Back when David Arquette and Courteney Cox announced their separation, they did something that no celebrity couple had done before: they went on Howard Stern multiple times and publicly discussed their problems. They went so far as to talk about their (lack of) sex life, the reasons for their split, and the mutual love and respect they still had for each other. It was inspiring to hear a celebrity couple be so open with the press and amicable with each other, and it went far to stem the gossip. (Although there were still the inevitable infidelity rumors, which they also addressed when they came up.)
Around the time of his breakup with Courteney, David started drinking heavily. He was spotted out at the bars drowning his sorrows. Then he got sober, worked on finding himself spiritually, and was honest and open about his struggles with addiction. He even publicly celebrated a year of sobriety, and made it to two years and four months without a drink. In the past few months David fell off the wagon again. Radar Online has been running stories about how he’s partying on set and how he allegedly lost an acting job due to his drinking problem. Instead of staying quiet or denying the problem, David admitted on Howard Stern recently that he’s drinking too much. He owned up to everything basically and asked the press to be kind. When Howard asked David if he was a big drinker (video below) it sounded like he was going to call himself an alcoholic but then he stopped and admitted “I’m a drinker, I drink a lot.” He added that he knew that people “were going to take this information and just be cruel with it” but tried to discourage that by saying “kindness is the new currency.” It was a nice sentiment.
David Arquette didn’t mince words about his sobriety — or lack thereof — speaking with The Howard Stern Show Monday.
“I’m drinking again … I’m a drinker, I drink a lot,” the 41-year-old actor said, adding that he was hesitant to open up because of the negativity generated by others about his addiction issues.
When Stern asked him if he was doing drugs in addition to the drinking, Arquette hesitated before admitting, “Yeah, I’ll smoke a little weed.”
The Dancing with the Stars personality, who’s been to rehab before — and publicly celebrated his sobriety milestones — said he just decided to go back to the bottle upon “feeling like I wasn’t being that true to myself.
“I’m a wild man, I do get out of control, I try to keep a cap on it,” he said, adding that he’s never been one to get behind the wheel after throwing back a few.
When the Private Parts star asked the actor about his girlfriend Christina McClarty, and how she’s handled his relapse, he said, “My girlfriend’s cool, she supports me. She’s cool.”
Asked how his ex Courteney Cox has reacted to his lost sobriety, Arquette said “everybody’s getting along.”
The King of All Media told Arquette, “I’m worried about you, only because I know you got a problem with alcohol.”
Arquette answered him, saying, “Whatever I do, I’m gonna do: I’m gonna go through this journey and figure out my life.
“I’m a responsible person, I have my daughter three days a week … I’m incredibly responsible. I’m living my life and I’m trying not to hurt people…”
Stern asked the star how many drinks he consumed the night he lost his voice; Arquette responded, “I don’t know probably had about four or five drinks … vodka, and I get strong drinks, but it wasn’t like I was stumbling around … I had a driver, I wasn’t like a knucklehead.”
Arquette repeatedly reverted back to stressing how the world was not a nice one these days, saying that he was afraid to be too honest with the radio personality “because people can be so cruel.
“I think everyone’s on their own journey,” he said. “I’m tired of everyone judging others … I shut down all my social media because people were being too mean.”
When an aggressive caller told the actor he was “full of s**t” — and asked him how he thought his drinking would have a trickle-down effect on his daughter Coco — Arquette acknowledged that being a parent ties into his own responsibilities, to how he has to keep things under control.
“I got my own problems, yes, and I will sort them out,” Arquette said, adding that he sees a therapist.
That’s good that his relationship with Entertainment Tonight reporter Christina McLarty is going strong. I was worried that David and Christina had broken up and that’s why he went on this bender, similar to what he went through after he split with Courteney. I do share Howard’s concerns about him. This is not something that David should take lightly. Admitting that he has a problem is the first step, and he’s just done that in a very public way. I hope he can conquer his demons again and embrace sobriety. Moderation does not seem like an option for him at this point. He just makes me want to give him a hug.
David Arquette and Christina McLarty are shown out on 8-16-13. He’s shown alone on 8-8-13. Credit: Fame and WENN.com
Ahh, too bad. He does seem to be a sweet man under it all.
+ 1
Sweet man-child, you mean.
Unfortunately he is one those guys who needs his SO to also be a mother figure.
I don’t disagree, what I meant was that he is a nice person in spite of his issues. He’s not a sociopath, douche, or someone with a heavy sense of entitlement.
3 day a week custody of his daughter. Bye Bye. He is unlikely to be allowed to have her after publicly declaring his alcohol issues.
Yeah I love him. And Courtney too. I do wish everyone would stop wearing tank tops.
Why? What’s wrong with tank tops?
Well at least he has a driver.
That was really sad to read. He sounds so sad. He also says the same things most addicts do when they relapse. I really hope he finds his way back to sobriety.
Sadly he is an alcoholic who is making excuses and rationalizing his behaviour. He needs to go back to rehab and be “true to himself” there.
I know, that line really bugged me. As if falling off the wagon was a noble act of existential honesty. Being sober is hard. Very, very hard. Get back to rehab.
Agreed. And how is “moderation” an option for a raging alcoholic? That is just playing with fire. He seems so lost, though sweet. I find this sad.
Exactly.
Wow that’s incredibly self destructive, I hope he gets it together before his luck runs out!
I hope he goes back to rehab, or does whatever he needs to do to get better.
