Cheyenne Jackson says he fell off the wagon after ten years of sobriety

Actor and singer Cheyenne Jackson posted a candid Instagram message yesterday. He revealed that after ten years of sobriety, he’d recently fallen off the wagon.

“VULNERABLE is what I’m feeling today,” he began. “After nearly a decade of sobriety I fell off the wagon. I’ve been carrying a lot of shame. Scared to share it. But I know it can help someone so here I go. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone who has looked up to me as a sober person so I’ve been just burying it away.

“I took my eye off the ball. I stopped doing what I needed to do to keep myself on the path of my personal integrity. I could blame it on Covid. I could blame it on the state of the world. Mass shootings. A nation divided. The death of my co-star. But the truth is, I thought I had it all handled. I thought ‘I got this.’ But I don’t. I am a work in progress. Always.”

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A post shared by Cheyenne Jackson (@mrcheyennejackson)

He went on to say “Thank you to my support system. Thank you to @jamieleecurtis and so many others who have been there for me. It means everything to me. If you are out there struggling, you are not alone and there is a solution. I love you. And I love myself today and that feels really good to say.”

He added the hashtag #progressnotperfection

Jackson, 47, was a good friend of Leslie Jordan, who died suddenly last year. They both appeared in the sitcom, Call Me Kat and released a song together a couple of years ago.

Jackson met his husband, Jason Landau, at a 12-step meeting in 2013. They married in 2014. In October 2016, they welcomed twins Ethan and Willow into their lives.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Among those to comment on the post was recent Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis. Jackson had singled her out for thanks.

Curtis said, “WE ARE ONLY AS SICK AS OUR SECRETS! The truth is anyone in recovery and only has this day sober. The past is irrelevant, and the future unknown.”

Focusing on getting through just one day of sobriety is a tenet of the 12-step recovery program.

Jackson’s husband, Landau, was also amongst those to reply.

“@mrcheyennejackson your power, your truth and your willingness is why I fell in love with you. Today I love you even more,” Landau said.

In his photo, Jackson is demonstrating American Sign Language for “I love you”. Nyle DiMarco responded by posting the same sign as an emoji.

Recovery is hard. Falling off the wagon and admitting to it is also hard. Here’s wishing Jackson all the very best as he continues his recovery journey: one day at a time.