A year ago, Jo Stanley‘s husband had a realisation. Two glasses of wine each night had become a bottle; that bottle had become two.
“Before I knew it, I was like, ‘S***, it’s 3am’, and I was going to work half-cut,” Darren McFarlane said on Gold 104.3 this morning.
“Just to admit to yourself the A word – that you’ve become and alcoholic – that’s the hardest part.”
The producer shared his story on air this morning at the invitation of his breakfast host wife, as part of a discussion about Brad Pitt’s alcoholism.
The actor confessed during a recent interview with GQ that his heavy drinking had contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to Angelina Jolie – an admission for which Stanley said she has a “huge amount of admiration”.
While the 44-year-old said she wouldn't have described her husband of 17 years as an alcoholic, she noted that he was "disconnected" from her and their eight-year-old daughter, Willow, that he wasn't "present" in their relationship.
McFarlane agreed.
"For me, and I'm sure for most people, drinking is about escapism. And it's when the escapism becomes severe, such as daily, you can't help but affect those around you and those that mean the most to you," he said.
"I was lucky enough to have a moment of clarity and realise how hard that was on Jo and Willow. When I got to that point... you know, you don't want to lose or stuff up the best thing in your life. That's why I quit."
Addiction, self-destruction. Cat Marnell's new book is a must read. Post continues below...
The process of quitting, he said, was simple in comparison to admitting he had a problem.
But, noting the impact it had on Pitt's marriage, both he and Stanley are grateful he did.
"I have to praise you and tell you what an amazing courageous person you are for admitting that," Stanley told her husband on air.
"I mean really you saved our family. It's a beautiful thing that you did."
Top Comments
Stepping away from Jo and her husband. I've noted in the media that there is applause for Brad Pitt for admitting his issues with alcohol and acknowledgement that it caused the demise of his marriage. Yet I am not seeing any articles applauding Angelina for striving to provide a safe and healthy environment for her children, and for setting boundaries for what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour. Now somehow Brad becomes the 'hero' and she still remains the 'villain' - yet to make a call like she did would have taken immense personal resolve and belief that she and her family deserved to be safe and in a non toxic environment. I applaud Angelina, and other wives like her, more than I ever will Brad et al!
How about Mamamia writing an article on that?
Thank you! The media in general, especially entertainment media, seem to have a vendetta against Angelina. It is enough now already! If she was any other famous woman, Angelina would be praised. Instead she is being demonised, it is SO WRONG! Mamamia, as a woman's site, please post an article praising Angelina's forbearance, especially with the entire media against her. Make a stand please, Mamamia.