Dennis Quaid Talked About His Cocaine Addiction and Recalled His White Light Moment That Changed His Life
Dennis Quaid has finally revealed what really happened when he got addicted to cocaine in 1990. He also shared that he experienced a white light moment that prompted him to get help.
Dennis revealed that, at the peak of his stardom and career in the 1980s, he, too, struggled with drug addiction. It caused him to attend what he calls cocaine school or a rehab facility.
According to the Blue Miracle actor, he sought plenty of ways to fill the void that drugs left in him. And it ended in a miracle when he landed on a series of religious texts, ultimately leading him back to what he grew up with — his Christian faith.
The 69-year-old actor is happily married to Laura, his fourth wife, for three years now and shared that he is finally in a place where he is genuinely happy.
Gracing the cover of People’s latest issue, the star revealed, “I’m grateful to still be here, I’m grateful to be alive really every day.”
Dennis first experienced the glory of being a Hollywood star in 1979 when he starred in his breakout movie Breaking Away, a movie about coming of age after high school graduation. He steadily rose to prominence in the 1980s, starring in films like Great Balls of Fire, The Big Easy, and The Right Stuff.
And like so many Hollywood actors and actresses drawn to cocaine addiction, Dennis, too, succumbed to the temptation. Dennis revealed that drugs were sometimes included in movie budgets, and that’s where he found himself doing cocaine almost daily in the ’80s.
When Dennis was a guest on The Today Show, he shared with Megyn Kelly how he spent many nights screaming at God to take the drugs away. He would also promise not to do drugs again because, in an hour, he had to go to leave and work.
In another interview with CNN and Larry King about 10 years ago, Dennis revealed that back then, cocaine was considered a harmless drug. He mentioned that he was reading articles from magazines by doctors stating that cocaine is not at all addictive and that alcohol is a worse vice.
This bit of fact that he stumbled upon caused him to become bolder with his drug use. But with time, the reality hit him that cocaine is, in fact, highly addicting.
In his interview with People, Dennis looked back at when he was slapped cold and decided to stop. Recalling the moment, the actor shared, “I remember going home and having a white light experience where I saw myself either dead or in jail or losing everything I had, and I didn’t want that.”
The actor also revealed that because of his addiction, he caused his band to break up the night they received a recording gig. It was all because of him and that he couldn’t be relied on by his bandmates.
Eventually, Dennis checked himself into a rehabilitation facility and reconnected with his Christian faith. And in his post-addiction life, Dennis also empowered his faith by learning about the Quran and Bhagavad Gita. The actor talks about his struggles and faith through several praises and hymns in his new album, Fallen: A Gospel Record for Sinners.
