Rapper Eve is known for keeping it real on wax, but during a recent episode of The Talk, the former Ruff Ryders frontwoman said she once struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
The shocking admission came during a conversation about Willow Smith’s recent disclosure that she, too, went through a dark period of her life and was cutting her wrists to cope with her emotional pain. Though Eve didn’t physically harm herself, the 39-year-old said she fell into substance abuse to deal with a difficult time in her life.
“I was out of a toxic relationship, I didn’t have a TV show, I didn’t have a record deal. I was just kinda like, what is happening with my life?” Eve said. “So I started drinking…a lot.”
“I started drinking, and drinking, and drinking because I didn’t want to deal with my emotions,” Eve continued. “I didn’t have anybody to really talk to. I was even popping Xanax and drinking to numb my pain.”
While many people never break away from alcohol and drug abuse, Eve said getting arrested for driving under the influence in 2007 was a huge sign that things in her life needed to change.
“It took my DUI to wake me up because I had to wear one of those ankle things,” she said. “And I didn’t want to because I knew it would force me to deal with my ‘S’, my stuff, and I did, and thankfully, I did and was able to get healthy.”
“I prayed myself through it,” Eve added. “I finally started figuring out the things that I needed to do to make myself healthy.”