Kevin McEnroe is done keeping secrets. In a candid interview with People, the 40-year-old son of Oscar winner Tatum O’Neal opened up about his mother’s long-standing drug addiction, saying she has struggled“for as long as I can remember.”He described a childhood where she would often leave at night, an experience he says shaped him in ways he’s still unpacking.
The most gut-wrenching detail? Kevin refused to speak during court-ordered therapy as a kid, not because he had nothing to say, but because he feared that if he told the truth and his mother lost custody, she would die. Now seven years sober himself, he writes about addiction and recovery on his Substack, and he calls his mother’s current chapter, wanting to live and wanting to get sober, nothing short of a miracle.
Tatum, 62, is reportedly two years sober and still recovering from a 2020 stroke. Instead of anger, she responded to her son’s honesty by calling it“beautiful”and saying it makes her“so proud.”What do you think, is honesty like this the key to healing a family, or should some conversations stay private?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.