'Kony 2012' filmmaker Jason Russell diagnosed with psychosis, wife says

Brendan McDermid / Reuters

Jason Russell is co-founder of nonprofit Invisible Children and director of the

SAN DIEGO -- A co-founder for San Diego-based Invisible Children, who was the face behind the "Kony 2012" video, suffered a brief reactive psychosis the day he was detained in Pacific Beach according to a statement from his family.

Jason Russell, 33, was allegedly masturbating in public, vandalizing cars and acting in what San Diego police characterized as a bizarre manner when he was found in different stages of undress March 15 at the intersection of Ingraham Street and Riviera Road.


Russell was not arrested but rather transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

"During the evaluation we learned we probably needed to take him to a medical facility because of statements he was saying," said Lt. Andra Brown.

Russell's wife Danica Russell released a statement Wednesday revealing a preliminary diagnosis that suggests her husband's actions were in no way the result of drugs or alcohol in his body.

"The preliminary diagnosis he received is called brief reactive psychosis, an acute state brought on by extreme exhaustion, stress and dehydration. Though new to us, the doctors say this is a common experience given the great mental, emotional and physical shock his body has gone through in these last two weeks. Even for us, it's hard to understand the sudden transition from relative anonymity to worldwide attention - both raves and ridicules, in a matter of days," Danica Russell wrote.

Danica went on to say the family is confident Jason will make a full recovery. "Jason will get better," she wrote.

Read original story and view photos and videos on NBCSanDiego.com

Jason Russell will be under hospital care for a couple of weeks his wife explained adding that the recovery process could take months before he can return to Invisible Children.

"We will focus not on a speedy recovery," his wife states. "But a thorough one."

Cops: Invisible Children co-founder detained

Jason Russell is one of the founders responsible for the "Kony 2012" video that recently went viral. He is described on the organization's website as a co-founder and "our grand storyteller and dreamer." Russell is also described as a Christian and father to two children who wants to have nine more children with his wife he calls his "best friend for over 23 years."

The video "Kony 2012" calls for the capture of the Ugandan LRA leader whose fighting tactic involves kidnapping and torturing the country's innocent children.

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God Bless you Jason. God has a plan and this was part of that plan. It got me to look at the video. May you keep on letting the lord guide you.

    Reply#121 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:46 PM EDT

    So you're saying you enjoyed watching this fool masturbate?

    Nice. I'm sure jesus is proud.

    Thanks for over sharing Mrs. N.W.

    Sympathies to your husband.

    • 1 vote
    #121.1 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:49 PM EDT
    Reply

    Personally I don't think that anything involving children and public nudity/ masturbating go too well together.

    • 3 votes
    Reply#122 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:47 PM EDT

    I can't believe people will swallow that explanation. I have seen people in way more stress than that all of the sudden, and they don't run around naked and masturbate in public. If the sudden stress makes you react like a pervert, then there would be a lot of people doing the same. To me that he was doing some kind of strong drug. But in any case, I wish him a thorough recovery. After all, he was fighting for a good cause. Just don't blow it again.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#123 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:47 PM EDT

    Brief Reactive Psychosis can be brought on by DRUGS !!!!! I'm not saying he wasn't stressed and exhausted, but adding drugs to the mix can definitely set off BRP. Take good care of your bod, exercise, eat right, get good rest, and all the stress in the world will not cause BRP -- unless you take drugs. This guy may have been drug free, but then he was probably skipping a lot of meals, not getting much sleep, and his body broke down.

    Takeway message: Say NO to drugs and YES to exercise, good nutrition, lots of water and adequate rest.

      Reply#124 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:48 PM EDT

      unless somebody knows someone with this medical condition

      nobody can judge him

      he must be horrified and scared that this happened to him

      can you imagine if somebody told you...you've been sleep walking naked out in the streets

      it would be so embarassing and frustrating beyond belief to have to live with this condition

      • 2 votes
      Reply#125 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:50 PM EDT

      I'm not a psychiatrist, but I've seen this happen. A young man, prone to depression, lost a classmate and member of his garage band. He started to act paranoid and erratic. Later, he claimed not to remember the events of his episode. I'm sure, by what parts of the documentary I've seen, that it was very traumatic to film and later edit the piece. Shooting it and seeing that stuff first-hand then having to relive it during editing must have been pretty awful. Jason may also be suffering from PSTD, which may cause similar events as brief reactive psychosis. I hope he receives the treatment he needs.

        Reply#126 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:50 PM EDT

        Too many excuses for this guy.

        Fool went bat@!$%# crazy after everyone figured out what a freaking phony he was. Cumming was probably the best thing he could have done in the moment. Good on him for taking the initiative.

        fap fap fap fap fap.

        • 1 vote
        Reply#127 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:52 PM EDT

        Fool went bat@!$%# crazy after everyone figured out what a freaking phony he was.

        LOL!

        Illuminati and Mrs N.W. dont seem to see it that way at all.

        Fortunately, a lot of the rational world does.

          #127.1 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:52 PM EDT
          Reply

          I feel bad for the guy and wish him well. However, Kony 12 is a PR campaign to get the U.S. involved in another military adventure. We can't afford to waste lives and tax dollars and its not in the U.S. vital interests. We should ask ourselves if the beneficiaries are the multinational corporations that want unfettered access to mineral rights in that part of Africa.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#128 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:52 PM EDT

          but someone from a frauded charitable organization found masturbating is. this is mk ultra all the way. everybody knows what this video was all about. taking oil in uganda seeing how the american dollar is off the gold standard and on an oil standard.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#129 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:54 PM EDT

          I hope he'll be ok. He is fighting a noble cause.

