Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has emotionally revealed she went to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.
The radio host, 49, made the tearful revelation while speaking to her co-host Kyle Sandilands on their KIIS FM radio show on Thursday morning.
She admitted she visited a rehab facility in November 2022, when she took an extended break from the Kyle and Jackie O Show to focus on her health.
Now, she has detailed how she was battling addiction to painkillers, sleeping pills and alcohol at the Betty Ford clinic in California.
She revealed she went ‘back and forth’ deciding whether to share the news publicly before bravely sharing her addiction struggles this week.
‘I was scared to tell people and say this out loud, I know people will look at me differently and love me,’ she revealed on her radio show.
‘I was in a really, really dark place.’
Jackie admitted she lied by ‘omission’ when she made her 2022 announcement saying she had long Covid as she gave a reason behind her long absence.
Detailing the height of her addiction, Jackie revealed she took around 10-12 Stilnox sleeping pills a day and would take them while drinking alcohol.
Medical advice warns users not to drink alcohol while taking Stilnox as it can cause the respiratory system to slow down and cause difficulty waking up.
‘That’s what the addiction to your brain, it changes your way of thinking, it doesn’t want you to get help, it’s so powerful,’ she tearfully went on.
Jackie also revealed she asked permission from her daughter Kitty, 13, to share her story publicly and praised her for treating her with ‘compassion’.
‘I couldn’t be more proud of my daughter, the way she has been about it has been zero judgement, just compassionate and support,’ she shared.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has emotionally revealed she went to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction
