TV star Rebecca Gibney has issued a sharp rebuke to critics who trolled her after she recently revealed she had been diagnosed with ADHD and autism, urging them to “think before you type”.

The Millionaire Hot Seat host and Packed to the Rafters star made the comments in an Instagram post announcing she would be taking a break from social media for a while.

Gibney said she had been spending way too much time “staring at my phone” and was finding it all “a waste of very precious time”.

“I have stopped fully living in the present and I need to reconnect with my hubby, my dogs and myself,” she wrote.

The actor – who regularly uses Instagram to share candid moments from her life and career, as well as reflections on topics such as mental health and ageing – then went on to thank people for their “overwhelmingly supportive response” to her recent revelation that she had been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

However, Gibney said there had also been “a little backlash” from people who had responded with comments such as “get over it”, “it’s not cancer” and “stop jumping on the bandwagon”.

“If you don’t know the full story of someone’s life – please don’t make assumptions or fire off petty comments,” she retorted, in “a wee word of advice” addressed to her critics.

“I have lived most of my life misdiagnosed with severe anxiety (45 years of it) I was raised in a home with extreme domestic violence and I have suffered depression so to tell someone to ‘get over it’ is really not helpful.”

Rebecca Gibney’s Instagram update provoked an outpouring of support.

The 61-year-old said she shared her story to help others who were struggling, so they would know they were not alone.

“Everyone is going through ‘stuff’ so please just think before you type. I’m old enough to not need the approval of strangers but there are vulnerable people out there who don’t have a thick skin and disparaging comments can do terrible damage.”

Singer Dannii Minogue, Olympian Susie O’Neill, and fellow actors Georgie Parker and Debra Lawrance are among the many people who have shared messages of support in the post’s comments section.

“Babe you are the biggest shining light and it’s because of your vulnerability that allows other (sic) including myself to feel ok to share too,” wrote singer and actor Natalie Bassingthwaighte.

Gibney recently shared photos of her ‘unfiltered’ face on social media. Photos: Instagram

Gibney’s latest update came less than a month after both she and Lawrance shared unfiltered photos of themselves on Instagram as a response to the unrealistic Photoshopped and AI-generated, youth-obsessed representations of beauty that dominate social media.

“It’s just so lovely to see real faces and real lives so I thought I might add my unfiltered sun damaged face and my funny old cowl lick fringe and fine over processed hair to the mix,” Gibney wrote alongside two of her own selfies.

She had been inspired by images of 68-year-old Australian actor Rachel Ward, who also became a target for trolls after posting a selfie video updating the public about her family’s regenerative beef farm in rural NSW.

 

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A post shared by The Australian Women’s Weekly (@womensweeklymag)

In the cover article of this month’s Australian Women’s Weekly, Gibney describes herself as “an oversharer”.

“I’m a huge empath,” she said. “I’ve always said, if I wasn’t an actor, I’d be a psychologist or something in the caring industry.”

Gibney, who was inducted into the TV Week Logies Hall of Fame in 2024, spoke to the magazine about her ADHD and autism diagnosis, which came when she went to see a psychologist while struggling after a particularly busy and challenging period that included competing on reality-TV show Dancing with the Stars.

“I’m still coming to terms with it because it’s answered a lot of questions from my past – my panic attacks, my years of masking, which started obviously at a very early age,” she said.

She revealed that the diagnosis and subsequent treatment were helping her to find a sense of peace and self-acceptance, telling The Weekly:

“I’m going to be a bit more aware of making sure I check in with myself before I say yes to anything.”

Her renewed focus on putting herself and her family first is reflected in the Instagram post announcing Gibney’s “wee break” from all things social media.

“I am extremely grateful that I have and am still receiving help with my ‘stuff’ and I’m now implementing some of that advice,” she wrote.

“So if you need me I’ll be by a river somewhere, walking the dogs, planting veggies with my hubby and talking to the trees.

“Be kind to yourselves and others. And I’ll see you soon. Ish.”

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