Answer Addiction

Tag: reality TV stars

  • The Situation Talks Sobriety, Helping Those In Active Addiction

    The Situation Talks Sobriety, Helping Those In Active Addiction

    “We want to shed light on the fact that there are positive stories out there — we do recover. Most importantly, the comeback is truly greater than the setback.”

    Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has had an intense year. He spent majority of 2019 in prison over tax evasion charges and more recently he and his wife revealed that they suffered a miscarriage. The Jersey Shore star opened up about his rough year in a new interview.

    “Those important principles that I learned are what helped us get through prison and through the most recent situation with my wife and a bit of a complication we had, so I guess everything in life happens for a reason,” he told PEOPLE.

    Four Years Sober

    Sorrentino who is now four years sober is doing his part to give back to others by partnering with treatment centers to spread awareness about addiction.

    “We want to shed light on the fact that there are positive stories out there — we do recover,” he explained. “Most importantly, the comeback is truly greater than the setback.”

    He continued, “I was in a treatment center and I was really just sort of sick and tired. I was desperate for results. I really wanted to be able to look in the mirror again and make myself proud, I wanted to make my mother proud. So I just made a promise to myself for there to be no excuses, for me to do the best I can to absorb as much as I could in rehab and practice those principles in my everyday life, and for me to stay on the road to recovery no matter what. Ever since then, I’ve continued being my best self, and now I’m living my best life and teaching others to do the same.”

    Light At The End Of The Tunnel

    Sorrentino battled an addiction to prescription painkillers over a three-year period that culminated in two separate stints in rehab. With the support of his wife Lauren Pesce and other supporters, the 37-year-old has been able to maintain his sobriety through the extreme lows.

    “There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but don’t forget that light is you,” Sorrentino said. “The only person that can fix your life is the person in the mirror. In active recovery, there are no excuses. You never want to get off the road to recovery. It’s really about going one day at a time for the rest of your life.”

    The Situation is not the only member of The Jersey Shore cast to get sober. Earlier this year, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro announced that he was entering rehab for alcoholism and depression.

    “I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter,” he explained to US Weekly. “Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now – that’s happy, healthy, and the best role model for my daughter.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Real Housewives" Star Kim Richards On Sobriety: "I Have Complete Clarity"

    "Real Housewives" Star Kim Richards On Sobriety: "I Have Complete Clarity"

    “It isn’t even about sobriety so much as I don’t want it here because it’s going to interfere with what I do,” Richards said.

    It’s been a long road to recovery for Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards. During BravoCon, a convention dedicated to the network that is the home to RHOBH, Entertainment Tonight caught up with Richards to discuss mending relationships and why sobriety has been so important to her. 

    “I don’t have room for anything,” the 55-year-old reality star told Entertainment Tonight. “I have complete clarity. Especially doing my spiritual work and being a Reiki practitioner, I don’t have room to have anything be foggy or… It isn’t even about sobriety so much as I don’t want it here because it’s going to interfere with what I do… There isn’t room for that.”

    Life Is Too Beautiful To Waste This

    Richards, who attended the event with her sister Kyle and her half-sister Kathy Hilton, then got emotional when discussing her rocky relationship with Kyle. 

    “I think Kyle was texting me and I was not having it. And I think, just through the spirit experience, where I’m at, my open heart, my open mind, just kind of put me in a place of… I think I just wrote her and said, ‘Let’s put this down. Let’s put this away. Life is too, it can be too short. I love you and I miss you.’ And she loved and missed me,” she recalled, before adding tearfully, “Life is too beautiful to waste this.” 

    Back in 2017, Kyle spoke with ET about how she once thought about quitting the show because of the strain it put on her relationship with Kim, who left the show that year to focus on her sobriety after a highly publicized relapse in 2015, led her to enter rehab again.

    Returning To Rehab

    Kim spoke with ET that year about the relapse that pushed her to return to rehab, “I love sobriety, and I’ve always loved sobriety. Relapsing was very hard for me.”

    “My heart ached for my children,” she explained. “I felt terrible and I didn’t know how to tell them. I think the phone rang and it was Brooke, and I said, ‘Hello,’ and she said, ‘Hi, so you got arrested?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and she said, ‘I’m just glad you’re OK, Mommy. I love you.’”

