Latest news with #JuliaRangiheuea
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Davey Lloyd opens up about drug addiction and how he turned life around
Davey Lloyd has opened up about his sobriety journey – revealing that his addiction to drugs and alcohol was so bad, he nearly lost his life before managing to beat his demons. The former reality star, 35, has been free of substances for more than 500 days, a feat he achieved after checking into rehab following a scary accidental cocaine overdose that left Lloyd 'clinically dead' for several minutes in December 2023. After hitting rock bottom, the reformed party boy has a new outlook on life, explaining the emotional reason he finally cleaned himself up after hitting rock bottom. 'The only way I could be a decent human being, is to get sober,' he said while appearing as a guest on the new episode of the Soberly Speaking podcast. 'And doing that for my future wife, future kids and for my family.' Lloyd told host Julia Rangiheuea, a former Big Brother contestant who has also had a personal battle with substance abuse, that his issues stemmed from an unknown trauma he carried as a child after losing a sibling to Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 'I found out through doing a lot of healing, and stuff like that in rehab, that trauma can be passed down from parents to their children,' he said. 'My brother passed away at five weeks old of cot death (an older term for SIDS), on Christmas Eve in 1988. 'I was conceived not long after his passing … my mum was still mourning when she was pregnant with me, so I absorbed a lot of her trauma and her own self-doubt. That has been ingrained into me.' He went on to state – through tears – that he believes this is where his own 'self-loathing and shame' came from, and why he detached himself to drugs after taking his first pill at age 16. From there, Lloyd began smoking marijuana, before finding cocaine, a drug he said was highly addictive as he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 'It made me feel normal,' he explained. 'People with ADHD release less dopamine in the brain, so cocaine for me was like self-medicating, and I remember being like, 'this is who I am supposed to be'. I can sit down and talk to people. I could be so friendly. I could listen to what people had to say.' After discovering the Class A narcotic, Lloyd became a 'party boy' who would go on days-long benders, admitting that before he starred on the first season of The Bachelorette with Sam Frost in 2015, he'd been out getting wasted. 'I was 25, the youngest there, and the first one to meet her,' he recalled on Soberly Speaking. 'I'd come from a big weekend, I'd probably had 15 eckies [ecstasy pills] and what not. 'I think I finished up partying on the Monday morning from Friday, and then had to leave the house on Tuesday to start filming'. Despite forming a 'connection' with Frost, Lloyd left the famous mansion without a rose ceremony, and returned back to his party lifestyle, which he said only snowballed from there. As a result, Lloyd experienced three drug-induced seizures over the next decade, with the latter almost taking his life. 'I'd been sniffing for 48 hours, and I got up to get in an Uber, but as I stood up, I don't really know what happened,' he said. 'Forty minutes later, I woke up on the ground, all the ambulance surrounding me. I pissed myself, I couldn't get up, my mates were in hysterics, I couldn't speak. 'They told me after that I had died. My friends had attempted CPR on me and had failed, but luckily the ambulance came in time and brought me back to life.' After this terrifying brush with death, Lloyd began the long journey to health and recovery, stating it made him realise that 'my life was meaningless'. He moved back in with his parents and checked into rehab. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Lloyd's addition had left him $70,000 in debt. 'When you're sniffing $8000 of cocaine-a-week, it racks up, pun intended,' he said. Now almost two years clean of drugs and alcohol, Lloyd is focused on his future, and hopes his sobriety will make him a good dad and partner when the time comes. Now, the former reality star said he's 'grateful' for the events that brought him to where he is today. 'I'm so grateful to be here, to have made it through the tough times, and to be experiencing life in a new way,' he wrote on Instagram recently. Fans have been quick to commend the reformed drug addict, praising him for his honesty and bravery. 'You should be so proud of yourself,' one said. 'Super brave Davey to be so open and transparent …. You are doing amazing things and your dreams and aspirations will most definitely come true,' agreed another. As one mused: 'Sobriety looks so good on you.'
