Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee has opened up about one of the darkest moments of his addiction, revealing he once injected Jack Daniel’s whiskey after running out of heroin. The rock legend said the experience made him realize just how dangerous his lifestyle had become.
Tommy Lee Reflects on Addiction Battle
Speaking on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, Lee recalled the band’s struggles with addiction during the late 1980s. He said that by 1989, all four members of Mötley Crüe agreed to enter rehab because they feared someone would lose their life.
According to Lee, the group had reached a point where they were “zombies,” and the constant drug use had become impossible to ignore.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Lee described one incident involving fellow bandmate Nikki Sixx that still stands out decades later. After running out of heroin, the pair filled syringes with Jack Daniel’s whiskey and injected it instead.
He said it was at that moment he realized how far their addiction had spiraled, admitting they could have simply drunk the alcohol but instead chose to inject it. The experience left him convinced that someone was eventually going to die if nothing changed.
Years of Struggles With Sobriety
Although Lee entered rehab in 1989, he admitted staying sober has remained a challenge throughout his life.
He revealed that three years is the longest period he has managed without alcohol or drugs, joking that celebrating sobriety often became the reason he relapsed.
Heavy Drinking and Recovery
During a 2023 appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Lee also claimed he was once drinking up to two gallons of vodka a day during the worst period of his alcoholism.
However, he shared that he had reached one year of sobriety at the time and said he remained grateful for his recovery. Lee has returned to rehab several times over the years, most recently in 2019, and continues to speak openly about his experiences in hopes of encouraging others facing similar struggles.
