{"id":361910,"date":"2026-04-03T12:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/361910\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:39:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:39:15","slug":"rebecca-gibney-health-packed-to-the-rafters-star-announces-social-media-break-after-copping-backlash-for-sharing-her-health-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/361910\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebecca Gibney health: Packed to the Rafters star announces social media break after copping ‘backlash’ for sharing her health diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rebecca Gibney<\/a> \ufeffis stepping back from social media after revealing her Attention-Deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Packed to the Rafters<\/a> star, 61, announced she was taking a hiatus from social media as she “needs to reconnect with my hubby, my dogs and myself”.<\/p>\n

She also detailed some of the negative comments she’d received as a result of opening up about her diagnosis. \ufeff<\/p>\n

W\ufeffatch the videos above.<\/p>\n

Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here<\/a><\/p>\n

\"RebeccaBeloved Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney \ufeffhas revealed she’s taking a break from social media. (Instagram)<\/p>\n

“\ufeffHello friends, it’s time for a wee break from all things SM,” she wrote in her lengthy post.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I have stopped fully living in the present and I need to reconnect with my hubby, my dogs and myself. Thank you for the overwhelmingly supportive response to my recent post around my ADHD\/ASD diagnosis,” she wrote in part.<\/p>\n

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\"Rebecca“\ufeffHello friends, it’s time for a wee break from all things SM,” she wrote. (Instagram\/@rebeccagibney_)<\/p>\n

She also had some stern words of advice for trolls and critics who posted negative criticism about her diagnosis.<\/p>\n

“Alas, there has also been a little backlash so I just wanted to say to the people that responded with ‘get over it’, ‘it’s not cancer’, ‘stop jumping on the bandwagon’ and ‘nobody cares’ \u2013 just a wee word of advice.<\/p>\n

“If you don’t know the full story of someone’s life, please don’t make assumptions or fire off petty comments.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

\"RebeccaShe’s known for her role on the Packed to the Rafters. (Getty)<\/p>\n

“I share my story so that it may encourage others who might be struggling to know they are not alone.”<\/p>\n

She added in part: “I am extremely grateful that I have and am still receiving help with my ‘stuff’ and I’m now implementing some of that advice.”<\/p>\n

\ufeffFor a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Underneath, she received words of support from followers.<\/p>\n

Singer and actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte said she is “the biggest shining light” in her comment underneath. \ufeff<\/p>\n

Gibney disclosed in March 2026 that she was diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder after receiving insights from three psychiatrists.<\/p>\n

Speaking about her diagnosis to The Weekly<\/a>, she said: \ufeff”It’s been hard. It’s been very emotional.<\/p>\n

“I’m still coming to terms with it because it’s answered a lot of questions from my past \u2013 my panic attacks, my years of masking, which started obviously at a very early age.”<\/p>\n

She added: “There’s that slight mourning \u2013 gosh, if I’d known this 40, 50 years ago, would I have gone through all the stuff that I went through? Maybe it would have made my high school years easier because, you know, I did have a lot of mental health struggles.”<\/p>\n

\ufeffIf you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline<\/a> on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).<\/p>\n

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