Many of us watched Lucy Hale shine on Pretty Little Liars without realizing she was fighting a private battle. However, through a powerful message to fans, Hale marked three years of sobriety—and we couldn’t be happier for the 35-year-old actress!
“3 years ago today, I began my journey in remembering who I am,” she wrote in the caption of her post. “Since then, I’ve experienced moments that can only be described as pure miracles and magic. I am deeply grateful every day—for the people who have been guiding lights, for a power greater than myself that loves me unconditionally, and for my own perseverance in not giving up. To all of you who have supported my journey, I have felt your love and it means everything to me.”
Hale first opened up about her alcohol use in 2023 on The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett podcast. “I have never talked publicly about being sober–I have a little over a year of sobriety. I have been working on getting sober since I was 20. I’m 33. It took time. It took patience with myself,” she shared. Hale shared that being under the influence felt like it brought out the ‘real Lucy,’ as alcohol silenced the constant chatter in her mind. “I was a textbook binge drinker, blackout, wouldn’t remember what I did or what I said, which is scary.”
Hale told PEOPLE in 2024 that in 2022, she felt she had hit “rock bottom,” leading her to make the choice on January 2 of that year to turn things around. “I knew if I continued on that path, I would’ve lost everything I cared about. It was the scariest choice in my life, but also it’s been the best gift. When I made that change, everything else changed. My whole life has changed.”
The journey to sobriety was not simple for Lucy Hale
In 2023, during her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Hale discussed her first experience with alcohol, her sobriety journey and its impact on her life. Before she even reached her teens, Hale remembers drinking for the first time on a family vacation—a memory that would stay with her well into her sobriety.
“I blacked out at 12 years old. I don’t remember what happened, I threw up, I got very sick and I remember being so distraught when I realized what had happened.” She continued, “I remember shame after every experience drinking, because my drinking was never normal.”
“If you are struggling or walking a similar path, keep going. Just keep going. You are not alone and the world needs you,” the actress concluded in her Instagram post.
