Actresses Who Achieved Long-Term Sobriety after Public Spirals

Public spirals can derail a career in an instant, yet some actresses not only found their way back — they’ve sustained sobriety for years and rebuilt their lives and work. Below are notable examples, with concrete timelines of recovery, the turning points that helped them change course, and the projects they’ve pursued since getting clean.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis became dependent on prescription opioids after a routine procedure in the late 1980s, and she has said her sobriety began after attending her first recovery meeting in 1999. She has publicly marked major milestones — 25 and 26 years — and calls sobriety her greatest achievement, continuing to attend meetings and advocate around opioid risks. Her openness has included accounts of family addiction history and crediting community support for her long-term recovery. During these decades, she has sustained a prolific career on screen and in advocacy.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne’s early-2000s spiral included arrests and serious health complications; court-ordered rehab in 2006 marked the start of sustained sobriety. She has described rebuilding her life step by step, eventually returning with prominent roles and creative leadership on shows like ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and ‘Russian Doll.’ Coverage of her second-act success often notes how recovery preceded her resurgence as a writer, director, and showrunner. Lyonne has also discussed using personal experience to inform her storytelling.

Jodie Sweetin

Jodie Sweetin, known for ‘Full House,’ battled alcohol and meth addiction after the original series ended, ultimately getting sober in 2008. She’s been candid about relapses early on, but reports maintaining many years of continuous sobriety since, alongside advocacy and work as a recovery counselor. Sweetin has spoken widely about demystifying addiction and returned to steady acting, including ‘Fuller House.’ Recent interviews reaffirm the 2008 date as the inflection point for her recovery.

Eliza Dushku

Eliza Dushku has said she began using drugs as a teen and ultimately sought treatment after family intervened; she has cited 2008 as the year she entered sustained sobriety. She has since spoken publicly to youth audiences about addiction, emphasizing ongoing recovery practices. Dushku has continued working in film and television while engaging in advocacy and sharing concrete tools that support long-term sobriety. Her remarks highlight the role of community and accountability in staying clean.

Mackenzie Phillips

Mackenzie Phillips’ struggles with addiction spanned decades and were highly public, with multiple relapses before achieving lasting sobriety around 2009. In recovery, she trained and worked as a substance-use counselor, speaking and writing about trauma-informed approaches and relapse prevention. She has returned to acting — including revisiting ‘One Day at a Time’ — while centering her professional life on helping others enter and maintain recovery. Interviews and profiles document both the timeline and her current counseling work.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore’s first public spiral came as a child star, with multiple rehab stays by her early teens; as an adult, she has said she quit drinking again in 2019 after a difficult post-divorce period. She has since discussed maintaining sobriety and the specific interventions — including ending therapy until she was ready to stop — that helped her change course. Barrymore has continued hosting ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and acting while speaking openly about coping strategies and self-forgiveness in long-term recovery. Her accounts fix the late-2019 decision as the start of her current alcohol-free stretch.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson has stated she stopped drinking on November 1, 2017, after recognizing alcohol’s impact on her parenting and health. She detailed the turning point and subsequent therapy in her memoir and follow-up interviews, and has marked annual sobriety milestones publicly. Simpson has continued creative work — from music to on-screen projects — while framing her recovery as a long-term commitment that restored clarity and self-respect. Recent coverage notes seven to eight years alcohol-free, tied to that 2017 date.

Kristin Davis

Kristin Davis has described herself as a recovering alcoholic who quit drinking in her early 20s and has maintained decades of sobriety since. She has said early abstinence was crucial for her health and career longevity, continuing to speak about recovery as an ongoing process. Davis’s long-term sobriety predated and then paralleled her major television success, including her work on ‘Sex and the City’ and later projects. Interviews and profiles consistently reference a young quit date and many years without alcohol.

Share your thoughts — whose story has inspired you most, and who else would you add to this list in the comments?