In a post to his Instagram page, “Call Me Kat” star Cheyenne Jackson said that he’d been scared to share that he’d fallen off the wagon after ten years sober, but decided to do so anyway in case it might be able to help someone else in their struggle.
Cheyenne Jackson has been open about his struggles with alcoholism in the past, but had been enjoying a decade of sobriety. Now, though, he’s revealed that he relapsed, and was scared to share this part of his journey.
The “Call Me Kat” star took to his Instagram page earlier this week, admitting in his post that he was feeling “VULNERABLE” (emphasis his) about going into his relapse.
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“I’ve been carrying a lot of shame. Scared to share it,” the actor admitted. He said that part of his struggle is that he knew there were those who looked up to him as an example of a recovering alcoholic, someone who’d managed to stay sober.
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As that was no longer his truth, he’d just been trying to bury that truth away, but finally realized that even sharing this setback would help someone else out there who may be going through a similar struggle.
“I took my eye off the ball. I stopped doing what I needed to do to keep myself on the path of my personal integrity,” Jackson admitted. “I could blame it on Covid. I could blame it on the state of the world. Mass shootings. A nation divided. The death of my co-star [Leslie Jordan]. But the truth is, I thought I had it all handled. I thought ‘I got this.’ But I don’t.”
He went on to thank all of those who’ve supported him and been there for him, giving a special shout-out to Jamie Lee Curtis. And for his fans, he had a message, too.
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“If you are out there struggling, you are not alone and there is a solution,” he promised them. “I love you. And I love myself today and that feels really good to say.” He closed with the hashtag “progressnotperfection.”
Curtis was one of the first to jump in with a message of encouragement, telling Jackson, “We are only as sick as our secrets.” She went on to add, “The truth is anyone in recovery and only has this day sober. The past is irrelevant, and the future unknown.”
After the outpouring of support his initial post received, Jackson returned the next day to thank all of those who reached out or commented in support of his vulnerability and sharing of his truth.
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“Yesterday I put myself on blast and recommitted to my own sobriety and I guess I wasn’t anticipating the outpouring of love that I have received,” he admitted. He shared how touched he was reading other people’s stories they’d shared with him and how the whole experience has left him feeling “so loved and grateful.”
“I’ve always kind of prided myself on being a lone wolf, somebody who doesn’t really need anybody, I can do it on my own,” he said, sharing that he’s since realized that isn’t true in his life and in his sobriety journey.
Once again, Curtis came in with a message of clarity and appreciation, telling him, “You are helping people see the humanity of sobriety.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, get help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
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