Jason Wahler Gets Candid On 'The Hills' Fame & Sobriety Journey
Jason Wahler Gets Candid On 'The Hills' Fame & Sobriety Journey
Transcript
00:00 You know, I went to 12, 13 different treatment centers,
00:03 arrested multiple times.
00:04 My addiction took me not only to contemplation,
00:06 but attempting suicide.
00:07 And it was a really, really challenging time.
00:10 ♪ 'Cause perfect ♪
00:14 - Let's start at the beginning.
00:16 18 years ago, you joined the second season
00:19 of what would become the iconic show, Laguna Beach.
00:22 - Interesting time of my life.
00:23 So at 17, I was starting to struggle with school issues,
00:27 addiction issues, mental health issues.
00:29 And I was actually away at boarding school in Provo, Utah.
00:32 Lo and behold, though, I come back
00:33 and some of the old cast were like,
00:35 "You gotta meet Jason."
00:36 So went to the rooftop, had my interview,
00:38 and the rest is history.
00:40 - I love wine.
00:41 - Jason became the notorious bad boy
00:43 of the mega hit MTV series and its spin off, "The Hills,"
00:46 and skyrocketed to fame overnight.
00:49 But he says that only fueled his struggles
00:51 with mental health and addiction.
00:53 - It created an identity that I was able to escape
00:55 because what you saw on television
00:57 was it was a character that was created
00:59 and I wanted to live by that,
01:01 which was like the partying out of control type of person.
01:04 And so I fed into that.
01:05 And that was really just a deflection
01:06 from me really dealing with what I needed to deal with,
01:08 which was myself.
01:09 - How much of what we saw as quote unquote Jason
01:12 was the true Jason?
01:14 - You gotta see it 100% of the real side
01:16 of somebody that was really sick.
01:17 You gotta see somebody that was really struggling.
01:19 - Over the next few years,
01:20 Jason was arrested numerous times,
01:22 did several stints in rehab,
01:24 and even tried to take his own life.
01:26 But it was something that happened
01:27 after becoming sober in 2010 that changed everything.
01:30 What would you consider your lowest point?
01:32 - I had five years of sobriety
01:34 and ended up relapsing on Adderall.
01:36 Ended up going down a spiraling on and off
01:38 for two and a half, three years.
01:40 That landed me at the first floor at Hoag Hospital
01:42 while my wife was giving birth on the third floor
01:43 with my daughter.
01:45 And so to not be able to be present
01:46 or in the moment to remember one of the greatest memories
01:49 or moments of your life is something that,
01:52 I've forgiven myself, but it's really hard.
01:55 - Jason, now sober for nearly four years,
01:58 has moved out of Orange County with his wife and two kids
02:01 and says he's finally taken back control of his life.
02:04 When you look back at that young kid on these shows,
02:08 what would you say to him now?
02:09 - It's gonna be okay.
02:11 There's a way out.
02:12 There's solutions.
02:13 There's an opportunity to be able to talk about it
02:15 and share that and you're not alone.
02:17 And there's hope all around you.
02:19 - It's so good to see him doing so well.
02:22 And Jason is teaming up with psychiatrist,
02:24 Dr. Daniel Amen for the Change Your Brain Foundation,
02:27 which seeks a new approach to dealing with mental health.
02:30 (upbeat music)
02:32 (upbeat music)
02:35 (upbeat music)
02:38 (upbeat music)
02:40 (upbeat music)