Oscar De La Hoya Talks About Rehab and His Cocaine and Alcohol Addictions

Oscar De La Hoya has won a lot of battles. He’s earned  an Olympic gold medal, has won multiple world championship belts, been in fights that have generated over 700 million dollars in pay per view revenue and now leads a successful promotion company – but the one fight he’s never been able to win, is his life-long battle against alcohol, and recently cocaine, addictions.

Opening up for the first time about his addictions on the Spanish language TV channel Univision, Oscar De la Hoya said that at his lowest moments suicide seemed like the only way out. He explains, "Rock bottom was recently. Within a couple of years, just thinking if my life was even worth it. I don't have the strength, I don't have the courage to take my own life but I was thinking about it."

He says that although he’d been to rehab before, his last trip to Promises rehab in Malibu was one that he wanted for himself, saying, “This time, I was the one who wanted to go. This time, I was scared." He signed up for 28 days of treatment, but by then end knew he wasn’t yet ready, and stayed on for 3 more weeks.

Talking about his demons, De La Hoya says, “It's a monster so big I cannot describe it.” He says he started drinking at the age of 8 when he’d be encouraged to take sips of beer at family gatherings and says he hasn’t been truly sober since.

He says he’d always be the one to talk people into going out for a drink, but said that a drink or two was never, ever going to be enough, saying, “But if I said I was going to have two, it would always turn out to be 10. Ten wasn't enough. A thousand wasn't enough."

Now 3 months sober, De la Hoya relies on the support of AA meetings and says he’s determined to prove to his wife and kids that he’s changed, saying,” I don't want to explain to her anymore that I'm doing well, I want to show her. It's like they say, you have to walk the walk, and that's what I'm doing.”