    Kim has been to rehab four times to deal with substance abuse and mental health issues – something, she’s likely to talk about in her upcoming memoir. Kim told Page Six that it was “rough” looking back through her life for material for the memoir.

    “I’ve always been spiritual, but then I really started digging in and looking at really, like, who I was, who I became and who I am today,” she explained. “Only time knows who I’ll end up being. I’m really continuing to grow and it’s been a process. Looking back at my life, every bit of it from the beginning, was very, wow. Some of the … painful parts were tough. It’s been beautiful, too. I’ve grown a lot.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Vanderpump Rules" Star James Kennedy Is 5 Months Sober

    "Vanderpump Rules" Star James Kennedy Is 5 Months Sober

    “I never realized how much alcohol was slowing me down and making me procrastinate in big life things that I could be pursuing now,” Kennedy says.

    Reality TV star James Kennedy is enjoying his newfound sobriety. The Vanderpump Rules star, who infamously showcased his heavy drinking on the show, spoke to People during BravoCon, a convention dedicated to all things related to the popular basica cable channel that is home to Rules and the Real Housewives franchise.

    “I don’t drink anymore,” the 27-year-old told People. “I’m five months sober now. It’s been incredible.”

    Going Public With His Sobriety

    Kennedy first went public with his sober journey on Instagram back in August. In the post, he announced that he was coming upon four weeks of sobriety and fans showered him with support. Prior to becoming sober, Kennedy’s problematic relationship with alcohol was highlighted on the show as he lost work due to his drinking and hurt many friendships that he had cultivated with other stars of the show. 

    “I never realized how much alcohol was slowing me down and making me procrastinate in big life things that I could be pursuing now,” he told People during BravoCon. “My career is getting even bigger and my deejaying is really taking off so I’m taking it seriously. I’m going to take over!”

    Now that’s he sober, he has had to learn to deal with stage fright and anxiety without the aid of alcohol.

    “I’m dealing with all the anxiety and pre-show jitters without drowning myself in vodka,” he described. “You’ll see this season what I do to actually get over alcohol, it was a process for sure. I take it day by day and keep it gangsta.”

    Lala’s Sober Journey

    Kennedy’s Vanderpump Rules castmate Lala Kent is also thriving in sobriety, having just celebrated her first-year sober in October. Kent opened up about her decision to become sober back in March. 

    “Five months ago, I came to the realization that I am an alcoholic, and I am now a friend of Bill W., which you will never know how much this program means to me [and] has given me new life,” Kent said in an Instagram story, according to People. 

    “I always say if you don’t have to be sober, I wouldn’t recommend it, but me—as someone who does need to be sober—being in my right frame of mind every single day is truly incredible. When I’m having the roughest day that I could possibly have, I—for once in a very, very long time—see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that tomorrow I’m gonna be okay,” Kent said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Jason Wahler Discusses Road To Sobriety, "The Hills" Reboot

    Jason Wahler Discusses Road To Sobriety, "The Hills" Reboot

    “There’s so many times where I should not be alive…this has been an opportunity to be able to really give back.”

    Jason Wahler has come a long way since The Hills debuted in 2006. Over a four-year period, the reality star was arrested for six different drinking-related charges and seemed destined to become another cautionary tale. But Wahler hit bottom, entered rehab (then entered Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew) and got sober.  

    Wahler has been very open about his journey to sobriety, even revealing on Instagram back in 2018 that he had relapsed but was back on the wagon.

    Going Back To The Hills

    The 32-year-old owner of Widespread Recovery spoke exclusively to HollywoodLife about addiction, The Hills reboot and a new addiction treatment scholarship opportunity. Wahler described his decision to appear on The Hills: New Beginnings, which aired this past summer and has been greenlit for a second season on MTV.

    “The whole reason I did [The Hills: New Beginnings] is to just spread hope and look, I have nothing to hide. I mean, as everybody’s aware, I went through such a public battle with addiction, that, you know, it gives hope to those other people,” Wahler explained. “There’s so many times where I should not be alive. And I feel like this has been an opportunity to be able to really give back and to show people that, you know, you can do this and it’s not just a cake walk.”

    In the original series, Wahler dealt with body image issues and his heavy drinking and womanizing were often a part of the show’s storylines.

