Cara Delevingne has revealed she suffered a near-fatal overdose during her drug addiction, recalling the incident after photos emerged of her in a disheveled state following the Burning Man Festival. The 33-year-old model shared in an interview on The Louis Theroux Podcast that she was rushed to the hospital and given naloxone after an overdose, which she believes was caused by opiates in cocaine.
Delevingne described the overdose as a harrowing experience, stating she was being held down by men and did not understand what was happening. She recounted waking up in the hospital and feeling a desire to die due to withdrawal symptoms and the realization of the pain she had caused to loved ones.
Prior to the overdose, Delevingne experienced a seizure at the Burning Man Festival due to drug use. She described the subsequent viral photos from Van Nuys airport as a "rock bottom" moment. "Dishevelled. Yeah, mentally unwell for sure, not lack of sleep. I’d just had a seizure," she stated. "I was not sober, for sure."
The fallout from these images had a significant impact on her career. "It went super quiet. Everyone went very silent. And I knew I needed to get sober," Delevingne said, noting that she lost multiple modeling jobs. She explained that the contract terms for models often require maintaining certain brand standards.
Delevingne discussed her past struggles with addiction, which began with experimenting with drugs at age 14. She recalled a period of intense ketamine use and daily acid trips that led to hallucinations, including believing her father was God and her mother the devil, which prompted suicidal thoughts and a breakdown at 15. She sought solace in drugs to escape difficult feelings and pressures.
Her recovery journey led her to a 12-step program in 2022. Delevingne previously shared with Variety that she found these programs effective for addressing deeper issues, stating, "The opposite of addiction is connection, and I really found that in 12-step." She encourages open communication and honesty about struggles, emphasizing that vulnerability is essential in her industry. "If I can do it, anyone can. But you need to communicate and be honest about it as much as you can - especially with yourself," she told Variety.