Celebrity

A Life-Saving Passion: How Sex and the City Saved Kristin Davis from Alcoholism

Wildly popular for her role as the prude, hopeless romantic Charlotte York Goldenblatt from the classic HBO sitcom Sex and the City, it is almost impossible to picture Kristin Davis having a blast at a party, completely intoxicated with alcohol.

And when we say intoxicated, we mean the wasted kind of intoxicated. 

Far from her prim-and-proper image in the sitcom, the Sex and the City star actually had a hidden, toxic relationship with alcohol for most of her teenage to adult years.

The cure – or curse – for shyness

At first, the actress had shown little to no relationship with drinking ever since she enjoyed the spotlight of the film industry. Whenever she went out with her co-stars in the sitcom, she would often refuse to take any alcoholic drinks that were being offered to her.

But despite not having any past controversies with regards to alcohol, she openly labeled herself as a “recovering alcoholic” and even claimed that she never believed that she could “make it to 30.”

Why does she think that way? 

Her answer is simple: it is something connected to her past.

Born on the 14th of February in 1965, the Colorado native had a rough time growing up. She witnessed her parents getting divorced at a very young age and for a while, she was left all alone but was later adopted by Keith Davis, who was a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Because of her past experiences, the young Davis grew up to be very shy and reserved, rarely sharing her interests with the people of her age. She would often choose the company of herself rather than others’, keeping her love for acting all to herself.

It was at the age of only 9 years old when she first got into acting. The star-in-the-making used to attend a workshop theater for Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs where she focused on developing her acting skills in this early stage of her life.

However, while growing up, things started to go in a downward spiral for the actress. Davis was introduced to alcohol during her teenage years in South Carolina. According to her, drinking “helped” her deal with her “awkwardness” and “insecurities” when she was young – a feeling that she developed mainly due to her parents breaking up. 

Davis went on to continue this kind of lifestyle throughout her teenage life. This caused her to perform horribly in her high school years, academically and personally.

Carrying this alcoholic tendency in the bag until college, Davis eventually enrolled to get a BFA degree in acting at Mason Gross School of the Arts’, Rutgers University, during the year 1987. 

An alcohol-infused career

Things just keep getting worse for the aspiring actress from there. 

She would often skip school to go out and drink, and if she attended, she would be too hungover to function correctly. 

During this time, Davis’ dream to become a successful actress seemed to be crumbling apart.

It was at this stage of her life that she realized that she only had two choices of a life to live: her addiction with alcohol or her passion for acting. 

Recalling such crossroads in her life, Davis went on to say, “I thought, it’s going to be one or the other. I can’t really have both.”

Davis as a result voluntarily checked herself in rehab during her early 20’s, convinced to take a step to make things better. 

Though she struggled at first, the young actress went on to succeed in her battle with alcoholism and at the age of only 22 years old, she believes that she had a lot of time left to get her act together – making a choice regarding her dilemma head on. 

…and she has never been so right in her life. 

Lasting Recovery 

Shortly after she graduated, Davis moved out to New York and quickly earned a spot in her first acting gig for General Hospital, where she played a character of Nurse Betty Chilson who was just a minor character in the soap opera. 

Her stint as a minor character didn’t last long as her career was significantly followed by more acting gigs, bagging more roles during the 90’s and had steadily worked her way to the top as she performed in different TV shows and films alike including Friends (1994-2004), Seinfield (1989 – 1998), Atomic Train (1999), and Melrose Place (1992 -1999) to name a few.

It wasn’t long enough until she got herself the ticket to stardom when she got her iconic role in the romantic comedy sitcom Sex and the City in 1998.

Twenty years after choosing to be sober, the actress went on to have an amazing ride in the showbiz industry. She still consciously keeps an eye on herself when it comes to alcohol because she believes that anyone could go back to their past lifestyle if not monitored properly. 

While she still claims to “miss alcohol”, the now sobered-up actress does nothing about it as drinking is “not worth the risk.”

Even though she had been in a terrible place during her early days, she is still thankful for everything that happened to her. She said that she was “lucky” because she underwent such things before she got into the world of acting which is highly notorious on people who are facing drinking problems similar to the situation she experienced.

