Subheading: From Tom Holland and Bradley Cooper to Demi Lovato and Jamie Lee Curtis, stars share their stories on sobriety and how they turned their lives around.
Although becoming sober is not always simple, some people aren’t hesitant to share their stories. Celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Tom Holland, and Bradley Cooper have been open and honest about their sober journeys; they have shared their prior issues with addiction and what or who eventually motivated them to get assistance.
Will Arnett served as a wake-up call for the A Star Is Born filmmaker, who used cocaine and alcohol excessively in the early aughts. He revealed this during a 2022 guest on the Arrested Development alum’s Smartless podcast. Prior to Arnett confronting him about acting like a “real a–hole” at a dinner party with pals, he had no idea he was headed down a self-destructive road.
“That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol,” Cooper shared. “He took that risk of having a hard conversation with me that put me on a path of deciding to change my life.”
And in getting sober and being open, the actor went on to help Brad Pitt on his own journey.
The former Hollywood star of Once Upon a Time struggled with alcohol and drug addictions before making a lifestyle change that he acknowledged would never end. “I’m really happy it’s been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips again,” he stated to GQ Style in 2017. “I think that’s part of the human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve.”
Lovato, who relapsed and developed a heroin addiction in 2018 and almost died after an overdose, agrees.
“It’s sobriety that works for me and nothing else,” the musician admitted to Alternative Press in 2022 after giving up narcotics and alcohol. “My story’s not done.”
Continue reading for more celebrity sobriety tales, ranging from Jamie Lee Curtis to Anne Hathaway.
Holland, Tom
The star of Spider-Man: No Way Home gave up booze in 2022 because she felt “enslaved” to it. Holland said, “I was definitely addicted to alcohol, not shying away from that at all,” during the On Purpose podcast featuring Jay Shetty. “I think that anyone that has a beer everyday has probably got a little bit of a problem.”
“And then you would just reach that moment where you’re like ‘Wow, I shouldn’t have had that last beer,'” said the actor. “And you wake up the next day and you have a terrible headache.”
After changing his way of living, Holland observed that he “could sleep better” and “handle problems better.”
“Things that would go wrong on set that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride,” he said. “I could think so much more clearly. I had more energy. I felt more in shape.”
Baldwin, Alec
The actor from Hunt for Red October rarely discusses his nearly forty-year sobriety journey.
He stated, “I don’t discuss this a lot,” in a podcast interview from May 2024. “I talk about it occasionally when it makes sense. I have been sober for 39 years. I became sober on February 23, 1985.
Alec talked on his life after relocating to Los Angeles in 1983 from New York City, saying, “I had a white-hot problem every day for two years.” From this place to Saturn, I believe I snorted a line of cocaine. We brought it home with us. After all, cocaine was then comparable to coffee. All day long, it was being done by everyone.”
And shortly after giving up the drug, he developed an alcohol addiction, which he later kicked as well.
He depends on the city surrounding him now.
Of his residence, “New York relaxes me,” he said. “As I move around, I see things about it that I had never noticed before. I often think to myself, “My God, I never noticed that about that building, those doors,” when I look at a structure. I
Hathaway, Anne
In April 2024, the Princess Diaries alum revealed that she has been sober for more than five years. The New York Times quoted her as saying, “That feels like a milestone to me.”
She gave a really clear explanation. She said, “Deep down, I knew it wasn’t for me.” It seemed quite harsh to have to respond, ‘But none?’ But not one. You don’t fight with something if you’re allergic to it or experiencing an anaphylactic reaction to it. I gave up debating with it after that.
She’s glad she took that choice, too. “My personal experience with it is that everything is better,” she said. “It was wallowing gasoline, for me. Additionally, I dislike moping.”
Liam Payne
In May 2023, the One Direction alum celebrated being 100 days sober.
“I feel amazing,” he said at the time. “I feel really, really good, and support from the fans and everything has been really, really good.”
His battle began during the height of 1D mania. “The problem we had in the band—and I don’t blame anybody for this…But it feels to me like, when we were in the band, the best way to secure us, because of how big it got, was to just lock us in a room. And, of course, what is in the room? A minibar,” Liam shared. “So at a certain point, I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one,’ and that just seemed to carry on throughout many years of my life.”
He has been open about his sobriety throughout. He remembered this in June 2021, when he claimed to have been more than a month sober. “It was only until I saw myself after that I was like, ‘All right, I need to fix myself,'” he said. I refer to the few photos I have of myself on a boat as having a “pills-and-booze face” since I look so fat.I had almost ten times as much hair as I do now. Additionally, I simply didn’t like who I was, so I changed.”
These are just a few stories among many that showcase the courage and resilience of individuals who have battled addiction and found their way to sobriety. Their journeys serve as inspiration for others facing similar struggles, proving that recovery is possible with determination, support, and a willingness to change.
