Tragic Details About Hallmark Star JoAnna Garcia Swisher's Life

You may not know that Hallmark star JoAnna Garcia Swisher has weathered serious storms over the years, which have taught her important coping skills. "I think with life and experiencing different things, enduring them, surviving them, you kind of start to realize, okay, maybe I could survive that fear," she explained to Wondermind in 2023. And those tough times have inspired this talented star to speak out so others don't feel alone. "It's all about being able to relate to one another because we sometimes feel really alone and hopeless, and those things are universal feelings. The more we can talk about that, the less alone you feel, the less hopeless you feel," the "Steel Magnolias" actor shared. "No one person has all the answers, so, as a community, being there for one another is so very important," she added.

But while Garcia Swisher may not have the answers to everything, she, unfortunately, does have plenty of experience with tragic events and unthinkable losses. From losing her parents and grandmother in the space of a year and a half to learning how to cope with postpartum depression and anxiety, this star's life sadly hasn't always been as easy as it may look from the outside.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher tragically lost both her parents in a 16-month period. Her father, Jay, passed away in November 2019. Her mother, Loraine, then died in March 2021. In September 2022, Garcia Swisher opened up about her immense grief on Instagram alongside a photo of her late parents walking arm in arm. "Some days are just harder than others. That whole thing about grief being like a wave. It's so true," she captioned the upload.

The following year, Garcia Swisher spoke about her unimaginable loss to Wondermind, sharing how therapy helped her work through her feelings. "We've talked a lot about the trauma that I experienced in the actual moments of my parents' death. So I'm trying to revisit that. I keep going back to those places," she bravely explained. "Those two moments were very different but similar in the way that I was with both of them when they died. We've been dealing a lot more with that trauma lately, I think." She also shared a profound take on how she knew her life would never be the same again, telling the outlet, "It's so deeply painful that you want to kind of get through it. And it's hard because you never really get through it. It just changes everything."

In addition to losing her parents, Joanna Garcia Swisher also had to grapple with the tragic death of her grandmother under difficult circumstances. In a March 2021 Instagram post, Garcia Swisher confirmed that her grandmother, Helen, had died just two weeks before her mom. "At some point I will steady myself enough to share just what these two incredible women meant to me and the ones they loved and loved them...but for now, I'm at a loss. A desperately devastated loss," she wrote.

Helen's death was made even more heartbreaking because the "Sweet Magnolias" star and her children couldn't spend a lot of quality time with her before her passing. In September 2020, Garcia Swisher posted a bittersweet family photo on Facebook. It showed her girls posing with their great-grandmother on her birthday, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, they could only see her through a window. "Certainly isn't the way we had hoped we would be celebrating you today, Grandma. But we are grateful for any time we get to spend with you and owe you a big 91st birthday bash when these doors open!" Garcia Swisher captioned the upload.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher has been very open about her mental health struggles. The actor posted a candid message on Facebook in 2019 to acknowledge World Mental Health Awareness and share she was experiencing anxiety triggered by a family health issue. "To say I'm emotionally and mentally depleted is an understatement. I share all of this because it brought up some serious realizations that quite honestly smacked me in the face with emotion," she wrote. "I am sharing my own struggles with my anxiety in the hope that it reminds us all that we are never as alone as we sometimes feel," she added. Four years later, while speaking to Wondermind, Garcia Swisher shared that she was still dealing with anxiety but had learned how to cope better with her mental health. "I think my journey in battling my anxiety has been about bolstering my inner self and having faith that I have the tools to get through it when I'm feeling uncomfortable," the former "Reba" star said. After all, embracing anxiety can sometimes be the key to managing it.

Sadly, anxiety isn't the only negative mental health experience Garcia Swisher has experienced. Following the birth of her daughter, Sailor, in 2016, Garcia Swisher encountered postpartum depression. "I was sort of in a blur," she shared on "Build Series" in 2017. "I was more than just a little off. I felt very not grounded, on any level." Thankfully, with the support of her family and by being a little kinder to herself, the actor was able to work through her struggles.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Long before Joanna Garcia Swisher became a Hallmark star, she was subjected to unacceptable body shaming. Speaking on "Good Life Project" in August 2022, Garcia Swisher said, "I won't name the movie, but I was doing a movie, and the director called me 'fat.'" The remark was no doubt hurtful to hear, and the then-21-year-old Garcia Swisher walked away from the project — which could have seriously affected her career. "I quit. I was like, 'I'm going home. I'm not doing this, and you can't speak to me like that, and this is who I am.'" The director eventually apologized, and Garcia Swisher decided to return to work, but she admitted that her manager didn't support her initial decision to leave. "My manager was like, 'What the hell are you doing?'" Garcia Swisher shared, recalling she had to make it clear she wouldn't be disrespected by anyone. "I just knew I wouldn't allow it," she said.

Thankfully, Garcia Swisher clearly still has the tools to deal with bullies should any other negative comments come her way. "Confidence comes with time and age, but I don't think it ever goes away. There's a lot of outside chaos, but I have to practice what I preach," she told Morning Honey in 2023.

Joanna Garcia Swisher knows firsthand how difficult it can be to balance work and home life, and she's gotten candid about how tough she found going back to work as a mom. Speaking on "Build Series," Garcia Swisher shared that she initially felt guilty for needing childcare and shared a heart-wrenching story of how her eldest daughter, Emerson, once begged her not to leave. "My daughter, who's four, who loves to tear at my heartstrings. Tear at them, not tug. She was like, 'Don't go to work, mommy!' ... A part of me wanted to just hold her and be like, 'I love you!' but I was like, 'I love you, and I'm coming home, but mommy is doing what she loves,'" she explained. Garcia Swisher viewed how she handled the situation as a parenting win, but still felt extreme guilt most of the time. "I'm like, 'Oh my God, 'I'm terrible!'" she shared.

Sadly, that didn't get much easier for the star as her daughters got older. Garcia Swisher told Us Weekly in July 2024 she wanted to show her kids it's a good thing she has a job she loves, but, just like Kate Middleton, she still feels mom guilt.