Davis now pays forward her recovery story, encouraging people who have problems with alcohol addiction or other substance abuse to share their experiences along the way.

In an interview SirusXM, the actress left a few words to live by:

“Everyone who is in that place or who is struggling with mental health, anxiety or depression thinks that they are in it alone, because that’s part of the disease. But you never know what other people are going through and you never know what people had gone through in the past.” 

Just like the rest, Davis had her moments where she felt all alone. She had moments where she felt like she wanted to go back to her former lifestyle. She had moments where she wanted to abandon her progress and throw it all away.

But it is this one, simply thought that kept her sober, and stayed that way: it is not worth it.

How about you? Do you also have struggles with alcohol you’ve always wanted to talk about? We are listening to you – feel free to share your thoughts into our comment section.

On Substance and Stone: This is How the Real-Life Jay Jason Mewes Strikes Back from Addiction 

The actor and the character should always be separated and never be the same — but what if they aren’t?

In the case of Jason Mewes, the line between both are blurred as the Jay on-screen and off-screen are one and the same — a real-life addict and alcoholic. 

Getting to know the Jay in Jay & Silent Bob

Popularly known as the other half of hilarious stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob, Jason Mewes had found tremendous success in his effective portrayal of his namesake character Jay as it debuted in the movie Clerks (1994). Together with his partner/longtime pal Kevin Smith, the comedian who played Bob, Mewes went on to capture audiences with their crazy tandem which went on to reprise their roles for more films on the roll including Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Clerks II (2005), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2006). 

But outside of his character, Jason Mewes is also a Creative Producer at SModCo Internet Radio (SIR), which was launched in 2011 as well as the Creative Producer at SModCo Internet TV (SIT), which was released a year later. 

Outside of the franchise, Mewes also appeared in a number of films and also lent his voice to several video games, earning him the award “Dirtiest Mouth Award” from MTV for his role in Jay and Silent Bob.

The rise and fall – and rise again of the Hollywood star

Despite having a successful run in Hollywood, the New Jersey-born actor’s childhood was actually a disaster.

Born on June 12, 1974, Mewes grew up not knowing his father, and had spent most of his childhood with his aunt because his mother was in and out of the prison for drug and credit card fraud-related crime — an act which the young Mewes accompanied his ex-con mother in doing.

The exposure to this kind of environment at a very young age eventually led the then teenaged Mewes into getting hooked with drugs, progressing into a full on drug addiction during his high school days.

Continuing this kind of lifestyle for years, his friend, Kevin Smith, whom he met in the same high school he attended, was forced to put Mewes in a rehabilitation clinic back in 1997. 

Just two years after staying in, he found out that his mother was diagnosed with AIDS. In an attempt to get sober, the actor decided to move in with his mother who started to take her medication to ease the withdrawal symptoms. 

Though he tried so hard to fight his inner demons, Mewes’ attempt seemed to be done in vain as in the same year, he was arrested for the illegal possession of heroin. As a result, he was required to fulfill community service and engage himself in drug counseling. 

It was in 2002 when things got worse for him. His mother eventually passed away and Mewes didn’t take it too well, drowning himself deeper and deeper in drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with grief. 

And just one year after that incident, Mewes decided to surrender himself at a New Jersey court and was quickly proven guilty for violation of probation sentence where he was put in rehab for six straight months.

Fortunately, he was allowed to attend the film shooting in Los Angeles but was warned that if he ever tried to break the rules, he would be sentenced to 5-year imprisonment as a result.

Even serving his time in the rehab, things didn’t really change that much for the comedian. He started living with his friend, Smith, whose wife eventually kicked him out because he was caught doing drugs again. 

To add to this, Mewes even stole Smith’s ATM card and withdrew $1,100 amount of cash which he used to supply for his vices.

Because of such unacceptable behavior, Mewes’ friends ran out of patience with him. 

The once inseparable pair were now nowhere near each other, leaving the actor alone with his struggles.

