Weddings, pregnancy, and career accomplishments often take center stage when it comes to celebrations. However, overcoming vices is something worth honoring, too. In recent times, many of our favorite celebs have chosen to go on a sobriety journey, be it from alcohol, drugs, or both. We’re rooting for them because it takes a level of vulnerability to publicly share your shortcomings and hold yourself accountable.
Seeing as alcohol and drug use contribute to millions of deaths every year, admitting you have a problem and committing to rectifying is a major thing, especially for public figures whose decision can inspire so many others.
While choosing sobriety can be both radical and redemptive, it isn’t always an easy undertaking. These stars have turned private battles into public breakthroughs, found tenacity in faith, and continue to do the work to stay sober and grounded.
NBA legend Allen Iverson surprised many when he revealed in October 2025 that he had been sober for six months.
During a recent interview with CBS Mornings, he described the choice as “one of the best decisions that I ever made in my life.”
He continued, “When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are. The more and more I see it on other people, the more and more it makes me happy about the decision. And the more and more I see how the people around me appreciate it, I love it.”
For Iverson, who was once seen as basketball’s rebellious icon, sobriety marks a full-circle moment of reflection and growth.
Singer Ari Lennox has been open about her evolving relationship with alcohol. The journey began in 2022 after she passed out in the airport due to drinking too much wine.
“I was sick. It was embarrassing,” she said during an interview on the QuickSilva Morning Show in May 2025, adding that she was drinking so heavily to combat her fear of flying.
“After that, that was one of the moments where I was like, okay, enough is enough,” she said.
In December 2023, the singer celebrated a year sober via Instagram.
“I’m one year sober from alcohol today.. I love you all,” she said at the time. “I needed an excuse to drink and not feel the pain of everyday life and trauma. My toxic relationship with alcohol left me stagnant with closed eyes, hindering my growth and my healing. Hindering my ability to overcome fear […] I’m letting go and letting God!”
Lennox’s candor has resonated with fans who see their own struggles mirrored in hers.
Fans were surprised to learn Denzel Washington struggled with addiction. During a 2024 interview with Esquire magazine, Washington, 70, admitted that he stopped drinking at the age of 60.
“Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left,” the Fences actor said at the time. While he never got “strung out,” the Oscar winner said he drank every day for over a decade and would often consume two bottles a day.
“I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean,” the Oscar winner added. “Be 10 years this December. I stopped at 60 and I haven’t had a thimble’s worth since. Things are opening up for me now — like being 70. It’s real. And it’s okay. This is the last chapter — if I get another 30, what do I want to do? My mother made it to 97.”
In September, Blac Chyna, who now prefers to be called by her birth name, Angela White, marked three years of sobriety, and the transformation is undeniable.
“Thank you God and the mercy of Jesus Christ for walking with me on this journey of healing and everlasting life. 3 years Sober today 9/14/22,” she shared on Instagram in September 2025.
“Temptation may whisper, but I stand firm in the light, grateful for the steady guidance that has kept me true. Each day, I choose honesty, gratitude, and growth, trusting that the path ahead is brighter because I didn’t bow to the old cravings.”
In 2024, the model and entrepreneur celebrated her two-year milestone with a heartfelt Instagram video featuring her biggest cheerleaders–her two children, son King and daughter Dream.
“I promise you, every day that I’m sober, it’s definitely worth it,” she said.
Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson, celebrated five years of sobriety in January 2025. Five years sober is a big deal considering the 27-year-old battled with drugs since the age of 15.
“”Hi, i’m pk and i’m an alcoholic and a heroin addict,” she wrote in an Instagram post caption at the top of the year. “Today marks 5 years clean & sober from all drugs and alcohol.”
The caption continued, “To say that i’m thankful would be a poor euphemism. gratitude hardly scratches the surface. It’s because i’m sober that i get to smile today. i get to make music. i get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. i get to feel heartbreak in all it’s glory. i get to grieve. i get to laugh. i get to dance. i get to trust. i feel the sun on my skin and it’s warm.”
In 2021, Jackson told The Standard that the grief of losing her famous father kickstarted her addiction. Sending her all the strength and light she needs to keep going.
Relapses can be a part of the sobriety journey. What’s most important is getting back up and starting again. In April 2025, rapper Flavor Flav admitted he relapsed after 45 years of sobriety via Instagram. The TV personality said he was sharing the news to to hold himself publicly accountable.
However, in September, the 66-year-old told PEOPLE he’s back on track.
“Right now it’s going very well. I’m back on point. I’m back on track. You know what I’m saying? And this is the way that I plan on staying for the rest of my life,” he said.
“If you take a fall, don’t lay there and stay stuck,” he said, adding, “You got to get up off of that fall and you have to K-I-M — keep it moving. Operation no choice is now in progress. Either you keep it moving, or you stay stuck. And the name of the game is to keep it moving.”
Todd Bridges could teach a masterclass on sobriety considering he’s been clean for over 30 years. Best known for his role in Diff’rent Strokes, the actor shared what led to him choosing to abstain from using substances.
“I couldn’t be the same guy anymore,” he explained during an interview with the Allison Interviews in 2025. “I got tired of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and getting the same results.”
He continued, “I remember when I was in the rehab program, and this light came over me and God said, ‘I’m going to put people in your path and you just listen to what they tell you, do what they tell you to do and don’t question it, and you will be sober for a long time.’ That’s exactly what happened and I finally got it.”
While sobriety is no longer a daily struggle for the actor, it’s still a journey worth celebrating.
