Leslie Jordan Was More Than 2 Decades Sober: 'The Hardest Thing That I Ever Did'
Vivien Killilea/Getty Leslie Jordan
Prior to his death, Leslie Jordan was vocal about his journey to sobriety.
Last year, the Emmy-winning actor, who died Monday at age 67, opened up about his lengthy struggle with alcoholism before entering recovery more than 20 years ago. In an interview with PEOPLE, Jordan recalled having his first drink at age 14 while at a friend's house, explaining that alcohol was a rarity within his family.
"We were Baptist. There was no alcohol in our family. We were teetotalers," he said in January 2021. "I remember that, all of a sudden, I wasn't that awkward kid who didn't know what to do with his arms, who was afraid the ax was going to fall at any time. It hit me: I was adorable, I was precious. And I stayed precious and adorable for the next 33 years."
Despite his successful career, Jordan struggled with substance abuse.
He said alcohol gave him confidence and self-acceptance through his 30s. "I felt it was a lot easier to be gay when I was loaded. My problem was I was a bar drinker. I started getting DUIs. My gosh. And that one year [1997] I got three in a row. They sentenced me to 120 days."
"I was there 14 days, and that was it," the actor said. "The judge told me, he said, 'If you so much as misbehave at all, I'll put you back in jail, Mister Jordan.'"
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At the time, Jordan simply told his sisters to tell their mother he was in rehab. But eventually, she learned the truth. "My mother was so frightened for me. We went through it as a family."
The Call Me Kat star admitted that his alcoholism at the time was "purely recreational."
"I'm just having a good time, a really good time, and then you start noticing that your friends are getting younger and younger and younger because everybody that you drank with as hard as you drank has finally said, 'I got to stop this. I've got a family,'" he explained.
"The hardest thing that I ever did was getting sober, but I was so scared to go back to jail," he added. "I was so scared."
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Jordan got sober in the late '90s and was a member of a 12-step program for more than two decades prior to his death. He died in a car crash on Monday in Hollywood, California, after an apparent medical emergency, PEOPLE confirmed.
"The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan," his agent David Shaul shared in a statement to PEOPLE. "Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times. What he lacked in height he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being. Knowing that he has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
