Paula Patton Explains How Motherhood Influenced Her Sobriety Journey: 'It Was Family, It Was My Life, or Chaos'
The actress explained that one reason she quit drinking was to spend more quality time with her son, Julian Fuego
Patton shares Julian, 15, with ex-husband Robin Thicke, whom she filed for divorce from in 2014Paula Patton is opening up about her sobriety journey.
Patton, 49, appeared on the Atlanta radio show Big Tigger Morning Show with Jazzy Mcbee on Monday, June 16, to chat about her new film, Finding Faith. At the start of their conversation, she said she took the role of Faith because she 'goes through so much," and she related the character's journey to her personal experience with sobriety.
'Seven years ago, I got sober and life took me on a journey which was wild but amazing,' she began. 'When you get sober, it's so funny, I just had this epiphany that I had made a choice like, it was family, it was my life, or chaos to be honest.'
She came to that realization ahead of filming a movie in London, because she wanted to spend her time with her son. Patton shares son Julian Fuego, 15, with ex-husband Robin Thicke, whom she filed for divorce from in 2014.
'I said, 'I can't do it.' But then, in that moment, I said if I do this, 'I'm going to stop drinking,' ' she explained. 'So once that happened, you go down a path and all of the masks that you wear, right like all the things that fill your ego, they drop away.'
Patton said she lost "friends" and things like her work began to "fall away.'
'So you have to find your way through it to find out who you truly are, and that can be really challenging. There's a lot of time alone, you know, and having to face myself and memories and such,' she said. 'But then on the other side was this joy, just joy for being a mother, a joy of life."
"Suddenly, I just had this childlike experience, where I started to see everything through my kid's eyes. Because he's my best friend,' she said, adding, 'It was like being born again.'
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Finding Faith is now in theaters. In the film, Patton's character seeks guidance from her family, pastor and friends as she seeks to rebuild her life after a tragedy sends everything spiraling.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Fox News
8 signs that you should leave a restaurant, experts say
Not every restaurant outing offers a five-star experience — and diners don't always need to taste the food to know something is off. From management gaps to social media hype, key signs can tip you off early to a disappointing experience, say restaurant insiders. These red flags suggest a restaurant may be struggling with service, quality or culture, according to experts. Any of these sound familiar when it comes to a restaurant you know? "Great managers are visible," Salar Sheik, a restaurant consultant based in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital. "They touch tables, support staff and keep the energy up." In addition to operational duties like working with vendors and managing inventory, managers should be greeting customers, taking their feedback and helping out servers as needed, according to Indeed. "If you can't tell who's in charge, it might be because no one is," Sheik warned. While social media influencers can boost a restaurant's identity and draw people in, experts note they could be getting freebies or special treatment. "When every post or review is from a hosted experience, I can't trust that," Candy Hom, an Atlanta-based food critic, tour guide and chef, told Allrecipes. Their ring lights and food photo shoots can also put a damper on the experiences of other customers. "If it feels more like a photo shoot than a place to break bread, odds are the experience is built more for the 'gram than the guest," Sheik said. A restaurant with low traffic could also have slower food rotation, leading to fewer fresh ingredients, according to insiders. Context matters, Sheik said, but beware of dining rooms that are empty at peak hours. "Consistently empty restaurants often point to a loss of community trust – whether from poor service, declining quality or mismanagement," according to Sheik. The customer might not always be right, but experts say an argumentative staff member could be a sign of poor service standards and a breakdown among the team. "If they mess something up, they should try to make it up to you," Hom told Allrecipes. A waiter at a celebrity-owned restaurant once split her table's receipt five ways instead of six – then blamed the fact that he usually serves tables of five, Hom said. "Even if the food was good, the experience was ruined," she added. "If I hear and read about staffers alleging not-great work environments and management issues over and over again from trusted sources … I take those to heart," Nadia Chaudhury, an editor at Eater, told Allrecipes. Sheik said there are also signs to watch for while at the restaurant. "If you hear managers talking down to staff in front of guests, if your server seems visibly anxious or afraid to make a mistake, or if there's no energy, no personality, no smiles, it often means the culture is toxic or punitive," he said. Sticky menus and lipstick-stained glasses are bad enough, but Sheik pointed to the restrooms as the real test of cleanliness. "If those aren't clean, I guarantee you the kitchen's not being held to a higher standard," he said. Cleanliness is one of the most controllable elements of running a restaurant, he added. "If the team can't manage that, they're likely failing at much more complex things, too." "If your server has to guess ingredients or check on every question, it signals poor training and a lack of pride in the product," Sheik said. Menu knowledge is key to providing guests with accurate allergen information and enhancing their overall experience, according to Toast, a restaurant management system. If you're being upsold too much, it can be another sign of trouble. Servers should be enlightening guests, not harassing them, experts claim. "Suggestive selling is part of the job," Sheik said. "But when it feels like a script or desperation, it often means the restaurant is struggling to hit numbers and pushing sales at the cost of genuine hospitality."
