By India McCarty
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY star Maddi Reese is celebrating 12 years of sobriety!
“When I drank, I thought I was cooler, funnier, hotter, all the things,” the reality star and DJ said during an appearance on the “More Life With Carl Radke” podcast. “I thought, at a point, I needed alcohol or substances to make me feel cooler, or confident, or prettier, or funnier.”
Reese said drinking helped with her mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, but that she ultimately decided to get sober at 16.
She also spoke about her efforts to encourage boyfriend Joe Bradley to get sober, telling Radke that he ultimately has to make the choice himself.
Radke, who is also sober, said, “He’s doing what’s best for him. But [sobriety] turns into a gift for you and vice versa.”
Related: Oscar Winner Talks Sobriety: ‘Best Gift I Ever Gave Myself’
In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, Reese said she’s “super open” about her sobriety because she wants “accountability.”
“I don’t want to be drinking, I don’t want to be using — I know where that road leads me. So talking about it keeps me on that path,” she added.
Reese said getting sober at a young age “saved” her, adding, “I look back at my life then and yeah, I don’t know where I would be had I not gotten sober. I’ve learned so much about myself and I’m super proud of the person I am today because of it.”
“I definitely have had my ups and downs with my sobriety, but right now I’m in a really, really, really strong place,” the reality star continued. “I’m going on 10 years, which is so scary and crazy to me in a way because it went by so fast. But I can only hope the next 10 will be as seamless.”
Reese also addressed the fans who have said her story has been “inspirational” to them.
“So many people have been like, ‘I don’t want to drink anymore.’ And it’s so beautiful to see,” she said. “It really means the world to me, because my story is very unique, but it just shows me how much addiction affects everyone. We all have different stories, but the disease is what ties us together.”
In an interview with Elite Daily, Reese spoke about balancing sobriety with her work as a DJ.
“I didn’t go out for the first three years of my sobriety,” she said. “I had a lot of time and practice with it, but I also didn’t want to hold my life back just because I am sober. I still wanted to have fun, and a huge outlet for me was music.”
Reese’s openness about her sobriety journey is inspirational to anyone going through the same struggles.
Read Next: Reality Star Mike Sorrentino Celebrates 8 Years of Sobriety: ‘My Biggest Flex’
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