Cesar Millan, 'Dog Whisperer' Opens up About Suicide Attempt Following Divorce and Dog's Death, Talks New Love Jahira Dar and New Show
Cesar Millan, infamous star of the Nat Geo WILD channel's reality show "Dog Whisperer," recently opened up about a 2010 suicide attempt following a low point in his life in which he lost his top dog (Daddy) to cancer and went through a divorce from his wife of 16 years, Ilusion. Millan now opens up a new chapter of his life, starring in the Nat Geo WILD show "Leader of the Pack" (premiering in January 2013) and embarking on a fresh love adventure with girlfriend Jahira Dar. Millan candidly opens up about all these intimate experiences in an upcoming Nat Geo Wild documentary, "Cesar Millan: The Real Story" (airing Nov. 25). Millan's personal blog also offers an intimate glimpse into the Dog Whisperer's life trials.
Millan admits that the year 2010 was "the lowest level I had ever been at emotionally and psychologically." In February of that year, he lost his top dog, Daddy, to cancer after spending 16 years as a team. A month later, his wife Ilusion told him she wanted a divorce after 16 years of marriage (the couple has two sons together). In May 2010, Millan attempted suicide by taking a drug overdose - he admits to winding up unconscious and hospitalized. In June, news of his divorce went public.
Talking about his divorce, Millan states, "It was hard, because I wasn't expecting it.I went into a big depression. I lost a lot of weight. And I felt that I lost the most important thing, which was my family."
Millan goes into more detail on his blog:
"I got married in 1994 and had two sons, Andre in 1995 and Calvin in 2001. But in June 2010, I received news of my divorce while in London and it made my whole world come down. I felt defeated, a big sense of guilt and failure. I had my boys with me, but I wasn't feeling good. I was at the lowest level I had ever been emotionally and psychologically. It was also my first summer without Daddy, who had passed on the previous February after being with me for nearly sixteen years. In fact, Daddy had helped Andre learn how to walk, and had helped me rehabilitate many a dog and train many a dog lover. He also helped me pick out his protégé, Junior, who joined the pack as a puppy in 2008 and has grown into another calm and mellow pit bull ambassador."
In the upcoming documentary special, Millan admits that he finally fought off depression and regained control of his life through exercise and work, not prescribed medication.
Millan also has a new love in his life, Jahira Dar. He is thinking about proposing, but plans on asking Dar's family first - "I know they are going to say yes, but I like the whole Cinderella story."
Millan sums up with, "I think my life has everything, you know, it has comedy has drama has action. I don't know about the ending yet. I'm just glad I can tell the story. Hopefully people get inspired, they get motivated. It doesn't matter where you come from. Really what I would like for people to get out of this is just to not lose hope, no matter what happens. You should never lose hope."
Millan filmed his new show, "Leader of the Pack," in Spain - it premieres on Nat Geo Wild in January.