Jodie Sweetin, known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on "Full House," has shared how her relationship with former co-star John Stamos deepened through their mutual experiences with sobriety. Sweetin, 44, spoke about leaning on Stamos, 62, during a challenging period in her life as she pursued sobriety.
"John and I really, really connected in a lot of ways over that," Sweetin said during an appearance on The Dory Jackson Interview. She added that they have supported each other through significant milestones and successes, adhering to the recovery principle of "attraction rather than promotion."
Sweetin, who has been alcohol-free since 2011, has been open about her past struggles with addiction. She first achieved sobriety in her 20s but experienced a relapse before finding lasting recovery. She has since celebrated 15 years of sobriety.
Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on "Full House" and its sequel "Fuller House," has also openly discussed his journey with alcohol addiction, detailing it in his 2023 memoir "If You Would Have Told Me." He battled depression and used alcohol to cope with personal losses, including the deaths of his parents and a divorce. A DUI arrest in Beverly Hills in 2015 prompted him to enter rehab, an event he has described as a crucial wake-up call. He has remained sober since then.
Sweetin noted that the principle of recovery involves allowing one's own success to serve as an example, rather than actively proselytizing. "Chances are, people that are looking will find you," she stated.
Her last drink was in 2011, and she attributes her sustained sobriety to work in 12-step programs, other therapeutic interventions, and personal growth. "You get the opportunity to become a different person, and once you start actually liking that person, it becomes really hard to go back and continue destructive behavior," Sweetin explained.
She previously cited her daughters, Zoie and Beatrix, as her motivation for getting sober. The actor also spoke about the challenges she faced after "Full House" ended when she was 13, describing it as a significant loss that led her to numb her feelings with drugs and alcohol, including cocaine, ecstasy, and alcohol. She recalled difficult moments not as hospitalizations but as personal feelings of dislike for the person she had become. Sweetin now expresses a greater self-acceptance and finds freedom in liking herself without the need for external substances.