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sydney Sweeney Is Facing A Backlash Over Her New American Eagle Campaign. Here's What People Are Saying
Sydney Sweeney's new collaboration with the fashion brand American Eagle has become the centre of a whole lot of debate. The Euphoria star unveiled a new campaign with the American clothing brand last week, to promote their line of denim last week. However, it didn't take long before social media clips to promote the deal sparked a wave of discomfort among many critics, largely due to some of the language that's used in the campaign. This is the story so far… What is Sydney Sweeney's new ad campaign for American Eagle all about? For American Eagle's autumn 2025 campaign, Sydney Sweeney can be seen sporting items from the brand's denim range, including a new pair of jeans inspired by her. The campaign also makes use of the slogan 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans', a pun on the term 'great genes'. In another, she explains: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' 'My jeans are blue,' she then quips, at which point a narrator delivers the line: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Why are some people upset about Sydney Sweeney's new ads for American Eagle? Unfortunately this repeated use of the slogan 'great jeans', a pun on 'great genes', has put some viewers in mind of the language used by white supremacists and eugenicists. By centring a blonde, white star in a campaign referencing 'genes', some critics are accusing the brand of tone-deafness at best – particularly in the current political climate – and deliberately pushing a white supremacist agenda at worst. HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for both Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle for comment. Others are pointing out that Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign doesn't mention one other important aspect of the product American Eagle's new 'Sydney Jean' features a butterfly detail on its back pocket, in a nod to domestic violence awareness, a cause which the White Lotus star has championed throughout her career. In fact, an American Eagle press release confirmed that '100% of the purchase price from 'The Sydney Jean' will be donated to Crisis Text Line', a charity in the US which aims to help those affected by domestic violence. However, the ads are also being criticised for not highlighting this key part of the campaign, with some saying its accompanying slogan is even more jarring as a result. Has Sydney Sweeney or American Eagle said anything about the controversy? Not yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated if and when they do… READ MORE: Glen Powell's Ex Makes Veiled Comments About How Sydney Sweeney Rumours Affected Relationship Sydney Sweeney Fires Back After Producer's Takedown Of Her Looks And Talent Sydney Sweeney Makes Blunt Comment On Women's Empowerment In Hollywood
CNET
11 hours ago
- CNET
Access More Than 30,000 Movies and TV Shows With This One Free Item
When I was an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I added a concentration in film studies as part of my English and Comparative Literature degree. This choice exposed me to the marvelous world of film scholarship, adding to my already fervent love for movies. The decision also meant I was screening anywhere from four to seven movies each week for assignments and my honors thesis. The one platform that saved me throughout my semesters of frantic screenings was the streaming service Kanopy. Kanopy is an on-demand video platform that boasts a catalog of 30,000-plus titles, including classics, film noirs and award nominees. And unlike other streaming services like Netflix that are consistently raising their prices, Kanopy is still free. As a college student, I had free access to the platform with my university email address. The best part -- besides Kanopy being ad-free -- is that I didn't have to give up my account after I graduated; I'm still streaming its robust offerings for free thanks to my public library card. Below, I'll show you how you can sign up with Kanopy, and why it's worth it. Read more: 9 of the Best Netflix Alternatives to Entertain You How to create a Kanopy account With Kanopy, you can stream for free — without ads — movies, TV shows and documentaries. To create a Kanopy account, you can do the following: Go to and click Get Started . . The next window will ask if you're signing up with a university credential or a public library card. Select which option applies to you. You'll need to select your library system or university from the dropdown list. To find a library near you, share your location when prompted or search for your library by name, city or ZIP code. You can do the same when searching for your university. Hit Continue. Create your Kanopy account by filling out the requested fields (name, email address and password). Click Sign Up . . You will receive a verification email from kanopy@ Open the message, and click Verify My Email . . Start streaming. You'll need to select your library system or university from the dropdown list when creating a Kanopy account. Kanopy/Screenshot by CNET Are there limits to the number of films I can watch per month? Yes, Kanopy does not offer unlimited streaming. After signing up, you can stream up to 10 titles per month. Your 10 play credits will renew at the beginning of every calendar month. These credits do not carry over if you don't use them. Why is there a monthly limit? CNET Kanopy works on a pay-per-checkout model, meaning the public library system pays a small fee each time you check out a title. By limiting checkouts to 10 titles per month, libraries can ensure they stay on budget. Which films are offered on Kanopy? Kanopy catalog gives you access to over 30,000 titles, including: Award-winning foreign films Critically acclaimed movies A24 films Documentaries Classic films from the Criterion Collection Content from the Great Courses and PBS Festival indie or world cinema Storybooks Films and series for children Some notable standout films include Memento (2000), Donnie Darko (2001), Dial M for Murder (1954), and my personal favorite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). If you're interested, you can read my commentary about why I love this film so much. Does Kanopy offer seasonal collections? Yes, Kanopy offers select seasonal and speciality collections. Kanopy's Holiday Collection is released each December and includes a slew of Christmas features and documentaries, and Yuletide classics. In October, Kanopy released its Fright Fest collection -- a catalog of Halloween favorites -- comprised of horror flicks, slashers, thrillers and more. The Fright Fest collections includes A24 favorites, creepy classics, cozy horror and so much more. Kanopy/Screenshot by CNET You should also explore our full rundown of the best movies on Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus, stream our favorite horror double-feature now on Netflix.
