Sad Details About Grey's Anatomy Star Abigail Spencer's Personal Life

Each week it seems like "Grey's Anatomy" fans tune in to watch some of their favorite characters face some sort of heartbreaking situation or tragedy. While there are a lot of highs in the show, there are also a lot of lows, and unfortunately, one of their actors, Abigail Spencer, knows the feeling of dealing with tragic situations.

Spencer first joined the "Grey's Anatomy" cast in season 14, replacing Bridget Regan — who departed the series due to a scheduling conflict — for the role of Megan Hunt. The actor absolutely nailed it — but that's no surprise considering her credentials. According to The Movie DB, Spencer started acting in 1999 after she starred in a soap opera on ABC. From there on, she worked on some award-winning shows, including "Mad Men," "Suits," and, of course, "Grey's Anatomy."

The actor loves her job and being able to do what she always dreamed of. She shared with Schön, "I think I'm just completely mad [about] what I do. It's an illness of sorts. I have to tell stories. I have to. I started to write and produce and that helped create opportunities so I'm not waiting by the phone and I absolutely love [it]." On the outside, it seems like Spencer has everything she could have ever wished for, and while that is true, it hasn't come without some personal struggles in her life.

Celebrities seem to have it all, from fame to fortune to good looks, but that doesn't mean they don't struggle with their own issues. Selena Gomez, Ryan Reynolds, and Beyoncé are among the celebs who have been open about living with mental health conditions. The topic has become a bigger conversation in the past couple of years, and Abigail Spencer is contributing to that conversation.

On the "Grey's Anatomy" star's 41st birthday, she opened up about her struggles with her mental health. Spencer revealed on Instagram she participated in the wellness retreat program called OnSite. According to the company's website, OnSite helps people with their "mental health journey by providing top-tier clinical care and transformative, healing hospitality." The "Mad Men" actor shared that this changed her life, and she went into her 40th year with excitement, but it didn't come without struggle. She wrote, "August 4th 2021, I moved into the hardest year of my life. It almost killed me, and if I hadn't been in training for my mind, body & spirit for & surrounded myself with the most incredible community of friends & healers, I do not believe I would have survived it." Stress and anxiety ate at Spencer, and it had gotten so bad that the actor believed she had experienced a heart attack. Luckily, the actor received the proper care, and it appears she is in a much better place. 

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Abigail Spencer's father, Yancy Spencer, was an important part of her life. The "Mad Men" actor even had her father to thank for her career. In 2016, Abigail revealed on the "Today" show that her father and Kathie Lee Gifford struck up a friendship, although Gifford wished it would have been something more. After snagging tickets to a taping of "Live! With Regis and Kathie," again thanks to her dad, Gifford called up ABC executives and encouraged them to hire Abigail in an acting role.

Abigail and Yancy were the ultimate father-daughter duo, but unfortunately, in 2011, the actor lost her father, per People. In honor of the 12th anniversary of his death, Abigail shared a tribute to her dad on Instagram. She wrote, "Valentine's Day 12 years ago was the most tragically-beautiful, poetically-awful, devastatingly, heart-breaking, soul-opening day of my life. For those who do not know, my surf legend father Yancy Spencer III at 60 & in perfect health, died of a sudden heart attack while surfing his favorite spot in Malibu: County Line."

Yancy was Abigail's best friend and a big part of her life. The devastating loss of her father was completely unexpected and a shake-up for the actor. The heartwrenching post ended as Spencer shared, "I leave you with my father's parting words to me before he left for that fateful surf: 'You're easy to love.'" And even though the years have passed, Abigail continues to honor her father with all her love.