Jonah Hill has found himself in the spotlight, but not for the right reasons. His ex-girlfriend, Sarah Brady, recently stepped forward and accused him of emotionally manipulating her during their relationship. As a result, this revelation has led to the Get Him to the Greek star being categorized as potentially ‘toxic’ and ‘manipulative’.
The accusations against him brought about public scrutiny surrounding his behavior. It also sparked important conversations on social media about the need for healthy relationships and the potential harm that can occur in personal relationships, even among high-profile individuals.
According to reports, Jonah Hill and Sarah Brady, a 26-year-old semi-pro surfer and model, apparently crossed paths while surfing together in the summer of 2021. The two hit it off and began dating in August 2021, continuing their relationship until sometime in early 2022.
After their breakup, it wasn’t until July 7 of the following year (2023) that Sarah Brady finally opened up about her relationship with Jonah Hill and the reasons behind their split. She also shared the details of their time together, giving insight into the dynamics of their relationship.
During the weekends, Brady took to social media, specifically Instagram, to share screenshots of conversations that she claimed were exchanges between her and Hill. These messages quickly became the center of attention, stirring up controversy.
As people learned about the exposed messages, they were met with a mixture of surprise and disappointment — Hill’s words paint a picture of someone who may have had a controlling and manipulative side. In the messages, Hill expressed discomfort with Brady’s Instagram pictures, claiming they were “triggering” for him. In order to continue their relationship, he imposed some peculiar conditions. He insisted that she refrain from posting pictures of herself in a bathing suit, avoid surfing with male companions, and even sever ties with female friends who are in unstable places. These conditions were deemed his “boundaries” and were expected to be unquestionably respected. In the eyes of netizens, the messages depict Jonah Hill as an individual who could manipulate language from therapy to justify some unreasonable demands.
It’s worth noting that this behavior is not new — it’s been happening since Freud came up with his penis envy theory. Many manipulative individuals have historically co-opted therapeutic language to exert control. Using therapy jargon such as the one he used in the messages ‘boundaries’ and ‘triggering’ can serve as a shield, allowing people to avoid confronting their actions.
Nowadays, there’s a trend of self-diagnosing with fancy psychological labels to explain away behaviors. For example, someone might diagnose themselves as a “sex and love addict” with an “anxious-avoidant attachment style” to justify their pattern of engaging in casual relationships without emotional commitment. This casual self-diagnosis, often done on platforms like TikTok, has even caused concern among the ADHD community, as people without proper understanding are misusing terms.
The reality is that sometimes, irrespective of one’s past experiences or in this case, boundaries or triggers, a person may simply just be acting poorly. Perhaps it’s time for all of us to take responsibility for our actions instead of hiding behind therapy lingo.
