Denzel Washington Opens Up About Sobriety: “I’ve Done Damage to the Body”
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After decades commanding the big screen with powerful performances, Denzel Washington is now taking charge of something far more personal—his health. In a rare and deeply candid revelation, the two-time Oscar winner has confirmed he has been sober for 10 years, marking this milestone in December 2024.
At 70 years old, Washington says he’s finally prioritizing strength, clarity, and wellness after confronting a drinking habit that once had him consuming two bottles of wine a day.
In a recent Esquire cover story, Washington detailed how his relationship with alcohol intensified in the late 1990s, shortly after he built an impressive 10,000-bottle wine cellar. What began as a collector’s passion gradually morphed into routine excess. “I’d order $4,000 bottles from Gil Turner’s [Fine Wines & Spirits] on Sunset,” he admitted. “But I’d limit it to two bottles a day, to try and control it.”
For 15 years, this daily ritual quietly followed him from project to project. “Wine is very tricky,” Washington reflected. “It’s slow. I wasn’t strung out, but I drank daily. Especially after finishing a film.”
The damage, he now acknowledges, was insidious. “I’ve done a lot of damage to the body,” he said in multiple interviews. Though the effects didn’t derail his career, they prompted a reckoning at age 60—one that ultimately changed the course of his life. It wasn’t just the toll on his health that concerned him; his wife, Pauletta, would sometimes question his orders, sparking moments of reflection that became turning points.
Ten years into sobriety, Washington is looking both backward and forward—with renewed discipline. In February 2024, he began working with a trainer, aiming to hit a target weight of 185 pounds, down from the “190-something” range he currently hovers in. Healthy, home-cooked meals have replaced the wine, and his outlook is refreshingly holistic. “Forget alcohol,” he said. “Strength. I’m doing the best I can.”
Washington’s openness arrives amid growing conversations about health and addiction among public figures. His story is not simply one of restraint but of resilience—a Hollywood icon who has portrayed characters grappling with moral complexity now embracing the same struggle with striking honesty and grace.
As he approaches his 70th birthday on December 28, 2024, Denzel Washington isn’t just celebrating longevity in his career—he’s celebrating clarity, strength, and a life reclaimed.
