A few days ago, I watched Amy, the documentary about Amy Winehouse, for the first time. I’ve been thinking about it ever since, thinking about a life destroyed by drugs and alcohol and the tenuous, self-destructive relationship someone can have with sobriety. There were so many what-ifs about Winehouse’s life – what if she had gone to rehab before she became a mega-star, what if she never married Blake, what if her father wasn’t such a son of a bitch. I came away from the documentary having a sh-tload of respect for the celebrities and regular people who do manage to go to rehab and stick with their sobriety, and build a new sober life and rebuild their careers. Colin Farrell is one of those people – he struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his 20s. He bottomed out in 2006 and went to rehab and it stuck. He built a new life for himself. And now he’s back in rehab:
Colin Farrell continues to prioritize his sobriety. The Irish actor has checked himself into a treatment facility, E! News can confirm. “It was preemptive,” the source adds. “He did it to reset his life. He’s not using right now at all.”
According to The Daily Mail, who broke the story, Farrell is seeking professional help from The Meadows—an elite rehab center in Arizona whose previous clients include the likes of Selena Gomez, Harvey Weinstein, Tiger Woods and more.
In May 2017, Farrell celebrated an entire decade of sobriety during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The 41-year-old has previously detailed his years-long battle with alcohol and drug abuse, and Farrell first checked into rehab after filming 2006’s Miami Vice.
Since the Amy doc is fresh in my mind, I’m giving Colin the benefit of the doubt here – maybe he didn’t backslide. Maybe he didn’t use. Maybe something happened to him that was very triggering and he decided to go into The Meadows as a precautionary measure. So many addicts need to go back a few times, just to get their heads together and to peace out on the world full of triggers. In any case, I’m wishing Colin well.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I like him and wish him well. Still, the fact that it’s in-patient when he is a handson single dad and their announcing it, pretty much says he fell off the wagon. A lot of the time these announcements are to assuage studios and directors who may have heard something on the grapevine
I agree. I wish him well too. But the fact that they are announcing makes me think he started using again. It’s so hard when you are an addict and working in the entertainment industry.
Just a different take on announcing it – if he was photographed going in, in, or coming out of the rehab all sorts of rumors and misconceptions would be in the papers quicker than the blink of an eye. Maybe to protect his family from that, they decided to announce it.
Or they were afraid somebody at the center would leak it. Everything gets leaked in this digital age.
Side note -my FIL went to that treatment center, it’s a good one. Sadly it didn’t stick for him, but he never took sobriety seriously anyway.
Good for CF for doing what he needs to. He’s one of my fave’s in Hollywood ever since he went off on that photographer for disrespecting his sister.
But even if he has relapsed, he’s getting help for it. That’s commendable, imo. Lots of people relapse, and recommit to sobriety.
He is not handson single dad. Mothers of his sons are more than included in the upbringing and Colin bought a house close to his in LA to both of them. I find him such warm nice person with natural sense of humor and hope he will overcome this obstacle too no matter if he fell of the wagon or did it for the reasons statement said.
He could’ve relapsed or have had so many warning signs they sent him in. I hope he’s okay because this is giving me flashbacks to Cory Monteith and PSH who both went back to rehab shortly before passing.
Hoping for the best. Addiction is so difficult
Have you ever heard the term ‘dry drunk’? It’s when you’re technically sober but struggling with alcoholism and it dominates your thoughts and emotional state. There’s a reason people go to meetings regularly but when you’re famous it’s harder to find an AA meeting. He was probably white knuckling it and realized he needed to clear his head.
Good for him for being proactive. Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman both fell off the wagon after a decade or more of sobriety.
That’s what I’m guessing too. Either way, I’m glad he sought treatment and I wish him the best.
Not necessarily so that he fell off the wagon. I’ve known several people in AA, and come from a long line of alcoholics 🙂 I think people who’ve really been dealing with it for a long time see when the ‘urges’ are coming. They sense a danger zone. If they want to keep healing they act and try to cut it off. Give the man the benefit of the doubt, maybe he’s just taking care of himself. He’s done well, I hope he keeps it up.
Best wishes! I’ve always liked him. And I absolutely recommend watching Amy. She may have put all those substances inside her body, but it was her environment that killed her. Addiction is an illness, not a choice.
No one like to hear this, but it’s the safety net of money (read one expensive rehab after another) that keeps people from Real sobriety. As an addict I’d run out of money AND friends, so it was homelessness or sobriety. I learned to crawl, kneel, walk and now hustle for a peaceful life for myself and my kiddos. In daily AA, I got strong because I had ONE option. I would advise people to stop relying on serial therapy spa sessions to “clean up”. Get in the rooms, get a sponsor, listen and keep going. Through abject poverty and stark humility, I’m sober 35 years.
My mum has been sober for more than 20 years now, but she’s the exception in my family and it’s freaking hard not to slip. Since I don’t remember hearing any stories about Colin drunkenly stumbling out of some clubs, I also give him the benefit of doubt and hope he pulls himself together. I love him as an actor and do want to have him around for a while to come.
I agree. My dad remained sober for 20+ years (until his death) but my nephew has addiction issues and my sister and I are devastated because we know how many struggles his life will have now. Kudos to Colin Farrell for addressing whatever he needs to. Sobriety is very seldom a one-and-done thing.
