TikToker Chris Olsen Celebrates 5 Years of Sobriety

Chris Olsen marked five years of sobriety, reflecting in a new TikTok on how his life has changed since starting his journey. Read more about his story.

By Elyse Dupre Sep 29, 2022 3:03 PMTags
Watch: TikTok Stars Chris Olsen & Ian Paget Speak Out on Breakup

Chris Olsen is celebrating a major milestone.

The social media star marked five years of sobriety on Sept. 28 and in a new TikTok reflected on how his life has changed since beginning his journey.

In the video, set to AJR's song "World's Smallest Violin," Chris listed a series of personal and professional accomplishments since becoming sober, including going back to college, graduating with honors, getting certified as a personal trainer and finding fame on TikTok.

Continuing, he also noted he stayed sober through his "bad break up" earlier this year—he and fellow TikToker Ian Paget confirmed their split to E! News in January—and added that he went to both the 2022 Oscars and Cannes Film Festival, where, as he recalled, "Austin Butler put his arm around me *super important*." 

In fact, Chris said he's made videos "with people I've been fans of my WHOLE life." And he's excited about the future, including starting his own coffee brand, which would bring his videos of him bringing coffee to stars full circle.

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At the end of his video, Chris sent a message to anyone on their own sobriety journey. "None of this would have happened if I didn't have an intervention 5 years ago today," he wrote. "So if you're looking for a sign to make a change if I could do it, so can you!!! I love you."

And several stars congratulated him on his achievement. "SO PROUD OF U SOBER KING," Meghan Trainor wrote in the comments. Added Christy Carlson Romano, "Yassssss!!! Chris! so proud of you!!! Sending you love. One day at a time!"

chris / TikTok

Chris has opened up about his struggles with addiction before, sharing in a 2021 YouTube video that things "really went downhill" the summer before his sophomore year of college.

"I realized I started not being able to go to sleep unless I was under the influence of something," the content creator, who previously shared he'd gone to rehab for 30 days in high school, said. "I would get so anxious and literally feel antsy and fiend for something because I was like, 'I need to get out of myself.' I just could not stand feeling my own feelings at that point, and I felt so low about myself, and having drugs and alcohol was such an escape."

Chris noted his battle with drugs and alcohol continued to get "really bad" after school started, and his family and roommate were worried. He added that they ended up staging an intervention, where they each read letters sharing how Chris' addiction impacted their life and what they would do if he refused to get help.

"My dad's letter was that I wasn't going to be a part of the family anymore and that they weren't going to pay for school or the apartment," he remembered. "So I was just going to have to be on the street basically."

Chris said he then broke down. "That's just a moment you never forget," he shared. "Everyone who loves you in their life—loving you so much that they have to tell you they cannot see you go on like this. They know you're better than that, and they cannot continue to enable that behavior. I look back on that now and I'm so unbelievably thankful that they did something like that because as much as it was hard for me to hear, I cannot imagine how hard it was for them to have to say that to someone they love so much."

Calling it the "most life-changing day," Chris said he then went to rehab for a yearlong program. Now sober, he hopes his story helps others. "If you are going through something that is hard right now," he said, "there is always another side."

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