Steve Burns, best known as the original host of Blue’s Clues, recently shared a deeply personal look into his struggles with mental health and how a bizarre, persistent internet rumor made things worse. During an interview on Rainn Wilson’s Soul Boom podcast released on May 1, 2025, Burns reflected on how widespread false claims of his death added fuel to an already dark chapter in his life.
Now 51, Burns revealed that even during his time on Blue’s Clues, he was quietly dealing with clinical depression. What made things more difficult, he said, was the growing wave of online misinformation, particularly the widespread belief that he had died — with stories ranging from drug overdoses to suicide. “That’s the last thing you want to hear when you’re already battling serious depression,” he told Wilson.
Steve Burns Getting Real About Life
As internet rumors spiraled, Nickelodeon tried to push back against the false reports. Burns explained that the network often sent him on talk shows just to prove he was still alive. He made appearances on programs like The Rosie O’Donnell Show and even danced with Busta Rhymes on one occasion — but the rumors persisted. “People would still come up to me and say, ‘I thought you were dead,’” Burns said, adding that it felt both surreal and helpless to try to fight an online myth with no clear origin.
After stepping away from the show, Burns said his mental health declined further. He began drinking heavily and isolated himself in a house he had built in Brooklyn. He described that period as “the gray” — a lost decade marked by nightly wine, solitude, and TV marathons of shows like MythBusters. “I just disappeared,” he said, reflecting on how disconnected he had become from his own identity.
The emotional weight of being publicly misremembered while privately unraveling left a lasting impact. Burns’ honesty about that experience adds a new layer to his legacy — not just as a beloved children’s TV host, but as someone who faced a long, painful battle behind the scenes and is now speaking openly in hopes of helping others.
