Cara Delevingne opens up for the first time about addiction
Six months ago, fans were extremely worried about Cara Delevingne when she was photographed by paparazzi in a confused state. She was pacing restlessly, reportedly ‘tweaking’ with wild hair as if she had been up for days. After that, things were relatively quiet around Cara; she never responded to those photos but continued to show up for later work commitments, where she looked like her beautiful self again. Was it just a snapshot that the paparazzi caught?
No, it turns out. Cara has given her first open interview about her struggles with staying clean, admitting that those photos were indeed a wake-up call for her. She shares this with Vogue, where she is featured this month with a major interview and a particularly beautiful shoot.
She proudly states that she is now four months sober and that it is going very well. She felt overwhelming shame after those photos, but it was also an urgent wake-up call to finally say goodbye to all the alcohol and drugs she was using. She had just returned from Burning Man and had indeed been partying for nights on end. ‘I hadn't slept, I was NOT okay. It broke my heart because I thought I was just having fun, but it reached a point where I thought: okay, this is not good.’
‘You know, sometimes you just need a reality check, so in a way, I'm quite grateful for those photos.’
Cara also shares in the interview that she started drinking early; she was first drunk at the age of seven. This was at a wedding, where she had secretly been drinking champagne. The next morning was her first encounter with a hangover. I find that bizarre; I can't imagine being in a position at seven where I could down multiple glasses of champagne without adults noticing. I don't even know if I knew what alcohol was back then. But then again, most people don't grow up in a wealthy British family with a lot of prestige, like Cara.
At ten, she was already prescribed sleeping pills for her insomnia, and five years later, she had her first breakdown and went on antidepressants. From that moment on, she has always had periods of depressive thoughts, but she says that the lockdown in 2020 really took its toll on her. Her relationship (with Ashley Benson) fell apart, and suddenly the world was locked down, and she was alone.
So when the world opened up again, she went all out. Looking back, she lived in a complete haze. Her grandmother Jane Sheffield passed away, which devastated her, but she didn't want her work to suffer, so she went to the Met Ball the day before the funeral. But, as she tells Vogue, she never skipped the afterparties. ‘I went there and completely blacked out. Everyone was like: what is she doing? The next day I had to travel to my grandmother's funeral. It was terrible.’
Now she is four months sober, after checking into a rehab clinic. I must honestly say: I always saw Cara as a party girl who couldn't be stopped. Of course, that was also the image you get from the media, and that's why I found this a very beautiful and open interview to read. And those photos: wow. Read here to read the entire interview on Vogue's website.