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ex-Big Brother star accuses ‘party girl influencers' of secretly struggling with substance abuse while glamorizing lifestyle
A viral social media storm has erupted after Perth-raised podcaster and former Big Brother star Julia Rangiheuea, 31, accused some of the most popular 'party girl influencers' of secretly struggling with substance abuse issues, while glamorizing the very lifestyle that nearly ruined her own life. Rangiheuea, who shares her sobriety journey as @recoveringpartygirl on social media and hosts the podcast 'Soberly Speaking,' says she was 'deep in addiction' until January 2023, when, with just $29 to her name, she made the decision to go sober. She now uses her platform to shed light on the harsh reality of addiction, and in her latest video, which has amassed over 2.1 million views, she pulled no punches. 'PSA, your favorite party girl influencers all have crazy substance abuse problems,' she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, 'Crazy substance abuse problems.' 7 Julia Rangiheuea, a popular sobriety advocate, has made a shocking claim about the reality of 'party girl influencers' – and the internet is divided. She added that these influencers 'use their fat paychecks entirely on partying' and therefore, are often broke. The ex-reality star also suggested that the 'doing it for the plot' or 'Brat Summer Party Girl 365' narrative popularized online and promoted by these influencers isn't just harmless fun, but potentially dangerous. As someone who couldn't socialize for 15 years without the use of alcohol or drugs, she said alarm bells are often raised for her when she hears how some of these influencers speak about alcohol. 'I just want you to think about the way these people talk about socializing without alcohol and how negatively they talk about it, or how their life, if you really look at it, does revolve around substances,' she says. 7 'PSA, your favorite party girl influencers all have crazy substance abuse problems,' she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, 'Crazy substance abuse problems.' Monkey Business – Anticipating backlash, she admitted, 'I'm sorry to be that girl, but I had to bring it up.' The response was immediate. Many users chimed in to support her, with one noting, 'It quite literally is the early 2000s all over again.' Another added, 'A lot of people are actually alcoholics and don't realise it, because it's so normalised.' 7 She added that these influencers 'use their fat paychecks entirely on partying' and therefore, are often broke. Bohdan – Some commenters also criticized influencers more broadly, especially health or wellness ones, for promoting an aspirational lifestyle while drinking heavily behind the scenes. Meanwhile, some hit back at Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem. 'God forbid a girl has fun – not everyone is an addict,' quipped one. 'Just because the poster had an addition problem, doesn't mean all girls who like to party do,' replied another user. 7 The ex-reality star also suggested that the 'doing it for the plot' or 'Brat Summer Party Girl 365' narrative was popularized online. Jacob Lund – As the video gained traction, followers began tagging high-profile people such as American content creator Alix Earle, singer Charli XCX, and business owners Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott, who co-host the podcast 'Happy Hour with Lucy and Nikki.' is not suggesting that any of these women have substance abuse issues. Jackson, one of those tagged, quickly addressed the situation in her own video. '(Rangiheuea) is saying that your favorite party girl influencers all have massive substance abuse problems,' she said. 'Firstly, (that) is a huge assumption and, secondly, a huge projection. @lucykatejackson28 I start to ramble at the end but please guys just be mindful to not be part of the problem❤️ Also any negative comment about any other creators under this video will be deleted! ♬ original sound – Lucy Jackson 'Obviously, she struggled with some really big addiction problems, which is awful. But that's your journey, not everyone else's.' Jackson, who co-owns the fashion label Jagger & Stone with Westcott, then defended her lifestyle, insisting that she and her pal don't have substance abuse problems and are 'not broke.' 'We run successful businesses. We have a very well-balanced life,' she insisted. She then urged her followers to think twice before commenting on others' videos, potentially defaming someone without any evidence. 7 'I just want you to think about the way these people talk about socializing without alcohol and how negatively they talk about it, or how their life, if you really look at it, does revolve around substances,' Rangiheuea says. Pixel-Shot – 'As women, we are so quick to attack each other,' she said. 'We need to be so careful with the content we are consuming to make sure that we are only taking in genuine facts of information.' Her video received a lot of praise, most notably from fellow influencer Abbie Chatfield, who commented: 'It's so exhausting people making false narratives because they THINK they know you from the content you post! 'It's also wild to me that people see other people tag you in comments and then they think it's true …? Because someone else tagged it…?' For her part, Rangiheuea told her goal was to spark a broader conversation, not to single out individual people. 7 Many users chimed in to support her, with one noting, 'It quite literally is the early 2000s all over again.' Grady R/ – 'My intention was never to attack a specific person, but to start a conversation about a broader issue I see again and again online,' she said. 'Party influencers will broadcast (and therefore monetize) binge drinking multiple nights a week. They'll openly glamorize benders, which often involves staying up all night, taking drugs like cocaine. 'When someone is consistently using substances like this, it's worth asking if they're in control of it, or if it's controling them.' She believes that for many people, seeing excessive drinking and drug use glamorized online creates 'huge pressure' to keep up or risk feeling left out. 7 Some hit back at Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem. pressmaster – 'Normalizing harmful behaviors like this can lead people into addiction before they even realize what's happening. Personally, that constant celebration of the party lifestyle made it so much harder for me to recognize my own addiction. 'As a society, we won't make meaningful progress on the drug and alcohol crisis, or its devastating effects, unless we honestly reflect on our own relationship with substances. 'The second we make these conversations about personal attacks, we derail the opportunity for real progress.'