Kudos to him for his honesty, and I hope he gets the help he needs, but when I first glimpsed the main photo, I thought he and Courtney were back together. He certainly has a type…
this might be off topic but I like that girl’s outfit
No wonder Courtney threw in the towel. I wish he could stay sober for his health and for his daughter. Is current GF a good bit younger than him? If yes, she needs to do some serious soul-searching, bec based on what he’s saying, sobriety isn’t a goal right now.
Hey Lindsey, this is how you do an honest interview about your problems.
Exactly
He seems sweet and honest, and that’s great, but I think his daughter would rather have a sober parent. If he’s messing up his career, relationships and parenting, he needs to stop and not just acknowledge.
I di some of my student field work at an addiction treatment facility where they liked to say, ” I’ve never met anybody too stupid to get sober but plenty who were too smart.” Being “true to himself”, what does that even mean? Smart people, like Arquette, are capable of all kinds of mental gymnastics to justify self destructive behavior. I hope he can get a grip on it and stop or drink in moderation. Even if he isn’t drunk around his daughter, it is hard for a kid to watch a parent’s life fall apart.
Yes, will he be glad he’s been “true to myself” when he’s dying of liver failure? a friend of mine has lost both her brother & brother-in-law to premature death from alcoholism, by all accounts good men with families who loved them. I don’t mean to sound judgemental, at all. It’s just very sad.
I suspect he is a nice person, but alcoholics cannot drink in moderation, an alcoholic needs to not drink period. Most alcoholics try the I can drink in moderation phase, it is a lapse in sobriety.
Seriously. This is an honest question: How is it humanly possible for an alcoholic to drink in moderation? And people, please don’t give me the Drew Barrymore B.S. That was a different animal altogether, because she was likely not medically an alcoholic, just an insanely abused, untamed child who was masking her rebellion and hurt with drugs and alcohol. She might never have been chemically addicted. She was more a behavioral “alcoholic” than anything. Please, what’s the answer?
An alcoholic can’t drink in moderation. That’s the answer. Everything else is just noise.
Hope he sorts himself out, he seems like such a nice guy.
The answer is it’s not possible. Period. I have many alcoholics in my family, some even elderly. They think they can handle it, and they usually do for awhile, but it always ends up in a full blown relapse.
It’s like with Miss Vickies Salt and Vinegar potato chips – you do it or you don’t. He has to recognize that, yes, fell off he wagon but he can get back on but hope he doesn’t let shame get in the way of recovery. Also his gf looks like Khloe Kardashian, perhaps its the ‘I’m so not impressed with this’ expression.
There are functioning alcoholics. We do what we have to do and hide the obsession in our heads. Only if you get close will you see the cracks. You shoot for capping it at 2-3 drinks. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t. The risk is big and consequences can be ugly. But sometimes it’s fun. And you know you’re sick because you continue to throw the dice.
Barrymore used to live in my ex’s building. He said she was quite messy. None of us know what her real story.
It’s true an alcoholic cannot drink in moderation, you basically go back to where you were before you even got sober. It’s a very quick progression. I sometimes want to drink when things in my life get hairy, or when I’m rejected in some way that I perceive as me not being as good as other people. This is an ongoing problem, the only thing that I can do is go back to a meeting, call other alcoholics and know that this too shall pass. I wait it out, and then I’m glad I didn’t take that first drink. Because after I take a drink, the drink takes a drink and there I go, to hell in a hand basket, and it’s not a pretty sight. I wish him all the best and hope he gets hit sh** together.
<3 boo. Best to you.
Miss Vickies SnV is my cruel mistress. She destroys my ass.
He sounds like a truly sad person who tried hard to keep it together but couldn’t… He also sounds like he’s genuinely a kind person. I hope he finds a way to heal without alcohol.. I wish him luck.
Good God, that first pic-some photog must have stalked him in bars for days to get the drunkest pic of David Arquette imaginable.
Poor guy-he won’t live long with that drinking habit, especially if he smokes-cigarettes-also.
“Wasn’t being true to myself. ” Having just said this same line to a loved one over the weekend regarding myself, reading this was comforting and sad. You have to work your as* off to not do something that feels beautifully, disgustingly right. I’m a functional, honest one as well. Will I get back on the wagon? Maybe. But reading this made me feel like – yeah, dude. I know. Falling/stepping off the wagon comes with its own crap. He’s just asking for kindness as he figures it out. Yeah. Dude. I know.
you are being beautiful honest. interestingly i was talking to my friend today about her bf who drinks a lot I asked if he was cruel or abusive when he drank she said no he’s just a goodtime Charlie kinda guy somehow I felt I was justifying his alcohol abuse because he treats her good & he’s responsible with his business & raised 2 great kids. I don’t know what I’m trying to say except people like you David & my friends bf seem to be kind souls & I just want to hug all 3 of you tonight & remind you we all f up we all have a journey that is ours to answer for. Best to you.
Thank you. Your kindness means much 🙂
And? … You bragging or complaining, David? Quit lamenting over your decision to have a cocktail (or 17). It sounds too much like whining and is unbecoming a stud like yourself. Man up and either enjoy the drinks or put ’em down. What do you want us to do? Go awwwwwwwww — well, that ain’t happening. Maybe you are trying to really tell someone ELSE something ELSE. Whatever. Just quit it. You’re the only one to which this matters. Enjoy! Don’t Worry! Be Happy!