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John Stamos Reveals Why He Got Sober Ahead of ‘Fuller House’: ‘I Was Doing Crappy Things’
John Stamos candidly opened up about one of the most difficult points of his life. The Full House alum made the decision to get sober after his very public struggles with alcohol addiction in the past.
“I had to sober up. I was just drinking too much,” John, 60, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, October 18. “I just went low. I didn’t go high. I just surrounded myself with people I shouldn’t have been with.”
John’s sobriety journey began after his arrest in 2015 on suspicion of driving under the influence in Beverly Hills. The General Hospital alum was sentenced to three years of probation after he pleaded no contest to the charge.
“I had that DUI, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I’ve got to straighten up,'” he said. “That’s when I was confusing the universe because I’m not a bad person, but I was doing crappy things.”
The Emmy nominee subsequently entered rehab, an admittedly “dark” time for him that eventually “started to get better.” John leaned on his family and Fuller House costars to get him through the challenging period.
“I had a lot waiting for me, and I feel bad because a lot of people don’t, because they burned their lives down,” he added. “Luckily, I had my sisters, but I also had Fuller House. I got home, and I think like a week later, we started Fuller House.”
These days, John has his wife, Caitlin McHugh, and their son, Billy, by his side to help him stay on track.
“They have kept me on this path because going down the road of being sober and taking care of yourself, everybody tries. Everybody does it. You could get going for a little while. Then, it’s like, ‘I can drink again,'” he explained. “So it’s staying on the path is what they mostly do for me.”
John is preparing for the upcoming release of his debut memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, due out on October 24. In the book, the California native delves deeper into overcoming his addiction, his upbringing and his divorce from his first wife, Rebecca Romijn. The former couple were married from 1998 to 2005.
“My first marriage was shattering to me. I was shattered for way too long, too,” John told the outlet of his marriage to the Femme Fatale actress. “I mean, a year, OK, good. But it went on [for] years and years.”
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).
