Jesse Metcalfe has experienced ups and downs in his sobriety journey.
“I’ve had my struggles with drugs and alcohol, definitely,” Metcalfe, 47, said during the Tuesday, March 17, episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “[A] lot of pressure, [a] lot of scrutiny. Wanted to escape all that.”
Metcalfe went to rehab for the first time in 2007 but admittedly “hasn’t stayed sober the whole time” and “slipped up” at some point during his career.
Metcalfe’s rep announced in March 2007 that the actor went to rehab.
“On Monday, March 19, Jesse Metcalfe entered a rehab facility to deal with alcohol issues,” a statement read at the time. “He realized he had a problem and was anxious to deal with it immediately.”
The statement concluded with the rep sharing that Metcalfe hoped he could get “privacy to deal properly with his treatment.”
Despite his ups and downs, Metcalfe said on Tuesday’s podcast episode that he’s in a “great place” now.
“If you’re battling addiction for, basically, all of your adult life, when you mess up — have a bender, or really, really late night — you feel like such crap about yourself,” the actor said. “It’s never worth it.”
Metcalfe said that his substance abuse struggles were definitely inherited.
“I was hopeful that it had skipped a generation,” he said. “I touched on the fact that it runs in my family. Both my grandfathers were raging alcoholics. My father, who’s sober now, has quite a bit of sobriety.”
Metcalfe confirmed that he does have a relationship with his father, alluding to past issues.
“I wouldn’t say it’s great, but we have a relationship,” he said. “So, that’s a start.”
Metcalfe previously reflected on his 2007 rehab stay in a since-deleted Instagram post from 2018, promoting his movie Steps, which furthered the conversation about addiction.
“This is a polaroid from when I checked myself into rehab on March 19th of 2007, after a 3 day bender,” he wrote. “These were some of the darkest days in my addiction. How did I get here? What was I running from? And what was the cost?”
He added, “We are going to explore these questions and much more in our film #STEPS. Please help us reach our financial goal by clicking the link in my bio and contributing what you can. Any amount makes a difference. Join the movement!”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