Turning tables, at last

To say the comedian found himself in a serious situation is an understatement — it’s  a life-threatening one. 

Still having no control over his addiction, the now all-alone comedian found himself in the middle of a fire as the place he’s been staying in was burning, one Christmas morning on top of it all.

The reason?

According to the incident report, the cause of the fire was due to a candle – the exact same candle used in Mewes’ drug intake. The place that he was staying in during this moment had no light, no electricity, no food in the kitchen, and no potential hazards around, leaving the said lit candle and a bunch of drugs used by Mewes’ to blame.

It was exactly during this moment that the comedian had a change of heart. After years of trying and failing to be sober, the actor went to his car and drove back to New Jersey – where he again surrendered himself and was put in six months court-mandated rehab or a year in prison. 

And, just like that, that one fateful morning did not seem to be so bad anymore.

Friendship beyond the silver screen

Time and time again, Jay & Silent Bob prove themselves to be more than just a character they are playing. 

They are indeed the comedic duo fans grew to love, through and through as Smith continued to be the Silent Bob to Mewes’ Jay in both the peaks and bottoms of his career, despite falling off a couple of times.

When Mewes thought there was no one there to help him anymore, the other half came in to save the day – making him fully dedicated to his decision to remain sober this time. 

To make his bouncing back possible, Smith started a podcast entitled Jay & Silent Bob Get Old where Mewes told his story about how he struggled with addiction. The podcast was well-received by the public, giving the recovering Mewes another shot not just in the industry but also in life. The podcast has gone on to produce over 200 episodes, went on tour and conducted charity benefits during its run.

Up to this day, the movie-turned-podcast star kept his promise not to fall off the wagon and hop into recovery instead. The show might be over – for now – but Mewes had taken everything that he had experience on that show as a reminder that he had made in sobriety. 

Mewes has now remained sober for 10 years and counting, looking as happy as he ever was back in his earlier days and is showing no plans in getting back to the lifestyle he used to have.

Everyone has a different story to tell. It just turns out that for Mewes, it took one deadly situation for him to realize that he needed to change and luckily, there is a friend who is always willing to accept and help him out, no matter what.

Ready to share you recovery story to the world? Give us a word in the comment section and help another one to succeed in his struggles today.

“We are Completely Lost Without God”:  This is How Faith Saved Brian Welch from the Clutches of Addiction

Brian Philips Welch, better known as Head  — the lead guitarist/co-founder of the rock band Korn — broke a lot of fans’ hearts as he suddenly decided to pack his bags and completely leave the band back in 2005.

This was also a shock for his bandmates as they were currently one of the domineering metal rock bands in that era, earning multi-platinum record albums. 

For most, this would sound like an absurd decision. For Welch, this was the right decision.

The decision to leave everything behind turned into a no-brainer to the former band member as he claimed to “had found Jesus”, deciding to dedicate all of his life to his faith and service to God. 

This he decided was the most reasonable decision at that time for the guitarist as he was having a serious battle with the use of substances including methamphetamine, Xanax, sleeping pills and alcohol and it was clear that he needed to turn over a new leaf.

Baring his journey as an open book, Welch wrote Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story back in 2008 where he fearlessly shared everything that he struggled with, letting fans, casual listeners, and fellow survivors alike get to see struggle and success as it unfolded. 

Welch before the limelight

Head, before he was popular to his fans and friends, did not necessarily have a good history. 

Born and raised in Bakersfield, California on June 19, 1970, young Welch was noticeably different from most kids back in the day. He said that he would always get bullied at school and people would often call him “Head” — thus the famous nickname — saying that “his head was too big for his body” and it stuck with him throughout his life.

Later on in his life, Welch found home in music, expressing himself the best way possible. He would often play the drums as his past time at first, then progressed to playing the guitar as his father convinced him to play the instrument. 

Ever since that day, he started to shift all of his energy into enhancing his skills as a guitarist.

The Making of Korn

Because of his exceptional skills in playing the guitar, the members of the group L.A.P.D who just got disbanded decided to create a new band with Brian Welch back in 1993. 

