The Wake-Up Call John Stamos Needed To Get Help For His Alcohol Addiction

John Stamos may have enjoyed a successful Hollywood career for more than three decades, but the "Full House" star has endured a lot behind the scenes. Before he became the infamous and universally adored Uncle Jesse on "Full House," Stamos was sexually abused by a babysitter, which he never disclosed until adulthood. He also lost his father, Bill Stamos, in 1998, followed by his mother, Loretta Stamos, in 2014. Unfortunately, these tragic details of Stamos' life have contributed to Stamos's battle with alcohol addiction.

Stamos documented his experiences with alcoholism in his October 2023 memoir, "If You Would Have Told Me." Ahead of its release, he admitted to People, "I had to sober up. I was just drinking too much. I just went low. I didn't go high. I just surrounded myself with people I shouldn't have been with." Such revelations led him to seek help, and after a much-needed wake-up call, Stamos turned his life around for the better. However, it took a brush with the law for the actor to wake up to the damage he was doing to his life — and potentially those around him. 

John Stamos raised some concerns when he appeared inebriated on the Australian talk show "Mornings With Kerri-Anne" in 2007. Initially, he and his team said his slurring words during the interview resulted from being jet-lagged. Two years later, he came clean to Advocate.com, revealing that he was indeed drunk during the entire conversation. Sadly, this instance was not the last time that Stamos would be seen intoxicated in public.

In June 2015, Stamos was arrested in Beverly Hills, California, for driving under the influence. The following month, he admitted himself to a rehab facility. In October of that year, he was formally charged with one misdemeanor count of driving while under the influence of drugs and was subsequently sentenced to probation. This entire ordeal left the star embarrassed but ready to improve his ways.

"I had a horrific DUI, which I am so embarrassed by. I could have hurt somebody. It was really stupid and ignorant of me. And I hated myself for that. It was a bad, bad thing. So I said to myself, I have to stop this up and down, up and down, I have to," Stamos told Howard Stern (via People) in a candid 2016 interview. He confessed that his 2005 divorce from Rebecca Romijn and the passing of his parent's caused him to spiral, and alcoholism was not the only thing tormenting him.

In addition to consuming large quantities of alcohol, John Stamos developed a dependency on Ambien. The drug was prescribed to him to help with his insomnia. However, he quickly became hooked on it. When speaking with Howard Stern, Stamos revealed, "That was the hardest thing to kick, by the way, booze and whatever that happened, but Ambien was tough. I couldn't sleep for a couple of weeks." Thankfully, his trip to rehab also helped him detox from the powerful sleep aid.

Today, Stamos has been sober for several years. He credits his wife, Caitlin McHugh, whom he married in 2018, and their son, Billy, for keeping him focused and free of substances. That being said, Stamos is still reeling over the loss of his dear friend, Bob Saget, who passed away in January 2022. The men worked together on "Full House" and its spin-off "Fuller House" prior to his death. Thankfully, his family support system is helping him cope instead of alcohol.