Whoopi Goldberg reveals serious cocaine addiction which left her fearing she would die
Whoopi Goldberg has revealed she was once addicted to cocaine and detailed one terrifying experience she had after taking the drug.
The 68-year-old actress has written about her experience in her upcoming memoir Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me. She said she had “stayed pretty far away from drugs” after spending time at a rehab facility before she was famous.
She said her Hollywood career then changed the meaning of “recreational drug use” in the 80s. Whoopi wrote: “I was invited to parties where I was greeted at the door with a bowl of Quaaludes from which I could pick what I wanted. Lines of cocaine were laid across tables and bathroom counters for the taking.”
Whoopi Goldberg wearing a black and white dress at the 2023 Bring Change To Mind Gala
Whoopi Goldberg poses in a black tank with lit cigarette in her hand in Los Angeles in 1985
At first, Whoopi believed she could “handle” cocaine as she didn’t think it was “dangerous”. She said she managed to hide her drug use for about a year, but her addiction soon took a turn for the worse.
It got so bad for the Sister Act star that she started hallucinating. In her memoir, which has been obtained by Page Six, Whoopi recalled one incident in which she thought she saw a creature under her bed.
The actress remembered being scared it would attack her if she got up. As a result, she didn’t leave the bed for 24 hours. Whoopi said: “That kind of **** doesn’t end pretty. There’s only so long a person can hold their bladder.”
Whoopi Goldberg speaks onstage during the
Luckily, Whoopi finally realised she had a problem after she was staying at a hotel in Manhattan. She’d been taking cocaine in a closet when a housekeeper walked in on her.
As Whoopi tried to explain what had happened, she saw her reflection in a mirror and noticed her face was smeared with the drug. She said this was a “slap in the face moment”.
Whoopi admitted she felt lucky as she was able to “stop using drugs quickly”. She said she accepted the fact that she would have to turn down invitations and turn her back on certain friendships. Writing in the memoir, she said she was willing to do this as she “didn’t want to die”.
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email [email protected], message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
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