” she told People.

Now Henson is all about that soft life that involves moving past fear, embracing the unknown, and knowing when it’s time to detach.

“Being real with myself and not being so damn strong all the time,” she shared. “Folding my arms like a kid in the corner saying, ‘I don’t want to be strong today. I need help.’ ‘I don’t feel good.’ ‘No, I’m not going to do this job. I don’t feel good today.’ Speaking up for myself. And my mental wellness.”