We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – when a celebrity who’s struggled with addiction passes away, the media’s first suspicion is always drugs or alcohol. It’s sad and unfortunate, but true. It also raises the question can you ever really escape your drug past?
We don’t ask to discourage or discredit anyone in recovery, but rather to strengthen their accomplishments. So, what do you think?
We’re raising this question and starting this conversation in light of Joey Kovar’s tragic death. The former Real World: Hollywood and Celebrity Rehab star passed away August 17th due to opioid intoxication. He was 29 years old.
Joey Kovar’s Drug Past
From his first brush with fame, Joey Kovar was very open about his substance abuse. He found early success on The Real World: Hollywood as a heavy partier. This was in 2008 during the show’s 20th season. A year later, an interview with the Chicago Tribune found him saying,
“We kind of have an ‘I don’t give a [bleep]’ attitude. What you see is what you get…People want edgy. People want attitude. People want in-your-face…”(Chicago Tribune).
This attitude got Joey kicked off of The Real World and thrust into the ethically ambiguous Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. He claimed to be seeking treatment for addictions to a host of substances, including alcohol, meth, and steroids.
During his time on Celebrity Rehab, Joey openly shared his experiences with addiction. This candor was a double-edged sword. On one hand, he reached an entire generation of young people through both his honesty and his depiction of addiction as less than glamourous. On the other hand, the unfortunate stigma of addiction followed him for the rest of his life.
Following his death, Joey’s brother David stated,
“Joe’s final days were peaceful…He had become such a happy person. I had not once worried that he was using again. I’m still very unsure of what exactly happened. I try not to think about it because I feel like it will eat me alive if I do” (People).
Joey’s early passing is a tragic reminder of just how quickly addiction can spiral out of control and result in a death no one sees coming.
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What We Can Learn From Joey’s Life & Death
While there’s no easy way to make sense of someone dying young – celebrity or not – there are a number of lessons we can take from their passing. In the case of Joey Kovar, we can learn a lot.
First, it’s important to be guarded about your personal recovery. While there are certainly benefits to being open about past struggles with addiction and stretches of sobriety, this level of transparency can have unintended consequences. After all, there’s a reason one of AA’s Traditions talks about anonymity in the media.
It’s important to note here that Joey never identified as being part of any 12-step fellowship, but rather as being “sober” and “in recovery.”
We can also learn something about the idea of attraction rather than promotion and how the media stigmatizes recovery. Think about this – while filming The Real World, Joey was presented in a positive light. He was certainly over the top and, in many instances, shown as out of control. Still, his general portrayal was that of a fun loving young man.
Contrast that with his time on Celebrity Rehab. While filming that show, Joey’s shown as having hit a bottom and being a full-blown addict. While that’s true, it’s interesting that these two shows present partying in a positive light, but show rehab in a distinctly less positive way.
Finally, Joey’s life and death raise the question we asked at the start of this article. Is it possible for someone in recovery to escape their drug past? Is it possible for someone with a history of addiction to get arrested, or pass away, without the world speculating it’s due to substance abuse?
We don’t have an answer. What do you think? Let us know on social media!