    “I was excited to go back and show, 12 years ago I was this drunk, womanizing, alcoholic, who has transformed his life, who has married, has a kid and gives back and does all this stuff. And then when I dealt with something with weight and other things that I was never privy to, and so I think those are things too, is being mindful of other issues that can arise. You got to take it one thing at a time.”

    Scholarship Opportunity

    Now, Wahler wants to give back. He has partnered with “There For You” singer Hilary Roberts and her Red Songbird Foundation which will offer a $100,000 scholarship to help a trauma victim living with addiction pay for treatment.  

    Nowadays, Wahler is focused on staying present and centered.

    “Those were our solutions, and once I identified that, that it’s me, it’s the thinking, it’s the disease that’s centered in my mind and it’s something that I have to do on a daily basis to make sure that I’m taking control on that. Every day is a new day, right? And the biggest thing for me is living in the moment. The thing that I had to do to tackle… There’s life stresses. There’s things that come into your life that can take on chaos and different things. But it’s how I process things today.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Lala Kent Is One Year Sober

    Lala Kent Is One Year Sober

    “This is the biggest accomplishment I’ve ever had in my life and the one I am most proud of,” Kent said of her sobriety.

    It’s been a transformative and “humbling” year for Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent, who is celebrating one year of sobriety.

    On Tuesday (Oct. 22), Kent posted about her milestone on Instagram.

    “Today, I am 1 year sober,” she wrote. “This is the biggest accomplishment I’ve ever had in my life and the one I am most proud of. The moments I have had in the past year have been a blessing that I have been present for. I didn’t have that before. Today, I will celebrate my 1 year birthday because it’s exciting. It is also humbling. Because today, and every day after that, I will fight for it. But I wont give it up for anything.”

    Proud Fiancé

    Kent’s fiancé, film and television producer Randall Emmett, publicly congratulated her in his Instagram story, People reported.

    He said, “Lala Kent, I am so proud of you. One year sober, the world is a better place and you are an inspiration to everybody. I am so proud of you and your commitment. I love you and you are the most amazing woman in the world.”

    He later posted on Instagram, “So proud of my Wonder Woman, your my rock and inspiration. I love you forever! Ups and downs are part of life but are together through it all. Happy one year sober birthday!!”

    Last December, Kent told People that she and Emmett had decided to give sobriety a try.

    Giving Up Alcohol & Pot

    “We’re just kind of taking a different turn with our life,” she said at the time, noting that her anxiety had decreased and she felt healthier after 50 days sober.

    In March, Kent was more open about her decision to stop drinking and smoking pot. She spoke openly about her alcoholism in an Instagram story.

    “Five months ago, I came to the realization that I am an alcoholic, and I am now a friend of Bill W., which you will never know how much this program means to me [and] has given me new life,” she wrote. “I always say if you don’t have to be sober, I wouldn’t recommend it, but me—as someone who does need to be sober—being in my right frame of mind every single day is truly incredible. When I’m having the roughest day that I could possibly have, I—for once in a very, very long time—see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that tomorrow I’m gonna be okay.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Former American Idol Antonella Barba Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charges

    Former American Idol Antonella Barba Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charges

    Barba faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence and a $10 million fine.

    Antonella Barba, a former contestant on American Idol, has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and is expected to serve significant prison time.

    Barba pleaded guilty on Tuesday (July 30) to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.

    Her sentencing is scheduled for November. Barba, 32, faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence, with the possibility of life, and a $10 million fine, People reported. The plea agreement filed in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia also included “forfeiture of assets and at least five years of supervised release,” NBC News reported.

    The singer made it to the top 16 of season six of American Idol in 2007. She is also a former Fear Factor contestant.

    Shoebox Discovery

    Barba was arrested in October in Norfolk, Virginia, after police officers acting on a tip approached her vehicle and discovered drugs.

    A K-9 indicated the presence of drugs, leading to a search of her rented vehicle and the discovery of a shoebox “in plain view on the front passenger floorboard,” according to a statement by federal prosecutors.

    “The officer opened the shoebox and discovered a plastic bag containing a large quantity of a white, rock-like substance,” the statement read. Upon forensic analysis, the substance was determined to be 830.9 grams of fentanyl.

    At the time, criminal defense attorney Eric Korslund said, “She disputes that she knew there were drugs in the car,” according to the Asbury Park Press.

