Not Just Anne Hathaway: Celebrities Who Quit Drinking For Surprisingly Relatable Reasons

In 2019, during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," A-list actor Anne Hathaway revealed that she had quit drinking the year prior. "I'm going to stop drinking while my son's living in my house just because I don't totally love the way I do it, and he's getting to an age where he really does need me all the time in the morning," she explained. 

Following her revelation, many flocked to the comments sections in support of her surprisingly relatable reason for her sobriety. "I quit a few months back, same reason, I'm not good at drinking and so many times don't remember the previous night. Embarrassing and not responsible. Good for her for recognizing that isn't a good thing for her child or her life," one user commented. Meanwhile, another wrote, "I find that Anne Hathaway is so relatable in a warm & graceful way...like you're a celebrity but you're also like one of us."

As it turns out, however, Hathaway is only one of many on a growing list of celebrities who quit drinking for surprisingly relatable reasons. Lucy Hale, Bella Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, John Mayer, John Goodman, Miley Cyrus, and even Kate Middleton also ditched the booze to avoid blackouts, sleep better, and more.

Lucy Hale committed herself to sobriety and now says life is better than ever. According to Hale, part of her reason for getting sober was because of the many blackouts she experienced — a sign someone might be drinking too much. "I'd pick up the first drink. I'd like the feeling. I'd have another drink. I'd really like the feeling. And then it was past drink two — don't remember. I wouldn't remember the rest of the night," she told host Steven Bartlett during a 2023 appearance on the podcast "The Diary of a CEO." 

Unfortunately, blacking out after too much alcohol is more common than one might think. For instance, roughly 50% of college students have blacked out after a night of drinking, per a 2017 review in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Bella Hadid kissed drinking goodbye in search of better sleep and no racing, nervous thoughts causing her to toss and turn all night long. "I know how it will affect me at 3 in the morning when I wake up with horrible anxiety thinking about that one thing I said five years ago when I graduated high school," Hadid told InStyle in 2022 (via People). Now, the supermodel is a proud member of the club of celebs under 30 who gave up alcohol and never looked better, and she sleeps better to boot. Sweet dreams, Bella!

Model and television personality Chrissy Teigen initially quit drinking after experiencing too many cringeworthy nights out. "I was done with making an a** of myself in front of people (I'm still embarrassed), tired of day drinking and feeling like s** by 6, not being able to sleep," she confessed on her Instagram Story in December 2020 (via Today) about the catalyst for her decision, while announcing she was one month sober.

Perhaps even more relatable was the moment she admitted that she thought she finally had her drinking under control, only to later realize that she didn't and had given up the drink yet again. In January 2026, Teigen took to Instagram to announce she was back on the sobriety wagon and 52 days sober. Afterward, many flocked to the comments section to empathize. "Buddy your [sic] self awareness & raw honesty is so inspiring. Thank you," television host Carson Daly wrote. Meanwhile, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Melissa Gorga commented, "So proud of you. you're so open and honest."

"Your Body Is a Wonderland" crooner John Mayer ditched the drink following an excruciating six-day-long hangover. "It was Drake's 30th birthday party, and I made quite a fool of myself. It took me weeks to stop doing this every morning I woke up," he told Complex in 2018 as he grimaced in an attempt to reenact what happens to your body when you have a hangover. 

But that wasn't all. He also came to a major revelation in the midst of that brutal hangover. "I went 'Okay, John, what percentage of your potential would you like to have?" he recalled asking himself. According to Mayer, since becoming sober, the results speak for themselves. "The next year, I did four tours, I was in two bands, I was happy on airplanes," he declared. And that's on that!

Speaking of keeping it one hundred, Miley Cyrus revealed in 2020 that one of the biggest reasons she opted to quit drinking was her desire to wake up and be able to take on the day completely. "I've just been wanting to wake up 100 percent, 100 percent of the time," she declared on "The Zane Lowe Show." She also confessed that she had issues with moderation. 

Cyrus' candor during the interview seemed to resonate with many. "Who knew id [sic] leave a Miley interview more introspective and aware of myself. So much respect for her and her journey, I'm inspired and so happy that she's chose to share it with us," one user wrote on YouTube.

In March 2026, Kate Middleton minced no words when asked whether or not she was "much of a drinker." Middleton, ever the gracious princess, gave perhaps the most relatable reason of all, explaining that she had not "had much alcohol" following her cancer diagnosis (via The Royal Observer). She added, "It's something I have to be a lot more conscious of now."

While giving up alcohol amid a cancer diagnosis is a deeply personal decision, following Middleton's revelation, many other cancer survivors came forward, claiming they too decided to go alcohol-free. "I understand that comment as a cancer (treatment) survivor. All the literature and admonitions from oncologists, especially during treatment, warn against the health effects and counter indications of consuming alcohol," one user wrote on Instagram.

John Goodman decided to quit drinking following a rowdy weekend playing golf and drinking with his buddies. "By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I was shaking — I was still drinking, but I was shaking," he revealed during a 2018 interview on "Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist." 

The story goes that Goodman called his wife, and she quickly got him into a treatment facility. During a 2012 interview with The Guardian, Goodman described the decision as "life and death." He added, "It was time to stop." Ironically, once he ditched the booze, something else unexpected happened: Goodman's weight-loss journey also got kickstarted.

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).