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The Weeknd Criticized By Interventionist Ken Seeley For Being ‘Sober Lite’

The Weeknd graced GQ magazine’s first-ever global cover issue, where his candid conversation about his sobriety has captured attention online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The…

2021 Billboard Music Awards - Show

The Weeknd performs for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on May 23, 2021 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

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The Weeknd graced GQ magazine's first-ever global cover issue, where his candid conversation about his sobriety has captured attention online.

The "Save Your Tears" singer mentioned that he's "sober-lite" and still consumes alcohol occasionally saying, "I’m not a heavy drinker, as much as I used to be. The romance of drinking isn’t there." Abel immediately added that he still smokes weed, but all other drugs have been eliminated.

"Drugs were a crutch. It was me thinking that I needed it. And not doing the work to figure out how not to need it. And I’ve spent the last few years realizing that and thanking God that I don’t need it. Because for a lot of people, it’s hard to shake it. But I knew I didn’t want it."

He also mentioned that he eventually wants a family. "I know I say I don’t, but I know I do. I want children," he said adding that "having children would influence me and inspire me more."

As we previously reported, Demi Lovato recently came out saying that she was "California sober" with handling recovery (smoking weed and drinking alcohol in moderation) and how she is able to control it. She explained that abstinence doesn’t work for everyone, noting that total sobriety has “not worked for every single person who’s tried it. When I’m feeling like the floor is falling out from underneath me, I was like, ‘It’s just a shame I don’t have something that I could lean in towards in those moments. I don’t understand why I can’t just pick up a joint.'"

Ken Seeley, from the long-running series Intervention voiced his disagreement on Abel's approach to sobriety, "They have millions and millions of followers and they're out there promoting this new sobriety and it could be really harmful," said Seeley. "It could kill a lot of people because if you're an addict like me, there is no 'sober lite,' there is no 'California sober.' The minute I put a mind-altering substance in my system, I'm off and running."

Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.