Natasha Lyonne reveals relapse after nearly a decade of sobriety

Natasha Lyonne publicly shared that she had experienced a relapse after years of sobriety, reminding fans that recovery is a lifelong process rather than a straight line

Natasha shared the update in a series of X posts on the evening of Friday, Jan. 23, writing, “Took my relapse public more to come.”

Hours later, she followed up with a more detailed post, saying she hoped sharing her experience might help others. 

“Recovery is a lifelong process. Anyone out there struggling, remember you’re not alone. Grateful for love & smart feet,” she wrote.

“Gonna do it for baby Bambo,” she continued, in reference to her upcoming project about hockey player Sophie “Bambo” Braverman, which she wrote and is slated to direct.

She continued, “Stay honest, folks. Sick as our secrets. If no one told ya today, I love you. No matter how far down the scales we have gone, we will see how our experience may help another. Keep going, kiddos. Don’t quit before the miracle. Wallpaper your mind with love. Rest is all noise & baloney.”

The actress, who entered rehab in 2006, publicly struggled with addiction. She later opened up about the tumultuous period in her life in a 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

“Spiraling into addiction is really, really scary,” she said at the time.

"It's weird to talk about. I was definitely as good as dead, you know? A lot of people don't come back. That makes me feel wary and self-conscious. I wouldn't want to feel prideful about it. People really rallied around me and pulled me up by my f---ing bootstraps.”

“I’m such an open book that I have no problem talking about it and speaking freely, but I’ve sort of said my piece on the subject,” she said, adding, “The truth is, at the back of that addiction are feelings that so many of us have that don’t go away.”

If there is one takeaway from Natasha Lyonne’s relapse, it is this: healing is not linear. Slips do not erase progress. And choosing to begin again is a strength, not a weakness. This is not about perfection. It is about learning, adjusting, and moving forward with more support and self-understanding than before.

For anyone navigating their own relationship with alcohol or substances, her story offers reassurance. You are not broken because you struggled. You are human. And every moment you choose to try again counts.

Get the tools to cut back or quit drinking (and actually enjoy it). Join A Sober Girls Guide Membership for coaching, step-by-step tools, and a supportive community of women who are changing their relationship with alcohol, just like you.