They then decided to name the new-formed band Korn as suggested by Jonathan Davis, the lead vocalist/frontman of the group. The group immediately liked it because according to them the name has a “creepy” feel to it and reminded them of the horror movie Children of the Corn.

Kickstarting their journey all the way to the top, the band released a self-titled debut stylized as KoЯn album back in 1993. This was followed by more music, releasing albums after albums including Life is Peachy (1996), Follow the Leader (1998), Issues (1999), and Take A Look In The Mirror (2003), making them one of the fastest rising metal band in the 90’s, selling out entire seats on arenas during their tours and earning them $25 million in the process.

As one of the pioneers of the genre “nu metal” in the 90’s to the early 2000s, the band then went on to lead a hard rock revolution that earned them the respect of the other bands and established their spot as one of the household band names around the world. 

Party in the Front, Problems at the Back: The Effects of The Rock n Roll Lifestyle

While Korn continued to succeed in its run, the out-of-control party world of rock ‘n roll quickly got in the head of its members. And while the world was seeing Brian Welch as the rockstar who had it all, the lead-guitarist claimed that he was “dying inside” — a kind of pain only drugs and alcohol can numb and take away. 

“I go back on the road and I start drinking, and just be like ‘okay guys, let’s party!’ and just sweep all the pain under the rug,” he said in an uncut interview with CBN.

While the situation seemed to have little to no effect on the career of Head in the music industry, it wreaked an irreversible, destructive effect on his marriage. Welch recounted that during such a phase, whenever he would come back home from the tour, he and his ex-wife, Rebecca Welch, would always do drugs and fight afterwards. 

Although he claimed to have tried to quit doing drugs several times in his life, the guitarist stood no chance against it.

And just as he thought nothing right would ever happen, a miracle happened. 

Welch’s then-wife had given birth to a young girl whom they named Jeanea, and it instantly changed everything for the Korn guitarist. Given the new chapter in their lives, the couple went on to turn over a new leaf.

“[Jeanea’s birth] was like the best thing. I said ‘life is gonna be good now. I got my band, I got my wife and I got my baby and we’re still climbing up,’” Welch described with utmost excitement.

Everything was starting to change for him and he seemed to have found a new life — or so he thought.

The Relapse

As a first-time father, Welch needed to head back on tour to work again, and that’s where it all spiraled down: his habits began creeping back to him, eventually pulling him back into the world that he once belonged in. 

But relapse did not only hit the lead guitarist — his wife did, too. On numerous instances when Welch was partying on tour, Rebecca would be doing speed — amphetamine — on one hand, then hold their baby on the other. This ultimately caused the couple to break up altogether.

While everything was working according to plan from his career standpoint, Welch’s life at home was already crumbling apart.

Upon their divorce, the guitarist eventually won custody of the child, only to cause him more confusion. There is no question as to his conviction to raise and take care of his daughter, but the band member felt like he cannot expose Jeanea to the wild party life of Korn.

Torn between putting all of his focus on his daughter and enjoying the success that his band is currently enjoying, the musician has this to say, his eyes full of uncertainty: “But how can [I] not be there for my daughter?” This tug-of-war in his heart, combined with the crushing pressure to choose, caused the guitarist to rely deeper and deeper on drugs and alcohol. 

The Wake-Up Call

One may think: how could one leave a band as big as Korn, a band that changed the face of music?

For Welch, Jeanea is more than enough reason to quit everything. This moment of realization dawned on him when one day, Welch heard his daughter, Jeanea, singing one of their songs while they were at home.

To his shock, it was  A.D.I.D.A.S, which, as age-inappropriate as it is, stands for All Day I Dream About Sex. 

Beginning to question his purpose and his life in general, the guitarist wondered, “When I heard her singing that song, I was like: ‘What am I doing to my kid?’” This made him feel like “the biggest loser in the world” and that he wasn’t “good for his kid.”

It was also during this time when Welch decided to venture into real estate, meeting a Christian couple who were about to turn his life around for the better.

