Cara Delevingne opens up about sobriety and the ‘reality check’ of paparazzi pics

By Chrissy Callahan

Cara Delevingne is opening up about the challenging series of events that inspired her to get sober.

The actor covers Vogue’s April issue, which hits newsstands nationwide on March 21, and gives readers a raw look into her sobriety journey. She also addresses the paparazzi photos from last fall that left fans wondering if she was going through a troubled time.

While speaking with Vogue writer Chioma Nnadi, Delevingne explained that the photos of the star at an airport last fall were taken after she attended Burning Man.

“I hadn’t slept. I was not OK,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking because I thought I was having fun, but at some point it was like, OK, I don’t look well.”

The 30-year-old said that the photos and fans’ concern for her inspired her to get help.

“You know, sometimes you need a reality check, so in a way those pictures were something to be grateful for,” she said.

Delevingne said that she was partying a bit too hard before she decided to get sober at the end of 2022, adding that the pandemic left her feeling depressed and “like I had no purpose.”

“Instead of taking the time to really learn something new or do something new, I got very wrapped up in misery, wallowing and partying. It was a really sad time,” she told Vogue.

Late last year, the model checked herself into rehab, and she said that was a turning point for her.

“I’ve had interventions of a sort, but I wasn’t ready. That’s the problem. If you’re not face-first on the floor and ready to get up again, you won’t. At that point … I hadn’t seen a therapist in three years. I just kind of pushed everyone away, which made me realize how much I was in a bad place,” she said.

The star has been on her sobriety journey for over four months and is committed to the 12-step program. She said she no longer wants to follow “the quick fix” approach to healing, like brief retreats.

“This time, I realized that 12-step treatment was the best thing, and it was about not being ashamed of that. The community made a huge difference. The opposite of addiction is connection, and I really found that in 12-step,” she explained.

Delevingne said she’s facing the “ups and downs” as they come.

“People want my story to be this after-school special where I just say, ‘Oh look, I was an addict, and now I’m sober and that’s it.’ And it’s not as simple as that. It doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “Of course, I want things to be instant. I think this generation especially we want things to happen quickly — but I’ve had to dig deeper.”