Battling addiction can be a long, difficult process. Given the stigma that often comes with addiction, it's not always an easy thing to discuss with friends and family, let alone the public. However, that doesn't mean all celebrities want to stay quiet about their very personal battle. Sean Penn's son, Hopper, is speaking out about a serious struggle, and credits his father for helping him work towards recovery.
In an interview with ES Magazine, Hopper — who will appear in the upcoming Brad Pitt film War Machine, out later this year — discussed how he got involved with drugs, which led to his dad giving him a painful choice. According to Hopper's interview, Penn gave him the option between a rehab bed or the bus stop:
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"I went to rehab because I woke up in a hospital and my dad was like, ‘Rehab? Or bus bench?’ I was like, ‘I’ll take the bed.’"
The 23-year-old model, who is also the son of House Of Cards actress Robin Wright, told ES Magazine that he really "fell into the wrong crowd." Though he previously described himself as a "pothead," the actor told the magazine that "meth was the main [drug]" that brought him to a place where he desperately needed help. Hopper explained:
“Thank God I got out of that because that was the worst time in my life... because it’s not fun when it gets to a point where you just need it.”
Hopper isn't the only celebrity speaking out about getting clean. Demi Lovato recently celebrated her fifth anniversary of her sobriety. Just this week, Ben Affleck released a public statement about completing rehab for alcohol addiction to his Facebook. Eliza Dushku recently gave an empowering speech about overcoming substance addiction at the New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness.
While Hopper doesn't owe the press details of his personal battle, the more stories about celebrities overcoming addiction, the less seeking treatment will be stigmatized.