Elle Macpherson on Overcoming Alcohol Addiction and Battling Breast Cancer
Elle Macpherson is opening up about her past struggles with alcohol addiction in her new book, Life, Lessons & Learning to Trust Yourself. Released on November 19, the 60-year-old Australian supermodel reveals how her seemingly perfect life masked deep inner battles.
“My life looked amazing to everybody, but deep down, I was really struggling,” she writes.
Macpherson shares that her challenges intensified after the birth of her son Cy in 2003, whom she shares with French financier Arpad “Arki” Busson. Despite being advised by her naturopaths to avoid alcohol postpartum, she recalls being fixated on a bottle of champagne gifted to her after Cy’s birth.
As she coped with her partner’s frequent travels and her older son Flynn’s hospital visits, Macpherson turned to alcohol to ease her anxiety. Evenings often ended with vodka after putting her children to bed, a habit that later led to blackouts and feelings of guilt.
She reflects on a particularly low moment after the 2000 Olympics, where she drank heavily to calm her nerves before a ceremony, leaving her disoriented. Her partner discouraged her from seeking rehab, fearing change and separation.
Macpherson describes a dark spiral of balancing work, motherhood, and her relationship, admitting to unhealthy coping mechanisms like binge drinking and purging. Her turning point came when she drank from a vodka bottle shattered by glass shards—realizing her dependence had become dangerous.
In her book, she also opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis and her decision to forego chemotherapy. “Every day I actively feed my wellness and nurture myself,” she writes. For Macpherson, prioritizing health has been transformative: “Cancer is not an option for me anymore, just like drinking is no longer an answer.”
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