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Tarek El Moussa Reflects on Struggling With Alcoholism at Age 19 on December 7, 2023 at 2:21 am Us Weekly

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Tarek El Moussa. Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Tarek El Moussa is opening up about his struggles with alcoholism as a young adult.

“I will never forget this day … or this kid. I was 20 years old fishing for King salmon in Alaska,” the HGTV personality, 42, wrote via Instagram on Monday, December 4, alongside a photo of his younger self. “Unfortunately, all I remember was the terrible hangover I had. I had drank over 30 shots of vodka and whatever else I could get my hands on. I can still feel the throbbing in my head and the pulsing vein on my temple.”

El Moussa confessed that in his younger years, he was “used to” feeling those aches and pains due to his consistent heavy drinking.

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“Most people don’t know this about me, but at 19 my life went downhill in what felt like overnight. I gained 50 pounds, lost my confidence, lost my hope, and became a raging alcoholic,” he continued. “All my drive was gone. It’s crazy to think today I sometimes wake up at 3 am to start work, when at 20, I would wake up at 3 pm to start my day.”

Related: Stars Who Revealed They Got Sober

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Several of Hollywood’s biggest stars have been candid about their sobriety journeys over the years. Kelly Osbourne, who previously talked about being sober for six years, revealed in April 2021 that she had suffered a relapse and was working on next steps. “Not proud of it. But I am back on track,” she wrote via […]

While El Moussa didn’t share what exactly prompted him to turn his life around, he noted that everyone deserves a “second chance.” He told his followers that if they were in a similar situation that he once faced, his upcoming book, Flip Your Life, could be helpful.

“If you are looking for the help I desperately needed at that time, check out my new book Flip Your Life,” he penned. “I wrote it thinking about 20-year-old Tarek and what could have helped him.”

El Moussa noted that his book is available to preorder and will be released in February 2024.

The reality star revealed earlier this year that he had been working on writing his story for nearly a decade and had accomplished his goal.

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Related: Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) and Tarek El Moussa‘s whirlwind love story is too cute for words. The twosome first crossed paths on the 4th of July in 2019, and Tarek went on to confirm their relationship that August via Instagram. “I’ll be honest and say I never thought I would meet someone special […]

“I’ve been working on this book for 7 years now, and I can’t wait for you to read my personal journey on how I found success, and how I got to where I am today,” he shared via Instagram in September alongside a video slideshow of different moments in his life. “Within that journey, you will learn about many bumps in [the] road including cancers, divorce, business struggles, addiction, and more. This book has been a long time coming, and I’m so proud to share my personal story with you!”

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El Moussa has faced a series of life changes and health battles over the years. In 2013, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Shortly after his initial diagnosis, he learned he also had testicular cancer. After entering remission in 2019, El Moussa sustained a back injury that led to him to develop an addiction to steroids.

Related: Christina and Tarek’s Ups and Downs: Police Calls, Set Fights and More

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Talk about a roller-coaster! Christina Hall (née Haack) and Tarek El Moussa‘s ups and downs started well before they called it quits in 2016. The reality stars tied the knot in May 2009, four years before their HGTV series catapulted them into the spotlight. Things took a turn when El Moussa was diagnosed with two […]

“After the cancers, I had that terrible accident on my back and I lost like 60 pounds, and I was on all those opiates. I was not doing well,” El Moussa recalled to Fox News Digital in February. “This is what people don’t understand — you know, from 2013 to 2016, it was hell.”

In addition to battling addiction, El Moussa and ex-wife Christina Hall decided to divorce after seven years of marriage. The exes, who split in 2016, share two children: daughter Taylor, 12, and son Brayden, 7. Following their split, Tarek moved on with wife Heather Rae El Moussa whom he wed in October 2021. The couple welcomed their first son, Tristan, in January.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Tarek El Moussa is opening up about his struggles with alcoholism as a young adult. “I will never forget this day … or this kid. I was 20 years old fishing for King salmon in Alaska,” the HGTV personality, 42, wrote via Instagram on Monday, December 4, alongside a photo of his younger self. “Unfortunately, 

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What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

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50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

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3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

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South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

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A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

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Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

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Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

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The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


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