Michelle Heaton was moved to tears while reading out an emotional letter from her husband, written at the height of her alcoholism.
The former Liberty X singer checked herself into The Priory clinic last year in order to seek help for her drinking.
After spending some time at the rehab, Michelle emerged healthier and has continued on her sobriety journey, including attending counselling and even sponsoring another person battling addiction issues.
She appeared on Loose Women on Thursday to share a positive update on her ongoing battle, in hopes of inspiring others dealing with similar struggles.
Michelle, 42, told the panel that she felt comfortable enough to read out a letter which her husband, Hugh Hanley, wrote just after she entered the clinic, to better explain what how her alcoholism had affected him and their two children, Faith and Jay.
Through tears, the singer read the letter which read: ‘Watching you spiral has been personally very hard to deal with. I couldn’t talk to my best friend, which was you. The last three years I watched you spiral and turn into someone I don’t recognise.
‘The strain that has been put on our relationship has been very demanding. I’ve been left embarrassed several times by the way you spoke to me in front of people, which was never you, you were always my biggest fan, yet I found myself being the brunt of your anger and having to shoulder that while also trying to help the kids navigate your new behaviour.
‘Your addictive behaviour has hurt me a lot personally, and it’s turned you into a liar. You’ve become someone who’s very untrustworthy, your behaviour has robbed me of my life and the kids of their mummy.’
Explaining her emotional reaction, Michelle then said: ‘I don’t recognise that person and I am not [that person]. Addiction got me, addiction created that person in that letter.
She also recalled being absent for her children when her focus was on drinking, and admitted: ‘I wasn’t present for anybody – I wasn’t present for myself. I didn’t give them what they needed, which was nurturing… no nurturing at all. When I came out and I started to navigate who I was again, so were the kids… They had to navigate who I was again.
‘Kids are very forgiving, they didn’t acknowledge how much I was in pain… however, they were navigating my reactions.’
However, Michelle has worked to rebuild the relationships with her husband and children and is on a better path, stating: ‘I feel really strong.’
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV.
Credit: Original article published here.You can read this post on My Celebrity Life.
