‘I’ve done a lot of damage to the body’: Denzel Washington reveals past battle with alcohol as he marks almost ten years of sobriety
Gladiator II star Denzel Washington has opened up about his past battle with alcohol.
In a first-person feature for Esquire, Washington, 69, admitted that he’s “done a lot of damage to the body” but is now celebrating almost ten years of sobriety.
He said it was during a candid conversation with his wife Pauletta that his past struggle was first laid bare.
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The Equalizer star said his wife once asked him why he would only order two bottles of wine at a time to their home.
He explained to her at the time: “‘Because if I order more, I’ll drink more.’ So I kept it to two bottles, and I would drink them both over the course of the day.”
Washington said the effects of wine is “slow” and said it makes it “tricky”.
The actor said he “never got strung out on hard drugs” and added: “And I never got strung out on liquor.”
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He said it was when they added a wine cellar to their home that his struggle became more difficult.
Washington, who is a two-time Academy Award winner, said he “never drank while I was working or preparing”.
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Washington celebrates his 70 birthday on December 28. The birthday will also mark 10 years of sobriety.
Washington and Pauletta Pearson have been married for 41 years having tied the knot on June 25 in 1983. The couple met on the set of the TV drama Wilma early in his career.
They have four children – John David, 40, Katia, 38, and twins Olivia and Malcolm, 33.
Washington stars in the new Gladiator film, Gladiator II, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2000’s iconic Gladiator.
It also stars the likes of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction contact the Alcohol Drug Information Service on 1800 250 015 or Narcotics Anonymous Australia on 1300 652 820.
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