Jamie Lee Curtis Discusses Her Battle with Opioid Addiction  

Long-outspoken addiction recovery advocate Jamie Lee Curtis made headlines this week after a sit-down interview with ABC News contributor Chris Connelly.

No topic was off-limits during Connelly and Curtis’ chat—including her past addiction to opioids. After publicly battling the disease, Curtis found sobriety over 18 years ago.

In recent years, Curtis reflected upon the deaths of both Michael Jackson and Prince, both of whom fell victim to the opioid crisis. In articles written for the Huffington Post and other publications, the actress acknowledged the destruction of substance abuse—and its non-discriminatory nature.

In the piece for Huffington Post, entitled, “Kill the Pain,” Curtis remembered feelings of helplessness, writing that, “I too, waited anxiously for a prescription to be filled for the opiate I was secretly addicted to.”

Today, Curtis continues to speak out on the dangers of opioid misuse, and, in the interview with Connelly, candidly revealed the exact moment she decided to get sober.

Curtis referenced a piece in Esquire magazine written by Tom Chiarella, entitled, “Vicodin, My Vicodin.” Chiarella’s unflinching portrayal of opioid dependence—and his ability to name each Vicodin pill’s exact, hidden location in his home—stopped Curtis in her tracks.

She realized, in that moment, that she was not alone. Now, she fully credits her decision to get sober to the experience of reading Chiarella’s piece—an experience that she hopes, through retelling her own story, will resonate with someone else.

“The beauty of recovery is it’s about connecting. It’s one addict talking to another, saying, ‘I get it,’” she said.

After 18 years, Curtis surely understands the beauty of connection, and through her efforts in advocacy, she will continue to connect with individuals across the world.

As public figures like Curtis come forward in discussing a topic that is so often made taboo, she is using her platform in the best way possible—in a way that can inspire a transformation in someone’s life.