    The Courier

    Barba is reported to have been acting as a courier, instructed to deliver the fentanyl to a “stash house” in Norfolk. Two others, Justin Michael Isaac and Rawl Christopher Stennett were also charged in the case, NBC reported.

    In February, Virginia officials dropped the state drug-dealing charges against Barba, as she was met with a new federal indictment. At the time, she had been out on a $50,000 secured bond since late October, APP reported, but since the indictment, she has been in federal custody.

    The indictment listed 11 federal charges including one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine, heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and 10 counts of distribution or possession of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

    The drug scheme operated from 2017 to October 2018, NBC reported.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Below Deck" Star's Son Dies Of Overdose After 20-Year Addiction Battle

    "Below Deck" Star's Son Dies Of Overdose After 20-Year Addiction Battle

    “We loved Josh unconditionally and were proud of the man he had become in spite of his problems,” the Below Deck star wrote about his son.

    Tragedy struck the family of one of the recurring stars of Bravo’s nautical reality series Below Deck when a family member died of a drug overdose. Captain Lee Rosbach posted a tribute to his youngest son, Joshua, on his Instagram page, saying that he “finally succumbed to the demons he fought so long and so hard” for 20 years at the age of 42.

    According to People, the overdose was accidental.

    “We loved Josh unconditionally and were proud of the man he had become in spite of his problems,” Rosbach wrote. “There was no one I ever knew who gave more of himself to those in his life. He loved with all his being without expecting anything in return. We both feel a hole in our souls that will never be filled.”

    An obituary for Joshua was posted on the Dignity Memorial website, which confirms that he died on July 22. The text says that he passed in his own home and, like his father, enjoyed sailing and spending time with his family and his dog Champ.

    The memorial service was held on July 27th, and his family has asked for donations to the Humane Society of Broward County in place of flowers.

    The Captain Talks Addiction

    In addition to celebrating his son’s life, Captain Lee Rosbach spoke on the devastating effects of addiction and how it can impact anyone, regardless of wealth or lifestyle.

    “Addiction is an insidious disease that knows no social status or geographic boundaries,” he said. “Whether you live in a 10,000 sq. ft. mansion or a double wide trailer, the path of death, destruction and devastation it leaves remains the same.”

    According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), overdose death rates have been steadily rising since 1999. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 70,237 people died of an overdose involving any drug in 2017.

    More than half of these deaths involved opioids as the opioid crisis has worsened year after year, though deaths from overdose involving methamphetamine and cocaine have also increased, with significant jumps in 2016 and 2017. 

    “So my message to those of you who are fighting this disease, find a way to get help no matter what,” Rosbach concluded in his Instagram post. “For those of you who have a friend, family member, son, or daughter who’s struggling, do what ever it takes to get them the help they need. Be kind and loving, and try to enjoy every second you have with them.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Reveals Alcoholism Battle

    Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Reveals Alcoholism Battle

    The sober reality star took to Instagram to reveal that she is battling alcoholism and is “now a friend of Bill W.”

    Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent has a problem, and for the first time she is admitting it publicly. Kent, 29, shared on Instagram that she is seeking help for alcoholism by joining a 12-step fellowship. 

    “Five months ago, I came to the realization that I am an alcoholic, and I am now a friend of Bill W., which you will never know how much this program means to me [and] has given me new life,” Kent said in a temporary Instagram post, according to People. 

    The reality TV star went on, “I always say if you don’t have to be sober, I wouldn’t recommend it, but me—as someone who does need to be sober—being in my right frame of mind every single day is truly incredible. When I’m having the roughest day that I could possibly have, I—for once in a very, very long time—see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that tomorrow I’m gonna be okay.”

    Three months ago, Kent announced that she was 50 days sober. 

    “We’re just kind of taking a different turn with our life,” she told People in December. At the time, she explained that she and her fiancé, Randall Emmett, had made a pact to help each other stay sober. In just 50 days, Kent had already seen the positive effects of sobriety on her life. 

    “I have been open about suffering from anxiety, and [I’m] not saying that I don’t anymore, but it has gone down tremendously since I gave up drinking,” she said at the time. “I don’t smoke weed anymore. I’m a clean baby, and I feel like I glow a little bit… I’m ready to be a healthy person.”

    Kent said that her drinking was beginning to feel out of control after her father, Kent Burningham, passed away last April. 

