James Packer: ‘I was a complete zombie’

In his first TV interview in more than a decade, the billionaire has spoken candidly about his mental health issues, use of Ozempic and breakups with Erica Packer and Mariah Carey.

James Packer has revealed he doesn’t know what medicine he is on to treat his bipolar as a nurse travels with him around the clock.

The Australian billionaire has spoken candidly in an extraordinary interview in the hope of helping others struggling with mental health battles on Seven’s Spotlight current affairs program.

“I have a nurse that travels with me,” Packer told reporter Liam Bartlett.

“I couldn’t tell you what I’m on because I’m on a bunch of things and someone does it for me.”

Speaking on Seven’s Spotlight, James Packer opened up about his struggles with bipolar and his “self-destructive” behaviour. Picture: Supplied by 7NEWS Spotlight

It is Packer’s first television interview in more than a decade. The super private businessman, who turned 57 on Sunday, was remarkably candid about his mental health journey and spoke of the ‘medication merry-go-round’ he has been on to treat bipolar.

“The worst drug I was on, I was put on lithium in 2022 and within two weeks I was a zombie … I was a complete zombie,” the son of the late Kerry Packer said.

“My experience is from having worked with psychiatrists in Israel, in Argentina, in America and all sorts of places is if you get put on the wrong drugs, it can be worse, it can be worse [than the mental illness itself].”

Packer took part in the exclusive interview as part of a broader Spotlight special on mental health ahead of the release of former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden’s book, Profiles of Hope.

Robbie Williams and James Packer on the Channel 7 Spotlight show. Picture: Supplied.

He has an estimated net worth of nearly $5 billion.

“I am not here to play the victim, I think I am a very fortunate person,” he said, later adding: “Money is not a guarantee of happiness but neither is poverty. I would prefer to be rich and unhappy than to try and be poor and unhappy. I think my downs coincided with either being on the wrong medication or having too much stress at work, and when I say too much stress at work, that is code for too much debt and problems with the business.”

Packer has long battled his weight and also revealed he was on Ozempic but that the drug was not working.

“I’m on it and I’m putting on weight,” he said.

“I’m eating a lot of sugar. I’m consuming a lot of sugar … truckloads of sugar. Don’t make me feel bad.”

The wide-ranging interview saw nothing off limits with Packer discussing everything from his marriages to his celebrity friends.

He was once a Scientologist but left the church and is no longer in contact with Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise.

James Packer said he is no longer friends with actor Tom Cruise. Picture: Channel 7,

“I’m no longer a member of the Church of Scientology,” he explained.

“I was good friends with Tom Cruise. It’s Tom’s choice not mine that we’re not friends anymore. I’ll never say a bad word about him, he was a wonderful friend to me. He is an amazing person.”

Packer described his break-up from former fiancee Mariah Carey as a “trainwreck” and spoke of the regret he felt over his marriage breakdown with Erica Packer, with whom he has three children.

James Packer said his break up with Mariah Carey was a “trainwreck”. Picture: Channel 7,

Careful with his words, not wanting to go into the topic, Packer said substance abuse was an issue as he attempted to deal with his “mania” and business stresses.

“I drank too much and did things I shouldn’t have done,” he said.

“I am sure that played a role in some of my mental health challenges, no doubt. I felt very guilty for my marriage to Erica not working and I was self-destructive. She deserved better than I gave and I became self-destructive.”

Of experiencing mania, he said: “When I’ve been in mania, I feel at my best and I’m probably at my most unreasonable. And as I look back, that probably cost me my marriage with Erica and I was probably in mania for a couple of years.”