Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed his history with substance abuse during an episode of “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von,” noting that he and the podcast host met in recovery from substance abuse years ago. Kennedy explained that he continued attending in-person recovery meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic despite the closure of the venue they previously used, saying he was not frightened of the illness.
Kennedy recounted his commitment to recovery, explaining that he and about 15 others moved from their original meeting location at a bank to the Palisades Playhouse during the pandemic to continue daily meetings. He stated, “I don’t care what happens, I’m going to a meeting every day. And I said, I’m not scared of a germ. You know, I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats. And I know this disease will kill me, right? If I don’t treat it, which means, for me, going to meetings every day, it’s just bad for my life.”
Kennedy emphasized the importance of recovery meetings for maintaining sobriety. “The opportunity to help another alcoholic, that’s the secret sauce of the meetings. And that’s what keeps us all sober and keeps us from self-will,” he said. Kennedy has a family history of addiction and has been transparent about his history of drug use and decades-long experience in recovery programs. He previously recounted taking LSD for the first time at age 15, which put him on a path to heroin addiction, during an April summit in Nashville, Tennessee at the HMP Global’s Rx and Illicit Drug Summit 2025.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://ijr.com/rfk-jr-recalls-snorting-cocaine-off-of-toilet-seats-before-getting-sober/