Johnny Manziel reveals suicide attempt in new documentary

In a report from David Ubben of The Athletic, the national college football writer notes that Manziel's attempt to end his life came in the months after the Cleveland Browns cut him in 2016.

The former Texas A&M QB says in the documentary that he purchased a gun "months earlier," and according to Ubben's report, he planned to use it to carry out death by suicide. However, the gun malfunctioned when he pulled the trigger.

"Still to this day, don’t know what happened. But the gun just clicked on me,” Manziel said, per the report.

The documentary — titled “Untold: Johnny Football” — is scheduled for release on Netflix on Tuesday.

Manziel, 30, said in the film that after the 2015 season, he started using OxyContin and cocaine daily, dropping from 215 pounds in January to 175 pounds in September.

Manziel won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 with the Aggies and was selected by Browns in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played just 14 games, making eight starts across two seasons, before being cut in March 2016.

Manziel faced a misdemeanor assault charge after allegations he hit and threatened his then-girlfriend in January 2016, two months before his release. His lawyers eventually reached an agreement with officials to dismiss the charge upon set conditions.

Manziel said in the documentary that after being cut by Cleveland, he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Per Ubben's report, "Johnny Football" then twice refused to enter rehab, and he began "self-sabotaging, going on a '$5 million bender' before attempting to end his life."

"I had planned to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life, spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life," Manziel said in the documentary. "I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense, and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me."

The documentary's director, Ryan Duffy, told The Athletic that Manziel was "pretty much an open book" in the on-camera interviews.

"For us, once he was comfortable talking about (the suicide attempt) and rehab and the various other things he’s been dealing with over the last few years, I think it was a no-brainer to have it in the film because it really solidifies a little bit of what we all probably perceived as a struggle," Duffy said, per Ubben's report.

If you are in the United States and you or a loved one have contemplated suicide, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a trained counselor.