Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis commemorated 27 years of sobriety in February 2026, crediting her late "Anything but Love" co-star Richard Lewis with guiding her toward recovery from a decade-long addiction to opiates and alcohol.
Curtis began her struggle with addiction in 1989 after being prescribed opioids following plastic surgery.
She kept her condition hidden from her husband, Christopher Guest, and close contacts until deciding to attend her first recovery meeting in February 1999.
Fearing negative media attention as a famous addict, Curtis sought help from a fellow recovering addict in the entertainment industry.
Lewis responded to her call and accompanied her to her initial recovery gathering.
"27 years ago, I had pain and sorrow.
I reached out my hand and my old colleague and friend, Richard Lewis, reached out and took my hand," Curtis wrote.
The bond formed during that initial outreach proved pivotal in sustaining her long-term recovery journey over the subsequent decades.
"The miracle of sobriety is that it just takes one other person to relate to how you're feeling and THAT can change everything," she said.
Following his assistance at the start of her recovery, Lewis introduced Curtis to a broader network of support within the recovery community.
"He also is the reason I am sober. He helped me.
I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone," Curtis stated.
The support network provided Curtis with ongoing connection throughout her career, which includes major roles in films such as "Halloween," "Trading Places," and "True Lies."
"Richard introduced me to many others and for these 27 years I have met so many people who share our common link of addiction and recovery from that daily prison," she expressed.
Curtis grew up in a prominent Hollywood family as the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
Despite her initial attempts to avoid following her mother's career path into acting or law enforcement, Curtis built a multi-decade acting career alongside Leigh, appearing together in films such as "The Fog" in 1980 and "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" in 1998.
"I tried to do everything not to be my mother," Curtis revealed.
Over time, Curtis embraced her family's Hollywood legacy while maintaining a close relationship with Leigh until her death in 2004.
"And, of course, I'm very much like my mother in many, many, ways. My admiration for her has swelled as my disappointments have lessened," she reflected.
Recalling her childhood and her parents' marriage, Curtis noted the complex dynamic between her famous parents before their 1962 divorce.
"And like any other save-the-marriage baby, I failed," she stated.
Reflecting further on her upbringing during a television appearance, Curtis detailed the environment in her family home growing up.
"My parents hated each other my whole life. I was raised in a house of hatred for the other," she shared.
Following the passing of her sister, Kelly Lee Curtis, in 2026, Curtis paid tribute to her lifelong family bond online.
"She was my first friend and lifelong confidant," Curtis stated.
Expressing her deep affection for her late mother in a separate retrospective tribute, Curtis spoke on Leigh's legacy.
"I think she was the most beautiful human I ever saw," she said.
Following Lewis's death in February 2024, Curtis reaffirmed her commitment to assisting others facing substance use issues, honoring the support she received during her own recovery.