He has a child with an extremely difficult disability. I’m not saying it’s an excuse if he has relapsed but good on him for getting help. His son needs him.
Even if he fell off the wagon, he seems to be a person who takes his sobriety seriously and will do what is needed to get better for his kids’ sake. I wish him the best. This is a disease and it’s hard to control without support.
I have so much respect for Colin Farrell. Every Christmas day (when he is in Ireland for Christmas) he visits the children’s hospital in Dublin to give a boost to the children (and let’s admit it – to the staff and mothers!). No fanfare, no press, just he and his sister pop around for a few hours to chat, take selfies and generally raise the level of excitement on the wards to 100! That shows real heart, giving up your comfy Christmas at home to visit sick kids in the hospital. I wish him the best on his continued recovery from addiction, it sounds like he is taking responsible steps towards ensuring his wellness.
Thanks for the heartwarming story about CF. I loved him in “Seven Pyschopaths” and I’ll watch just about anything he’s in. It’s nice to hear that some heart throbs actually have hearts.
QT – If you haven’t seen “In Bruges” you really must!! Also “The Lobster”. Both smashing.
Yes, thanks as well, MostlyMegan. I love this guy and wish him only the best.
@Lola, yes! I’ve seen “In Bruges” too many times to count. I bought the DVD when it first came out (missed it in the theaters) and it’s been my favorite winter-time movie for several years. It made the word “alcoves” a permanent part of my vocabulary!
It sounds like he felt he was going to start on the path again and took steps to stop it. Wishing you well.
I could not stand this guy when he first became popular. Then over time he matured and now I like him.
Have always liked him and wish him well. Alcoholism is always something you can ‘fall backwards’ with. You can do it Colin. You have a great family and career and you have it in you to beat this.
A lot of addicts how back to rehab for preventative reasons. I don’t think it means Collin fell off the wagon. An announcement was probably made so tabloids don’t make something out of nothing. But it’s happening anyway.
I enjoy his interviews with Ellen, I hope he gets better. He’s always seemed like a good guy that Hollywood culture nearly destroyed.
He might well be in for sex and love addiction. It’s quite a common pattern for men to get sober in AA and then a decade or so later realise their issues are with intimacy, and that relationships get them as crazy and high as alcohol.
I think he’s one of the good guys. Wish him well.
Always liked him and it speaks to a certain self awareness that he’s checked himself in. I wish him well.
I am rooting fir Colin Farrell. I wish him well.
I dated a recovering addict and it was no joke – triggers are everywhere and the struggle is real, and daily. If Colin felt his sobriety could be jeopardized he did well to enter treatment.
Addiction is for life and not many people (addicts, mainly) get this.
That happens sometimes. I’d of course hope that he’s there as a precautionary measure, but addicts do sometimes relapse. They can also recover, and it sounds like he’s taking care of his health. There’s an older man who goes to my meetings who was sober for a long time before slipping, and every time he gets a new sobriety medallion, he brings the old first one so they can be a pair. Best wishes for Colin.
Aw, I love Colin and am pulling for him. Does anyone remember him from a Scrubs episode, where all the women were throwing themselves at him? Very funny.
He was so incredibly funny in that episode! I really like Colin and hope he is okay. He is always so open about his life: his addictions, his sex tape, his older son’s issues, and being a father to two very different sons from two different mothers. During interviews, especially on Ellen, he is constantly talking about Angelman’s, which his older son has, and organizations who are helping children affected by it succeed. He also does a lot of good works without a lot of fanfare. One of my favorite stories about him is from when he was filming in Toronto and helped a homeless man: https://www.looktothestars.org/news/372-colin-farrell-makes-homeless-mans-year.
Good for him for being preemptive! I wish him well.
“Harvey Weinstein and Tiger Woods” are not two people that I would mention as a way of trying to garner good press for any kind of place – not just a rehab facility. Especially Woods since he keeps getting pulled over for erratic driving while he’s on prescription medication. Well, thinking about it, not Weinstein because they didn’t cure him of being a rapist, either.
I’m not an addict but I suffer from severe depression and whenever I feel I’m getting to the point of total darkness I preemptively address that with my therapist. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t fall off the wagon but he felt close to slipping and he decided no way, I need help. I admire that. Even if he did fall off the wagon I admire him anyway because this is so mature of him.
I agree 100 percent that getting a staying sober if one of the hardest things to do. I admire those that make it through. It’s not just about not using, it’s the mental game of accepting and dealing with what sent you to the drugs in the first place. It’s about accepting you ate the one who chose to use and accepting that blame. It’s about now becoming a normal functioning member of society again. Going to a full time job is extremely difficult for many newly sober people. There are so many layers of onion to pel when dealing with addition and hats off to those of you who have done the hard work you get there.
I really want someone to make a JD ROBB movie about Eve Dallas and Rourke…i picture Colin Farrell as Rourke
I love those books and can totally see Colin as Roarke. I can never decide who should play Eve tho.
I wish him well. Absolutely no judgement from me.
I’ve always loved him, even when he was a mess. He’s one of the few in LaLaland that seems real and genuine. So glad he turned his life around and is taking this precaution.