    “I’m thinking a lot about my dad today—not different from any other day—and I just feel very, very blessed that I think back on my time that I had with him and there’s no regrets,” Kent said in her recent post.

    “I’m so grateful that I have this program and that I can mourn him. The program has allowed me to sit down and remember my dad in a clear frame of mind, and remember what he brought to my life, what he meant to me, what he taught me.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mama June Arrested On Drug Possession Charges

    Mama June Arrested On Drug Possession Charges

    The “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” star is accused of being in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

    Reality television star June Shannon was arrested and charged with felony drug possession charges after an altercation with her boyfriend.

    TMZ reported that Shannon—also known as “Mama June” from the TLC series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo—was arrested last Wednesday (March 13) at a gas station in Alabama after an alleged confrontation with her boyfriend, Geno Doak.

    Shannon was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, while Doak—who reportedly has a history of previous criminal charges—was arrested on charges of domestic violence/harassment, felony possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. According to TMZ, the drug in question was reportedly crack cocaine.

    According to the police report obtained by TMZ, police arrived at the gas station after receiving a call about a domestic incident involving Shannon and Doak. Upon arrival, law enforcement detained the couple, who were parked at the gas station, and while attempting to search Doak’s person, was warned to be careful. “I don’t want you to get sticked or nothing,” he reportedly told police, who reportedly found a hypodermic needle in his pocket.

    Shannon told police that she was the owner of the vehicle and, as TMZ noted, “claimed ownership of everything inside.” A search of the vehicle yielded another needle and a green pill bottle containing a white controlled substance. Shannon was found to have a glass pipe containing white residue on her person, and reportedly told police that the substance was crack cocaine.

    At some point after the arrest, Shannon reportedly called a towing company to retrieve her vehicle from police impound. TMZ posted an audio recording of the conversation, in which Shannon told the driver that she and Doak had been arrested for driving under the influence, and that police had found “nothing” in the car. The driver can be heard telling Shannon that the vehicle was “trashed.”

    According to the Daily Mail, Doak, 42, whose legal name is Edward Eugene Doak, has several criminal charges on his record. Court documents note a charge for felony burglary in 1996, for which Doak was sentenced to three years in prison, but only served three months.

    He was arrested again on felony theft charges in 2009, and was sentenced to 10 years of probation. While out on bail for the latter charge, Doak was involuntarily admitted to a behavioral health facility for “distress” and attempted suicide.

    In 2013, his probation was revoked after he pled guilty to felony criminal damage to property, and Doak received a four-year prison sentence.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps Takes Sobriety "Day by Day"

    Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps Takes Sobriety "Day by Day"

    The ‘Real Housewives of New York’ star says her co-stars support her on her sober journey.

    Countess Luann de Lesseps, who stars on the Real Housewives of New York, told Life & Style that she’s received immense support from her co-stars in her sober journey.

    “You know what, I take it day by day,” de Lesseps said. “I take my sobriety seriously, and day by day, and I just am learning to enjoy myself without drinking. So it’s eye-opening and it’s not easy. It’s always a struggle, but I feel a lot better.”

    The reality star may have realized she had a problem with alcohol when she was charged with several crimes following a Christmas Eve arrest, including battery of an officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest with violence, and crimes against a person, and two corruption by threat charges for telling officers, “I am going to kill you all.”

    Her hefty list of charges could have landed her five years in prison, according to TMZ. She even rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, instead arguing that she was emotionally distraught because of the geographic location.

    “This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding, and being here brought up long-buried emotions,” she explained. “I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018.”

    Following the incident, she committed herself to rehab and recovery.

    “After the events of last Saturday night in Palm Beach, I am truly embarrassed. I have decided to seek professional guidance and will be voluntarily checking into an alcohol treatment center,” she said. “I intend to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive life changing event. Once again, I sincerely apologize for my actions. I have the greatest respect for police officers and the job they do.”

    Now, de Lesseps is better and back in the spotlight in a cabaret show.

    “Nine months ago, I was in jail, and now I’m a cabaret star,” she said in the season 11 trailer. “Isn’t that crazy?”

    Given that the cast of the Real Housewives is provided alcohol to drive the drama, de Lesseps may find herself relying on her co-stars to stay clean… and her recovery may become a driving narrative of the show.

    View the original article at thefix.com