James Packer has admitted he doesn't know what medication he’s on to manage his bipolar disorder, revealing that a full-time nurse handles his treatment in a candid interview about his decades-long battle with mental illness. Speaking from his luxury yacht in Cook's Bay, French Polynesia, James Packer sat down with 7NEWS Spotlight to discuss his ongoing battle with mental health. The 57-year-old billionaire, who is notoriously private, bravely opened up about his struggles as part of a wider conversation on mental health, linked to the upcoming release of his friend and former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden’s book Profiles of Hope.
The son of media mogul Kerry Packer candidly revealed that his mental health journey began in his twenties, around the time he started taking on the pressures of his family's media empire. Early failures, such as his investment in the now-defunct telecommunications company One.Tel and the breakdown of his first marriage to model Jodhi Meares, contributed to serious mental health issues that lingered for years.
Packer described how the stress of work, financial pressures, and personal turmoil led to manic episodes that eventually cost him his second marriage to Erica Packer, with whom he shares three children. Reflecting on his condition, Packer told Spotlight reporter Liam Bartlett: "I think it's known in the community that I've had mental health issues, and so I'm not hiding from it." He acknowledged the challenges of finding the right treatm.