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Kelly Osbourne makes surprising confession about her past addictions

The Osbourne reality TV star began with an opioid prescription at just 13 years old

Faye James
Senior Editor
June 5, 2024
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Kelly Osbourne has always been candid about her struggles and triumphs. On the latest episode of her family's podcast, The Osbournes, the 39-year-old former reality star made a surprising statement about her past drug use.

"I’m hoping that I’ve embalmed myself so I don’t ever get cancer," Kelly quipped. With her signature humor, she added, "I’m pickled from all the drugs and alcohol, for sure." 

Her younger brother, Jack, 38, quickly interjected with a note of caution, "I don’t think it works that way. But I’m no doctor."

The conversation took a more serious turn when the siblings discussed their family history with colorectal cancer. 

kelly osbourne blonde hair© Instagram
Kelly made a surprise confession about her former addictions

Their mother, Sharon, now 71, bravely battled the illness in the early 2000s. Kelly acknowledged this genetic predisposition, saying, "Apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree."

An ER doctor, Dr. Greg, was a guest on the podcast and humorously commented, "I, for one, have never heard of substances you put into your body causing ill effects of any kind."

kelly osbourne blonde hair© Instagram
Kelly Osbourne started taking prescription drugs aged 13

Kelly has never shied away from discussing her past substance abuse issues. In a revealing episode of the Facebook series Red Table Talk in 2021, she opened up about how her addiction began with an opioid prescription at just 13 years old. 

"I kept getting sick and I had a really bad case of tonsillitis. They ended up having to give me some crazy surgery, and then after that, they gave me Vicodin," she recalled. "And that was all I needed."

Kelly Osbourne and Slipknot at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards © Gilbert Flores
Kelly Osbourne and Slipknot at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards

She further explained, "I went from having every voice in my head being like, 'You're fat, you're ugly, you're not good enough, no one likes you, you don't deserve this, people only like you because of who your parents are.' And then all of a sudden, every single voice was silenced and it felt like life gave me a hug."

This newfound sense of confidence quickly spiraled out of control. Kelly admitted, "I was like, 'Why am I so confident in all of this?' And then very quickly I went from Vicodin to Percocet, from Percocet to heroin eventually, because it was cheaper."

kelly osbourne smiling with son sidney© Instagram
Kelly's son Sidney

In a 2021 interview with Extra, Kelly discussed a brief relapse she experienced. "I am an addict and had thought that I had enough time under my belt and I could drink like a normal person, and it turns out I cannot and I will never be normal,” she confessed. 

“I don't know why I even tried it. It's not for me and it took me a matter of days and I was like done, not doing this."

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