Tatum O\u2019Neal\u2019s son Kevin McEnroe is shedding the \u201cenormous amount of secrecy\u201d surrounding his mom\u2019s addiction struggles.<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old pulled back the curtain on the actress\u2019 \u201cdrug problem\u201d in a People interview<\/a> Wednesday, saying it was time to \u201clet it rip.\u201d<\/p>\n McEnroe, who has been sober for seven years after his own drug abuse battle, described the \u201cunbelievable chasm between\u201d how the Oscar winner \u201cpresented\u201d herself<\/a> to the public and \u201cwho she actually was\u201d when he was growing up.<\/p>\n Kevin McEnroe (seen here in an Instagram post) opened up about his mother Tatum O\u2019Neal\u2019s long battle with drug addiction. kevinjmcenroe\/Instagram<\/p>\n McEnroe (seen here with O\u2019Neal at an after-party for \u201cThe Wrestler\u201d in New York in December 2008) called out how the actress presented herself in public and behind the scenes. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images<\/p>\n He recalled, \u201cShe\u2019s had a drug problem for as long as I can remember. \u2026 She would leave often in the middle of the night, try to get back before we were awake, but sometimes we would wake up and she wasn\u2019t there, and that\u2019s pretty scary.\u201d<\/p>\n McEnroe noted that he used to \u201crefuse to talk\u201d about O\u2019Neal\u2019s issues in court-ordered therapy because he \u201chad this deep feeling that if she lost\u201d custody of himself and siblings Sean, 39, and Emily, 35, \u201cshe would die.\u201d<\/p>\n He remembered \u201chold[ing] a pillow over [his] head\u201d during the sessions.<\/p>\n McEnroe (seen here Tatum O\u2019Neal at the premiere of \u201cCookie\u2019s Fortune\u201d on March 24, 1999) recalled, \u201cShe\u2019s had a drug problem for as long as I can remember. \u2026 She would leave often in the middle of the night, try to get back before we were awake, but sometimes we would wake up and she wasn\u2019t there, and that\u2019s pretty scary.\u201d Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/p>\n McEnroe (seen here with O\u2019Neal) is seven years sober from his own drug abuse. kevinjmcenroe\/Instagram<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n McEnroe has, however, been candid about O\u2019Neal\u2019s addiction on his \u201cSerenity Side Down\u201d Substack in recent months.<\/p>\n \u201cI started sharing openly about the past and taking care of her and loving her through all of it,\u201d he said, explaining that the secrets \u201cwasn\u2019t helping her or\u201d himself.<\/p>\n O\u2019Neal, 62, told the outlet her eldest son\u2019s honesty is \u201cbeautiful\u201d and makes her \u201cso proud.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cPaper Moon\u201d star, notably, opened up about her addiction struggles \u2014 including her near-fatal 2020 overdose<\/a>, which led to a stroke and six-week coma<\/a> \u2014 back in 2023.<\/p>\n O\u2019Neal (seen here with John McEnroe and their baby son, Kevin, in London in November 1986) told People she has been addicted for at least 40 years. UK Press vis Getty Images<\/p>\n O\u2019Neal (seen here in June 2026) had a near-fatal 2020 overdose, which led to a stroke and a six-week coma. Tatum O’Neal\/Instagram<\/p>\n