Matthew 11:28: The Verse that Started (and ENDED) It All

At first, his partners weren’t bothering him with their faith, until one day, Welch himself reached out to them and told them all of the things that he is going through as an individual through an email.

Then, one of the couple replied to him by stating a bible verse saying, “Come to me all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest,” quoting Matthew 11:28.

He was shocked by the reply and thought to himself  “Could Jesus be real?”, beginning to  ask himself the most life-changing question —could there really be a God, and is that God calling him?

His question would be answered sooner than later when he decided to attend church with one of them. At first, he found the people praying “weird” but as the mass continued, he said that he was “drawn” and “started to feel something going on.” 

And when the preacher asked if there’s anybody who wants to see Christ, the curious Welch found himself raising his hand and was very eager to see what the preacher has to say.

Right after going to the church, he recalled rolling up a hundred dollar bill and began snorting speed again — and while he was doing it, he said to himself “Lord, if you’re real like that guy says, please take these drugs away from me. I can’t quit, I want to do them but I wanna stop.” 

For weeks after that incident, Welch continued on to do drugs while reading the bible, desperately trying to search for an answer. Then one day, he said that he began to feel some “peaceful presence” which caused him to feel shaky and have goosebumps all over his body.

But despite this happening, he still continued to doubt if it was God, and on the next day, he again felt something in his body that pushed him to read the bible. 

Upon reading, he stumbled on a scripture that says, “The soul who sins is a soul who dies.”

The exact verse felt as if it was the answer to all of Welch’s questions. And as if on cue, he went out to throw away all the drugs that he had with him and decided to turn his life around once and for all.

The once party-loving, substance-dependent man without a care for the world has now surrendered his life completely to God saying, “I’m done God, I’m yours now,”  marking the last time he has ever done drugs up to this day. 

Welch was finally baptized in the Jordan River on March 10, 2005 and promised to focus all his life into serving Jesus, coming out of the water as a renewed, better man. 

Also have an inspiring redemption story just like Brian Welch? Share it with us and let others know how you lived to tell your story. 

Who could have forgotten about how Toy Story, Cars, Shaggy Dog, and Santa Clause filled us up with laughter growing up, making us slip Disc 1 and 2 into our DVD players in more repeats than we care to admit? 

Only Tim Allen can do that. 

But, behind the wholesome, fun image of his characters we all loved, the now 66-year old comedian has recently spoken out in public about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.

A Not-So Disney-Like Childhood

Before he became known as “Buzz Lightyear” from Toy Story 1 to 4 (1995-2019), “Dave Douglas” from The Shaggy Dog (2006), and “Santa Claus” from, of course, Santa Clause Trilogy (1994-2006) which we all loved as kids growing up, Allen was also once a kid himself. 

Unknown to many, the well-loved actor experienced a challenging, tragic childhood. 

Born as Timothy Allen Dick on June 13, 1953 in Denver, Colorado, Tim Allen had a difficult time during the early parts of his life. His odd surname, Dick, made him the center of attention as a child, but in the worst way possible — bullying.  Allen used his wits as his greatest weapon to fight against his bullies, oftentimes shutting them down with wise responses whenever he got picked up on.

Growing up, Allen was very close to his father, Gerald M. Dick. Unfortunately, the man died after being killed by a drunk driver back when the comedian was only 11 years of age. At the time of his father’s wake, his mother moved to Detroit where she then got back in touch with her high school sweetheart who was a wealthy businessman. The couple then decided to tie the knot and pair up for good to raise Allen and his five other siblings on their own. 

Tim Allen before the fame 

The future comedic star was known to be doing very well at school during his teenage years. He earned his high school diploma at Seaholm High School, enrolling to Central Michigan University in college but was quick to transfer to Western Michigan University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Television and Radio Production.

It was also at this school where Allen met his future long-term girlfriend, Laura Deibel, who introduced him to selling narcotics as a way to earn money, changing the course of his life from then on. 

Having a strong background in the field, Allen took a position at a sporting goods store right after graduating in 1976 where he was instantly offered the job of being the company’s in-house advertising agent. 

Allen then found huge success in the business a few years later and eventually married Deibel, whom he would share more than two amazing decades of his life until their divorce in 2003. 

