Tom Felton Bares It All About His Substance Abuse
Harry Potter star Tom Felton opened up about his struggle with substance abuse, revealing that his ex-girlfriend and lawyer had to hold an “intervention” to make him stop.
The lifeline extended by his ex-partner and lawyer was what Tom needed. The warning they gave him was enough for him to wake up from the stupor induced by his substance abuse.
Most of the details of the actor’s mental health struggle can be read in his book Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.
Tom, who played Slytherin’s Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, recollected his struggle during his 20s. He found comfort and refuge in alcohol, which turned into an addiction. In his book, he admits that getting addicted to alcohol was just the tip of the iceberg. It was merely a sign of a bigger problem and his deeper struggles.
The 35-year-old shared that it all started with a few pints of beer and a couple of whisky shots. But soon his tryst with alcohol had him end up in rehab, not just once but multiple times.
The actor further shared that it was his ex-girlfriend, who was also his manager, who helped him alongside his agents because they, too, were concerned about his alcohol abuse. The people around him were persistent in the actor getting the help he needed.
Tom’s lawyer had several intense one-on-ones with him and warned him about how his addiction could impact his life. This lawyer, who he barely knew, was precisely the person Tom needed.
According to Tom, his lawyer told him that even though they didn’t know each other very well, the man had to step in to help. His lawyer had held seventeen interventions within his career. And among those 17 people he tried to help, 11 were dead.
His lawyer told Tom not to be the 12th casualty in his career. This prompted Tom to submit himself to rehab, but in less than a day, he left the facility.
Remembering the words of his lawyer, he tried again and got booked into a second addiction rehabilitation facility. But his stay there didn’t last either. He was booted out due to non-compliance with the facility’s rules and regulations.
He was found in one of the girl’s rooms, violating the rehab’s strict guidelines. After his second rehab stint, Tom regained some control over his life. But within a few years, that feeling of numbness and wanting to escape from something started coming back again.
So for the third time, Tom checked into a rehabilitation facility and was able to come out a better person.
He states that going to rehab for the third time was one of the hardest decisions he had to make for himself. But it was also a moment where he felt proud because he could admit to himself that he needed help.
