Denzel Washington Has Been Sober for 10 Years, Says He Has ‘Done Damage to the Body’

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Denzel Washington Has Been Sober for 10 Years, Says He Has ‘Done Damage to the Body’

Denzel Washington recently revealed that he has been sober for 10 years. When he was drinking, he also said, he would often drink as much as two wine bottles per day.

What did Denzel Washington say about his sobriety?

Speaking to Esquire Magazine recently, Washington opened up about his sobriety. He revealed that he used to be a very big wine drinker, and would often spend as much as $4,000 on bottles. He also said that he would usually order two bottles at a time, which would leave him drinking both over the course of the day.

“Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left,” Washington said. “And then later in those years I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, ‘Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.’ And my wife’s saying, ‘Why do you keep ordering just two?’ I said, ‘Because if I order more, I’ll drink more. So I kept it to two bottles, and I would drink them both over the course of the day.”

The legendary actor also opened up about how things began, noting that it started with wine tastings. “I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very subtle thing. I mean, I drank the best. I drank the best,” said Washington.

Now, Washington, 69, says that while he’s “done a lot of damage to the body,” he’s been clean for 10 years, and hopes to keep it going.

“I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean,” the Oscar winner added. “Be 10 years this December. I stopped at 60 and I haven’t had a thimble’s worth since. Things are opening up for me now — like being 70. It’s real. And it’s okay. This is the last chapter — if I get another 30, what do I want to do? My mother made it to 97.”

Washington can next be seen in Ridley Scott’s upcoming film Gladiator II, which is set to release on November 22, 2024.