Chrissy Teigen Gives Up Alcohol and Celebrates Sobriety

Model and social media personality Chrissy Teigen is making headlines for her decision to get sober. The 35-year-old mother of two and wife to singer John Legend revealed her sobriety in an Instagram comment exchange with a fan.

Teigen stated to the fan that she was “4 weeks sober” at that time, which opened the floodgates as well-wishers responded to her news. Teigen shared more about the decision in a follow-up Instagram story post, where she showed a book, Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol, that played an influential role in her decision to stop drinking.

With the book in the frame, she wrote, “One month ago, on my birthday, I got this book from my doctor and friend. I was done with making an ass of myself in front of people (I’m still embarrassed), tired of day drinking and feeling like s— by 6, not being able to sleep. I have been sober ever since and even if you can’t see yourself doing it or just plain don’t want to, it is still an incredible read.”

Teigen’s sobriety comes after a particularly difficult year that included the loss of her infant son, Jack, in November. After experiencing pregnancy complications, Teigen was hospitalized; some time later, she publicly revealed that she had lost the baby. In a series of vulnerable posts, Teigen mourned the loss of her child, and admitted that she was in “a grief depression hole.”

Normally a prolific poster on social media, Teigen took extended time to grieve privately. Since then, she has returned to social media to share glimpses into her grief, and fans who have experienced similar losses have shared their own stories in comments and messages. With over 33 million Instagram followers alone, Teigen has built a significant community by sharing different parts of her life, from commentary on reality TV shows, to political events, to now, her experiences in getting sober.

About a month after her initial announcement, on Inauguration Day, Teigen shared another post to commemorate the occasion. She wrote, “Just incredible to be here. sober. I know that’s weird but it’s like…a different world for me. everything is new and better.”

As her husband performed during the festivities, Teigen was close by with their two children, Miles and Luna. Teigen shared her happiness over several posts, stating that it was “an incredibly special day.”

For Teigen, who drank consistently prior to quitting alcohol, celebrating this historic moment might have normally included drinking; today, she is celebrating big moments in her life alcohol-free.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan magazine in 2017, Teigen discussed her struggles with alcohol, noting that she cannot “have just one drink.”

At that time, Teigen stated that she toyed with the idea of sobriety, but had only done short-term stints without drinking. Teigen also admitted that she was overconsuming at the time.

“I used to think it was kind of nutty to have to go totally sober. But now I get it. I don’t want to be that person … I have to fix myself,” she said in the interview.

Now over two months sober from alcohol, Teigen is entering a new phase of her life as she commits to her health and wellness. As a cookbook author and host of the TV show Lip Sync Battle, Teigen will continue to make waves in her career as she shares her life and humor with millions on social media.

As she steps out from the darkness of a painful year, Teigen has much to be proud of as she continues to inspire others by being open and vulnerable.