He can feel his face! The Weeknd opened up about his recent sobriety journey, noting that he’s decided to step away from hard drugs.
“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,” the singer, 31, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, said in his September 2021 GQ cover story. “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.”
After revealing that he considers himself “sober lite,” the “I Feel It Coming” singer shared that he does still smoke marijuana and “occasionally” enjoys a drink.
“I’m not a heavy drinker, as much as I used to be,” he added. “The romance of drinking isn’t there.”
The Canada native said that he decided to step away from substances because he wants a family someday.
“I know I say I don’t, but I know I do. I want children,” the Grammy winner said. “I guess I say [I don’t want them] because I like the trajectory of my career. But also I feel like having children would influence me and inspire me more.”
The “Save Your Tears” artist was previously involved in a lengthy on-off relationship with Bella Hadid. The former pair split in August 2019 and the supermodel, 24, recently moved on with Marc Kalman.
While rumors swirled last month that The Weeknd was tied to Angelina Jolie after they were spotted at dinner together, a source confirmed to Us Weekly that their friendship is strictly platonic.
“Angelina and The Weeknd had a business meeting,” the insider shared. “They got along great, but there is nothing romantic happening between the two of them.”
When it comes to his love life, however, the artist does have some insight, noting that he feels “guilty” when he dates someone who isn’t famous and brings them into the spotlight.
“I do feel guilty. For sure. That’s why I don’t … I try not to do too much. I just try not to bring attention to myself,” he said in the latest GQ issue, which will hit newsstands August 17. “And I just love being in normal situations, man. It’s such a great feeling. To be able to just like go on a walk and not being in a f—king SUV.”