            Reply#130 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:56 PM EDT

            "brief reactive psychosis" - B.S.! Anyone can assign a medical term to any situation to make it sound impressive. The term "brief" is used to explain why it wont (may not) happen again but that was clearly NOT stress related. The man was clearly on drugs.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#131 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:58 PM EDT

            The human mind is not a grab bag of unknown here, people. If he was doing that, it's because the potential for it was already inside him. I've been exhausted and near death due to literally YEARS of sleep dep and sickness, but I always remained in control. People want to use "mental illness" as an excuse for subconscious desires getting conscious, but really, it's all a matter of what kind of person you are.

            You are either a person who is in control of him/herself or you are not. He, clearly, is not. Argue with that all you want, but it won't change that fact. Our culture is coming up with more and more reasons to placate weakness in people... treating drug use as some kind of "sickness" and someone freaking out like this as just a minor problem. It means you cannot trust him. He could have just as easily killed his children or molested them. Could you forgive him for that? If you cannot control your mind, you fail at life. Dope you up or swaddle you with pillows and therapy, you're still not ok.

            I've been through hell and I didn't crack. This guy gets famous and cracks, but it's okay... he was "just ill."

            Whatever. It's called self control. He doesn't have it. No pitty for him here. Just pitty for fools who allow that behavior to continue.

            • 4 votes
            Reply#132 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:00 PM EDT

            Sorry Ma'am, if you didn't want to see me masturbate, you shouldn't have sat next to me on the bus!!!

              Reply#133 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:04 PM EDT

              i say it's those african voodoo doctors!!!

              • 1 vote
              Reply#134 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:08 PM EDT

              True to that!

                #134.1 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:21 PM EDT

                i say it's those african voodoo doctors!!!

                Maybe KONY was channeling him...

                HEY!! That's it!!!!

                It was KONY channeling satan into this noble christian!!!!

                That HAS to be it!!!!

                Someone praise jesus for this breakthrough!!!!

                Thank You April! Thank You !!!

                Can I git an AMEN!!!

                  #134.2 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:55 PM EDT
                  Reply

                  "a brief reactive psychosis".. Hmmm. Gotta remember that. It may come in handy someday.

                    Reply#135 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:08 PM EDT

                    It's amazing when white people have afflictions, someone makes up fancy terminologies in trying to make sense of there problem. Dude is a pervert, and should receive the same treatment as other freaks do for public masturbation!!! PERIOD..

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#136 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:10 PM EDT

                    I found out about his cause through this incident.

                      Reply#137 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:11 PM EDT

                      How many American kids did he scar that witnessed him spanking it in public?

                      Did they do toxology tests on this guy to be sure it was not drug or alcohol related?

                        Reply#138 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:13 PM EDT

                        I challenge them to show some blood test results, this dude had to be under the influence of something. "Extreme exhaustion, stress and dehydration". I can tell you about extreme stress and exhaustion - I recently lost my dominant right arm. Then consequently my job, my home, and nearly all my worldly possessions. Currently I'm living in a motel (about to be thrown out), about to have my only means of transportation repossessed and have no one that is able to help. I have yet to strip my clothing off, run out in the street masturbating and acting like a psycho. It's a cover up.

                        • 3 votes
                        Reply#139 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:14 PM EDT

                        It must have taken you a really long time to type this.

                        • 2 votes
                        #139.1 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:33 PM EDT

                        Twice as long as before the accident. :)

                          #139.2 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:38 PM EDT

                          Ask jesus to fix it all for you!!!!

                          Thats what this Jason Russell does and look what happened to him.

                          You'll be out in the street, cumming for the lord in no time!

                          • 1 vote
                          #139.3 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:57 PM EDT
                          Reply

                          Why is it that when people have one of these "psychotic episodes", they never do anything good, like run around washing peoples cars, or saying hello to everyone, or paying parking meters? Why is it always something disgusting like public masturbation or vandalizing cars?

                          This is a bunch of BS, its probably a big publicity stunt. Any press is good press I suppose. Maybe he should have just made a sex video. It worked for Kim and Paris.

                          There are MANY people who have gone from nothing to famous without masturbating in public. And he wants NINE children? He of all people should know how overpopulated the world is becoming.

                            Reply#140 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:15 PM EDT

                            didn't Martin Lawrence do the almost exact thing years ago?

                              Reply#141 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:15 PM EDT

                              This guy has my prayers.

                                Reply#142 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:17 PM EDT

                                I believe the man has fallen victim to what would be "African Black Magic" due to his work and negative feed back on this War Lord that now thanks to him Most of this world hates. It is a common form of vengeance perform by people form that land. Poor guy he needs prayer lots of it.

                                • 1 vote
                                Reply#143 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:19 PM EDT

                                oh pleaze.

                                just put a wig and a dress on him, and he will blend with the rest of the queens that are also known for their flaming psychosis.

                                • 1 vote
                                Reply#144 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:22 PM EDT

                                Unfortunately this sort of thing can happen. I imagine it is rare, but I watched it happen to someone I know. The one I knew never did return to normal. At the time, he was in his early 30's and under major stress. This event also seemed to run in one side of his family, which suggests a genetic predispostion.

                                My best wishes to this man and his family.

                                • 2 votes
                                Reply#145 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:23 PM EDT

                                lsd has the same affect after a single use.

                                  #145.1 - Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:43 PM EDT
                                  Reply
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