Matthew Lillard saves his fan's life: 'I went crazy'

Matthew Lillard became an ultimate source of hope and motivation for his fan after a life-altering encounter.

Alex Mersman, an ardent fan of Lillard, posted a public message on Threads on Monday, April 27, in which he revealed that the 56-year-old American actor and director encouraged him to achieve sobriety following a dark patch in his life.

He wrote, “A few years ago, my apartment burned down in NYC. I went crazy depressed, and sank deeper into hard drugs.”

Mersman went on to confess that he “sent” himself to rehab but “before leaving, I got to meet you at Seattle's ComicCon. I was really unwell, emotionally, physically, mentally.”

At the convention one day, he got a chance to meet Lillard, whom he opened up to about his life, especially telling him about his addiction.

The Scooby-Doo star extended his support by hugging his fan Mersman. He added, “You told me to give you a real bear hug. For minutes, it seemed. You said, ‘You got this. One Day at a time. I believed in you.' I cried cried.”

It is pertinent to mention that Mersman, who showed gratitude to Matthew Lillard for inspiring him, celebrated eighteen months of his sobriety on Monday, April 27.