“It was fun and I loved it, until it wasn’t”: Eliza Dushku Comes Clean about Her History of Addiction
Before we geeked out on the Twilight saga and before we were binge-watching The Vampire Diaries for days on end, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And who would have remembered the said classic 90’s highschool vampire adventures without Eliza Dushku’s “Faith Lehane”? Originally slated to only be a minor role, the rough and tumble, dark-lipped slayer went on to become one of the most popular characters in the entire series. However, while the fandom knew Eliza Dushku as the talented actress behind Faith Lehane, only a little is known about her struggle with addiction, as is all too familiar with people undergoing the same illness.
From child actress to Hollywood star
Eliza Dushku was not Faith Lehane from the start. She was first Eliza Patricia Dushku, nicknamed Duck Shoot, born to parents Philip and Judith Dushku who are both educators. Together with her three siblings, Dushku grew up with a strong Mormon background before denouncing her affiliation with the religion. She was also an alumna of Beaver Country Day School and Watertown Highschool in Massachusetts.
She then became Alice Bloom in the 1992 film That Night, starring alongside Katherine Heigl who also had her film debut in the same movie. This was Duhsku’s first film following her discovery by casting agents when she was just 10 years old. She would then take on the role of Pearl in This Boy’s Life (1993) together with A-list celebrities Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Shortly after her acclaimed strong presence in both films, Dushku would play the teenage daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies (1994). The action-comedy spy film became a worldwide box office hit, further catapulting Dushku to fame. This would be followed by Fishing with George (1994), Journey (1995), and Race the Sun (1996).
While Dushku started off in the industry as a film actress, she actually found her big adult breakthrough in television. Following her successful film stint in the late 90’s came her most popular role to date: Faith Lehane in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her badass portrayal of the dark, psychotic slayer opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar’s radiant and charming Buffy Summers gave the perfect contrast to the lead character. This performance would gain her enough recognition to steal the show, staying for the whole 3rd season instead of the slated 5-episode appearance. She would even reprise her role two more times in season four before coming back in the spin-off series, Angel (2000-2003).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer seemed to be only the tip of Dushku’s success as it would be followed shortly by yet another hit teenage flick, Bring It On (2000). Opposite Kirsten Dunst’s Torrance Shipman, Dushku played Missy Pantone, a rebellious newcomer in the Rancho Carne Toros cheerleading team. Soul Survivors (2000), The New Guy (2001), City by the Sea (2001), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) would shortly join Dushku’s filmography in the following year.
In 2018, Dushku married businessman Peter Palandjian which gave the couple a son just a year after. The bunch only grows bigger by the year as just this February, the Buffy star announced her second pregnancy via Instagram.
Sexual assault and other hidden struggles
It seems like everything is looking bright for the actress, but that’s not entirely the case. Upon the rise of the #MeToo movement, Dushku also stepped forward as a victim of sexual assault. Joel Kramer, the then 36-year old stunt coordinator in True Lies (1994), reportedly “lured her to his hotel room, put her on a bed and approached her naked except for a ‘flimsy’ towel and rubbed his body over hers.” The stunt coordinator heavily denied the allegations, but was subsequently fired by Worldwide Production Agency.
Dushku heartbreakingly encountered sexual misconduct again, this time with her co-star Michael Weatherly in the TV series Bull. The actress believes she was “written off” of the series upon confronting the lead star regarding his “remarks on her appearance, a rape joke and a comment about a threesome”. Originally slated to be a full-time cast member, Dushku was only able to do 3 episodes as opposed to staying for 4 seasons. CBS eventually paid $9.5 million in settlement, while Weatherly was able to reprise his role for 5 seasons.
Apart from coming forward with her #MeToo story, Dushku at the same time also opened up about her former drug and alcohol abuse.
“Something a lot of people don’t know about me is that I am an alcoholic and I was a drug addict for a lot of years. You hear people say ‘I am that’ because I am that and I’m always going to be that, but the difference between me and an alcoholic or drug addict that still drinks and does drugs is that I am sober.” the actress bravely discussed in the 8,000-strong New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness.
The Bring It On star also added that, “it was fun and I loved it, until it wasn’t”, recounting how the drugs “didn’t love her, her family, and her friends who died”.
“I loved the first time I took a drug because I loved how it made me feel; I loved the way it made me not feel, and I didn’t have to feel.”
She said her wake up call was when her own brother prohibited her from going anywhere near her young niece, given her dangerous demeanor at the time. Dushku also went on to say:
“I got sober at first for my family because I had gotten to a point where I felt so sick about myself; I was depressed. I didn’t like myself but I love my family. I got sober for my family, but today I’m sober for me, and I’m sober for you. Drugs and alcohol are powerful, but we are more powerful.”
Dushku, now sober for 13 years, wrapped up her powerful revelation by later tweeting, “If I said 1 thing that may have helped 1 person today – I’m grateful. #addiction #recovery.”
Have the same story to share, but haven’t found the courage to come forward yet? Read more of our inspiring celebrity recovery stories and you just might find the push you need, too. Or if you are ready – Reach out and talk to a professional today
Leave a Reply