While Naomi Campbell was turning heads on red carpets and making headlines for having a thriving career in the late '90s, her life was gloomier behind-the-scenes. When the lights faded, she had her own underlying issues, the biggest of which was drug addiction. Campbell's first encounter with cocaine happened when she was 24.
"I had been modeling a while, and I'd always been against it. And I found myself, like, doing three jobs a day," she shared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." As she shared in the 2010 episode, access to the drug was so easy that there was no middleman in the picture. The weight of Campbell's consumption of cocaine came crashing down at a photoshoot. That low point, coupled with the death of Gianni Versace, was the cue she needed to seek professional help. In a 2017 conversation with Fortune, Campbell disclosed that her superstardom didn't matter in the facility she chose. "I was treated the same as everyone else and I met all these people from all walks of life."
At the time of Campbell's interview with Oprah, she'd achieved great milestones in her sobriety journey. Campbell was also working on anger issues following an incident with her housekeeper in which the model was charged with assault (per People).
If you or anyone you know is struggling 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).
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
