Lucy Hale Committed Herself To Sobriety & Now Says Life Is Better Than Ever

Lucy Hale has a new lease on life since fully committing herself to sobriety, but don't just take our word for it. "I wouldn't go back to my old way of living for anything," she declared during an appearance on the "Know Thyself" podcast in December 2025. 

Alas, Hale's journey to sobriety has been anything but straightforward or smooth. While she first announced her sobriety on Valentine's Day in 2023, referring to it as "the greatest thing I've ever done" in an Instagram post, she is adamant that it took her a long time to get to that point. "I have been working on getting sober since I was 20," she revealed during an appearance on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast in February 2023. "I'm 33. It took time," she said.

Hale went on to confess to host Steven Bartlett that prior to getting sober, she classified herself as "a textbook binge drinker," who would often black out with zero recollection of the events afterward — one of the signs you might be drinking too much. Fortunately, since fully committing herself to sobriety, Hale has been able to trade in those blackouts for a life she loves — one where she can finally trust herself again and be vulnerable with others about the time in her life when she was deeply affected by alcoholism.

In January 2024, Lucy Hale appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" and opened up about all the ways her life has changed since being two years sober, including a newfound sense of trust in herself to have real, genuine fun again. The "Pretty Little Liars" star noted that while she initially preferred to stay in and lay low during the infancy stages of her sobriety, by year two, she was finally able to have fun again — but in an all-new way. "I was like going out. I was going to the dinners. I was going to the events. I wasn't avoiding anything," she shared with host Drew Barrymore, who is also sober and among a growing list of '70s and '80s stars who have radically changed their lifestyle for health. Barrymore is also among the many celebrities who got sober after their 40th birthday. 

But make no mistake about it: Hale still loves a good couch hang in her Los Angeles home with her two dogs, Elvis and Ethel. "I'll just have these moments where it's not anything profound. I'm just like sitting drinking my coffee with my dogs. And I'll just be so moved to tears by how great I feel," she told host Lewis Howes on "The School of Greatness" podcast.

Perhaps, however, one of the biggest ways Lucy Hale's life has changed for the better has to do with her comfort in being open, honest, and vulnerable about the hard times in her life. "I can't believe I'm at a place in my life where I can talk about the things that used to bring me so much shame," she told People in September 2024 after learning she was the recipient of the 2024 Humanitarian Award from Friendly House, an addiction recovery center focused on helping women.

During her appearance on the "Know Thyself" podcast, Hale said that by speaking out about her own struggles, she feels like she's finally found her purpose in life. "It's so crazy to me to think that the most painful moments in my life were my biggest gift because now I'm on the other side of it and I can talk about it and I can just share what I've been through."

Conversely, prior to becoming sober, Hale spent a lot of time hiding her addiction from the public. "There was no way in h*** I was going to openly talk about this. I was so deeply ashamed of myself and my choices and the person I was when I drank," Hale revealed during an appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in October 2025. Once she became sober, it still took her a while to be ready to share her sobriety journey with others and walk in her truth. "Now I can show up exactly who I am and share my story," she mentioned while on the "The Diary of a CEO" podcast.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).