“In this moment I am safe,” he clarified. “Thank you for your care.”
ByShawn Setaro
August 19, 2026
Mychal “the Librarian” Threets, the onetime children’s librarian whose positive and powerful online presence brought him viral fame and a job as the host of a revamped Reading Rainbow, has shared that he’s “not okay” and plans on checking into a hospital.
In the early hours of Monday (August 17), Threets, who has been a mental health advocate in recent years, posted a message on Threads.
“I am not okay,” he began. “Maybe I’ll never be okay. I’m seeking help. Going to the hospital tomorrow. In this moment I am safe. By God’s grace.
“No matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me. Thank you for your care. I will always love you.”
This is not the first time that Threets has been open about his mental health issues. Back in 2024, he quit his job at the Solano County Library. In a social media postannouncing the decision, he said that he was leaving the position in order to “prioritiz[e] my mental health.”
“My mental health struggle has been scarily real since I was 8-years-old,” he explained. “I’ve built coping strategies, I meet with my therapist, I’m on medication.”
Complex has reached out to Mychal Threets for more information. This story may be updated.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time, or visit 988lifeline.org to connect with trained crisis counselors. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
