Liza Minnelli reflects on 1984 addiction and first rehab stint

Liza Minnelli, the 80-year-old performer, has shared candid details regarding her struggle with addiction and her first entry into rehabilitation in 1984. Following the release of her memoir, ‘Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!’, Minnelli used social media to reflect on hitting rock bottom while living in New York City and later in Los Angeles.

She described a period of self-medication involving alcohol and prescription drugs, noting that she had surrounded herself with people who encouraged her substance use. Minnelli stated that she moved to California to escape the “fog” of addiction, but found herself facing the same issues in Los Angeles, eventually realizing she was “out of options.”

Minnelli credited a specific group of people for saving her life during that period. She expressed gratitude to her sister, Lorna Luft, who helped her board a private jet to seek treatment; Michael Feinstein and his husband, Terrence Flannery; and her physician, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, who refused to overlook her substance abuse.