JoJo says she was ‘self-righteous’ about her parents’ addiction before turning to alcohol and drugs herself: ‘I thought I’d never be like my parents’
As I delve into JoJo’s heart-wrenching journey, I find myself deeply moved by her raw resilience and unwavering determination. Her story is a poignant reminder of the complexities that come with fame at a tender age, and the struggles one faces in trying to find oneself amidst it all.
Pop star JoJo shared that she hadn’t anticipated dealing with addiction as intensely as her parents did, eventually finding herself grappling with substance abuse problems.
As a passionate devotee, I’d like to share that the artist behind “Too Little, Too Late,” Joanna Levesque, aged 33, has revealed in her latest book, Over the Influence, that numerous formative years of her life were spent attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings alongside her mother Diana and the late Joel, her father.
And though JoJo — who recently recalled how she became a sex addict hooked on drugs and booze — believed she’d avoid the same addiction struggles, she ultimately experienced similar issues.
Initially, she felt quite smug and assured herself that she would never resemble her parents. In her words, “I’m not going to be like them, because I’m stronger. I’m incredibly strong,” she expressed to People on Tuesday.
‘But then I was like, “Oh, what I’m doing is no better or worse. I’m my parents’ child, and I need to be awake to what’s happening within myself.”‘
JoJo’s parents, both struggling with substance abuse, met in an AA meeting.
Diana was an alcoholic while Joel used substances, including pills.
At age five, they got a divorce, causing her to relocate and live with her mom. From then on, her mom started taking her to tryouts for kids’ TV programs.
Over the subsequent years, JoJo gained recognition by performing on programs such as America’s Most Gifted Kids, Journey to Stardom, and The Rosie O’Donnell Program.
Regardless of her mother’s reservations regarding show business, JoJo remained resolute in her goal to elevate their family above poverty.
She admitted that she had a strong intuition that everything wasn’t going smoothly, and indeed, it wasn’t. She explained further that she and Diana were constantly on the move, staying with various family members and friends.
‘I was just like, “That’s fine because I am going to be famous.”‘
At the tender age of 12, JoJo got signed to Blackground Records, with her mother firmly taking control of her professional path.
A year later she topped the charts with her hit ‘Leave (Get Out)’ and became an instant celebrity.
The transition wasn’t an easy one for Diana.
JoJo mentioned that she was both a solo parent and a vocalist, earning a living by cleaning homes when necessary. Later, she managed a rising star. It’s odd and chilling, she said.
As JoJo’s career soared higher, Diana grew more concerned about underhanded activities within the music business, her anxiety escalating.
In her autobiography, JoJo wrote that her mother began to harbor strong feelings of bitter dislike towards her, frequently launching harsh verbal attacks against her.
Later on, I found myself falling back into old habits, consuming alcohol once more. This led me down a dark path, battling mental health issues that pushed me towards the edge of despair. Thankfully, my younger self, the teenage JoJo, stepped in to guide me through this harrowing crisis.
‘I’m just so grateful that she’s here,’ JoJo shared.
JoJo and her mother remain close and even lived together during the COVID pandemic.
In 2020 the hitmaker dedicated the song ‘Proud’ to her on the album Good to Know.
The proud daughter expressed, ‘I have great respect for her in numerous ways – her self-control, her dedication to wellness, and her knack for taking responsibility. I find these qualities of hers incredibly endearing. She truly is a stunning individual.’
Meanwhile her father was an intermittent presence in her life.
As a child, she cherished the moments spent with him and their shared passion for music. However, as she matured, his addiction deepened and health deteriorated, which made frequent visits increasingly challenging due to these complications.
When JoJo did see him, he was often struggling and lacked a stable place to live.
Despite her repeated efforts, including finding him an apartment and connecting him with experts, he struggled to adhere to the program consistently.
She expressed that her father seemed confined by his physical body, dealing with numerous mental battles. In his death, she realized that despite our desire for their presence, sometimes it signifies the end of their personal journey. This reflection was made about her father who passed away in November 2015.
With time, JoJo realized it wasn’t her job to ensure the happiness of her parents.
‘For a significant period, I felt a sense of responsibility towards both my parents’ lives and happiness. However, at some point, I no longer had that responsibility.’
JoJo had her initial experience with alcohol during her teenage years, while out on tour. Fortunately, Diana noticed this and prevented JoJo from drinking for several years.
Following the termination of Blackground’s distribution agreement, JoJo’s growing dissatisfaction with her career prompted an escalation in her alcohol intake and reliance on medications such as Adderall and Xanax. Repeatedly, she found herself driving under the influence of excessive alcohol.
In 2023 she went to an AA meeting with a friend, though she adds she is not sober today.
‘I was just feeling like I needed a sense of community and home. I felt far away from myself, and that has been a touchstone for me since I was young.’
In her candidly revealing autobiography titled “Over the Influence”, JoJo opened up extensively about the hidden struggles she faced.
At age 12, when she took part in her initial photo shoot and viewed the resulting pictures, she became overly critical about her appearance, which led her to resort to self-harming behaviors.
JoJo found herself habitually holding her breath, causing her to feel lightheaded during performances as she wasn’t taking in sufficient air.
Similar to numerous child actors, JoJo experienced a decline, marked by her reliance on alcohol and drugs, as a means to cope with feelings of not belonging and the challenging years that followed her rise to fame.
Matters deteriorated significantly when her thriving profession encountered an abrupt end due to persistent legal disputes with her record label.
Despite working relentlessly on her third album, the record label continually postponed its release, causing her to feel inadequate yet again.
The celebrity made every effort to win over the record company executives, going as far as using diet pills in an attempt to slim down, hoping that their support for her music would be rekindled once she fit the desired image.
As her album remained stalled, her heavy drinking and wild partying escalated. In her recently published memoir, she admitted to getting excessively drunk at significant events in the industry, driving while intoxicated, and engaging in intimate relationships with much older men, all fueling an increasing fixation on being desired.
However, throughout this time, JoJo remained steadfast in her resolve to get back to making music. Eventually, after a long struggle with her record label, she was successfully released from her contract. This marked a significant turning point.
She quickly turned her life around, overcoming ‘drug, alcohol, and sex addictions,’ and has since had a booming comeback.
JoJo’s memoir Over The Influence is now available in bookstores.
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2024-09-18 02:51