Lucy Hale spoke candidly about her struggles with alcohol and her journey to sobriety.
During a recent interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Lucy reflected on her earliest experience with alcohol, the bad habits she picked up along the way, and what led her to take her sobriety seriously.
"For so much of my life, I found I would fill this empty well within myself with validation from men," Lucy said. "So I was like, 'If I sleep with them, I'll get this validation.'"
The Puppy Love star admitted that once she received that validation, she'd feel good about herself for "like a week," and then she'd need to do it again. Lucy said she picked up this habit pretty early on.
While speaking with host, Alex Cooper, Lucy confirmed that alcohol allowed her to be a different version of herself — at some point she even believed it allowed her to be more of her true self — and she enjoyed that.
"I'm even willing to say sex drunk is not enjoyable," Lucy added. "Sex with strangers is not enjoyable. I mean, that might just be my experience with it."
The Pretty Little Liars alum has been sober for the past two years, and she credits getting COVID-19 for helping her take her sobriety seriously, because it forced her to stay home and avoid social outings.
She's also been celibate for the past couple of years, and although sex can still be a "little uncomfortable" for her, she's learned to love her body in new ways and that not everyone deserves to touch her body.
"I didn't realize I had a problem until my early 20s. I went to rehab when I was 23. I don't think anyone on the show [Pretty Little Liars] knew. And it was my choice, too."
Lucy also revealed that her first memory with alcohol was around the age of 12 when she "blacked out" after drinking Green Apple Pucker while on a family vacation. Between the ages of 12 and 18, she'd drink here and there, but after that, her drinking became more frequent.
"That was a pivotal moment in my life. I wasn't ready to give up drinking, which is why I didn't get sober until I was 32."
To learn more about Lucy, be sure to check out her full Call Her Daddy episode below.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.