However, the moderate success did not stop the then-married couple from dealing drugs to make even more money.

Eventually he was arrested and while out on bail, Allen tried his luck on stand-up comedy. The comedian made his debut at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Detroit, just a month away from his scheduled trial.

After successfully going through his court appearance, the comedian received a reduced sentence as he agreed to testify against his partner, sentenced to serve a total of 8 years in federal imprisonment instead. 

Behind and Beyond Bars: Allen’s Comedic Success

Allen’s flair for comedy proved to have no bounds as he finds home from his newfound audience

While serving his time inside the prison, the comedian saw an opportunity to enhance his talent for humor. He began telling random lines around and later on became well-known inside the prison for his ability to put a smile on even the toughest guards and toughest prisoners.  

Because of his good conduct, Allen was granted parole after serving 28 months in jail.

He headed back to Detroit right after serving his jail time and began working at an advertising agency by day and at a comedy bar by night. He continued to pursue his dreams by becoming a regular at the Comedy Castle, making the audience burst into tears — out of laughter — with his hyper-masculine persona. 

When asked about what he learned from being imprisoned, Allen told The Washington Times that the experience was eye-opening for him and that being imprisoned made him shift his focus back to his real passion, “It was a watershed moment. It put me in a position of great humility and I was able to make amends to friends and family and refocus my life on setting and achieving goals.”

Taking advantage of the momentum he is currently enjoying at his comedy career, Allen soon ventured into the world of commercial acting where he appeared in several advertisements for Mr. Goodwrench.

Adding to his growing success in the comedy world, Allen’s then wife Laura gave birth to an angel whom they named Katherine.

The comedian, now fueled by the fact that he is now a father, worked as hard as he could to provide a comfortable life for his family. And, by 1990, Allen’s Men are Pigs routine was adapted into a Showtime television special, catapulting him to fame. In this act, the comedian cracked satirical jokes about the society’s view of men who love hardware. 

This performance by the comedian had an immediate impact as his routine caught the attention of many, including the Chairman of Disney’s Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Walt Disney’s CEO Micheal Eisner, who offered him the leading roles for their upcoming small-screen adaptations of Turner & Hooch (1989) and The Dead Poets Society (1989). Having huge faith in himself and his talent, Allen decided to turn the offers down and fought for his own material.

Eventually, he persuaded the studio to use his works as the basis of their new sitcom entitled Home Improvement, thus blessing the television with the ever-iconic Tim “The Toolman” Taylor. 

Despite having a ticket to success, the comedian has found himself back in his old ways again and in 1997, Allen got busted due to driving under the influence (DUI). After that incident, he decided that he needed to change and admit himself into rehab, and from that day on, the comedian never looked back again on his old habits and decided to be sober for good.

Putting the friend in You’ve Got a Friend in Me

If there’s one song fitting for his recovery journey, it would definitely be You’ve Got a Friend in Me. 

The Toy Story star in an interview with the Huffington Post highlighted the importance of reaching out for help as told by a physician friend, just as the song suggests.

“For me, I was done! I was just done!” the comedian declared, “[If] you need help, the first thing you go to [is] the phone book, and it’s free. It’s a program that’s always got its doors open, there are no dues or fees.”

Continuing to recount his experience with drugs, Allen said that addiction is “a disease of the soul and the mind” tearing up not just himself but also the people surrounding him.

 “It’s a matter of hitting a personal bottom… I was tired of my excuses; I was tired of the shame and the guilt… so much energy to manage it. It was unmanageable. I sat there [and] I said to whatever God that was watching over me: ‘Help me! I will do what you want. I’m a guy who doesn’t like ‘organized’ anything but AA is just brilliant to me.” 

From that day forward, Allen has never got anywhere near his past habits, and according to him, this is the “best decision ever.” Just like that — with the aid of professional help and personal drive — decided to leave his old habits behind,  and never looked back. 
Been through the same struggles as Tim Allen? You don’t have to be a Hollywood actor to speak up — comment below and let’s chat about your success story.