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Behind closed doors: Sobriety advocate's bold influencer claim
A viral social media storm has erupted after Perth-raised podcaster and former Big Brother star Julia Rangiheuea, 31, accused some of the most popular 'party girl influencers' of secretly struggling with substance abuse issues – while glamorising the very lifestyle that nearly ruined her own life. Rangiheuea, who shares her sobriety journey as @recoveringpartygirl on social media and hosts the podcast Soberly Speaking, says she was 'deep in addiction' until January 2023, when, with just $29 to her name, she made the decision to go sober. She now uses her platform to shed light on the harsh reality of addiction, and in her latest video, which has amassed over 2.1 million views, she pulled no punches. 'PSA, your favourite party girl influencers all have crazy substance abuse problems,' she claimed, later repeating for emphasis, ' Crazy substance abuse problems'. She added that these influencers 'use their fat paychecks entirely on partying' and therefore, are often broke. The ex-reality star also suggested that the 'doing it for the plot' or 'Brat Summer Party Girl 365' narrative popularised online and promoted by these influencers isn't just harmless fun – but potentially dangerous. As someone who couldn't socialise for 15 years without the use of alcohol or drugs, she said alarm bells are often raised for her when she hears how some of these influencers speak about alcohol. 'I just want you to think about the way these people talk about socialising without alcohol and how negatively they talk about it, or how their life, if you really look at it, does revolve around substances,' she says. Anticipating backlash, she admitted, 'I'm sorry to be that girl, but I had to bring it up'. The response was immediate. Many users chimed in to support her, with one noting, 'It quite literally is the early 2000s all over again'. Another added, 'A lot of people are actually alcoholics and don't realise it, because it's so normalised'. Some commenters also criticised influencers more broadly, especially health or wellness ones, for promoting an aspirational lifestyle while drinking heavily behind the scenes. Meanwhile, some hit back at Rangiheuea, saying she was overreacting and that not everyone who drinks has a problem. 'God forbid a girl has fun – not everyone is an addict,' quipped one. 'Just because the poster had an addition problem, doesn't mean all girls who like to party do,' replied another user. As the video gained traction, followers began tagging high-profile people such as American content creator Alix Earle, singer Charli XCX and business owners Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott, who co-host the podcast Happy Hour with Lucy and Nikki. is not suggesting that any of these women have substance abuse issues. Jackson, one of those tagged, quickly addressed the situation in her own video. '(Rangiheuea) is saying that your favourite party girl influencers all have massive substance abuse problems,' she said. 'Firstly, (that) is a huge assumption and, secondly, a huge projection. 'Obviously, she struggled with some really big addiction problems, which is awful. But that's your journey, not everyone else's.' Jackson, who co-owns the fashion label Jagger & Stone with Westcott, then defended her lifestyle, insisting that she and her pal don't have substance abuse problems and are 'not broke'. 'We run successful businesses. We have a very well-balanced life,' she insisted. She then urged her followers to think twice before commenting on others' videos, potentially defaming someone without any evidence. 'As women, we are so quick to attack each other,' she said. 'We need to be so careful with the content we are consuming to make sure that we are only taking in genuine facts of information'. Her video received a lot of praise, most notably from fellow influencer Abbie Chatfield, who commented: 'It's so exhausting people making false narratives because they THINK they know you from the content you post! 'It's also wild to me that people see other people tag you in comments and then they think it's true …? Because someone else tagged it…?' For her part, Rangiheuea told her goal was to spark a broader conversation, not to single out individual people. 'My intention was never to attack a specific person, but to start a conversation about a broader issue I see again and again online,' she said. 'Party influencers will broadcast (and therefore monetise) binge drinking multiple nights a week. They'll openly glamorise benders, which often involves staying up all night taking drugs like cocaine. 'When someone is consistently using substances like this, it's worth asking if they're in control of it, or if it's controlling them.' She believes that for many people, seeing excessive drinking and drug use glamorised online creates 'huge pressure' to keep up or risk feeling left out. 'Normalising harmful behaviours like this can lead people into addiction before they even realise what's happening. Personally, that constant celebration of the party lifestyle made it so much harder for me to recognise my own addiction. 'As a society, we won't make meaningful progress on the drug and alcohol crisis, or its devastating effects, unless we honestly reflect on our own relationship with substances. 'The second we make these conversations about personal attacks, we derail the opportunity for real progress.'
