Tom Holland reveals alcohol addiction and mental health problems

Without a doubt, Tom Holland is among the top 5 Hollywood stars of this moment. Together with actress and singer Zendaya, he has one of the most consolidated and powerful couples in the star system. And yet, Tom Holland is feeling bad.

The actor has made some troubling statements in an attempt to make the public aware of the risks and problems that many young stars face. It especially happens to them when they become famous at a really young age.

Tom Holland went on the well-known podcast 'On Purpose', by Jay Shetty. There, he shared two serious problems that he has had in recent years: alcoholism and mental health issues.

Photo: Jay Shetty Podcast / Youtube

"I was definitely addicted to alcohol, not shying away from that at all." To protect his personal life, the actor is now on a career break after years of tireless work. More relaxed, he has opened up and told his story.

The most complicated thing, as he has commented, was realizing that he had an addiction problem. And you don't have to go back too far, because this happened in January 2022.

After some Christmas parties in which excess is common, both with drinks and with food, came what is known as 'dry January,' a British custom in which you stop drinking so that the body recovers.

During this period, Tom Holland says he became obsessed with drinking. It was the only thing on his mind. It led him to worry about alcoholism for the first time in a long time.

"All I could think about was having a drink … I was waking up thinking about it. I was checking the clock, when’s it 12 p.m.? … It just really scared me," he recalls.

"It just really scared me. I just was like, 'Wow, maybe. Maybe I have a little bit of an alcohol thing'. So I sort of decided to punish myself and say, 'I'll do February as well. I’ll do two months off. If I can do two months off, then I can prove to myself that I don’t have a problem.'"

And yes, as expected, it was difficult for him not to drink at social events or nightclubs, but seeing that he managed, he decided to extend his own Prohibition Law until his birthday, in June, and he did it with the same mantra.

"I said to myself, if I can do six months without alcohol, then I can prove to myself that I don't have a problem." Obviously, this led him to wonder "Why am I enslaved to this drink? Why am I so obsessed with the idea of having this drink?"

He realized that everything was better. "I could sleep better. I could handle problems better. Things that would go wrong on set that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride. I had such better mental clarity. I felt healthier, I felt fitter." It was a win/win for Tom Holland.

Photo: Jay Shetty Podcast / Youtube

Tom Holland says that giving up drinking and being sober is "the best thing I’ve ever done." His girlfriend Zendaya was a great support for him.

However, Jay Shetty and Tom Holland also talked about mental health problems. The actor said that "the mental aspect was incredibly challenging for me" during the shooting of 'The Crowded Room', his new series for Apple TV Plus.

This problem helped him to assess his mental health. "Learning about mental health and the power of it, and speaking to psychiatrists about Danny’s (the character's) struggles, has been something that has been so informative to my own life," says the actor.

By the way, Tom Holland moved away from social media and chose to take a break, recharge batteries, gather strength, and come back when he himself deems appropriate. He's a real star and able to decide when to say yes and when no.