Liza Minnelli is a Hollywood icon, but she has also been open about her struggles with addiction and the impact it had on her life. She is sober and made the brave decision to discuss her past in great detail in the hopes of raising awareness and potentially helping others who find themselves in similar situations.
Liza Minnelli Reflects on How Her Loved Ones Helped Her
While the “Cabaret” star has discussed sobriety before, she spoke with People, in an article published on November 5, about the two incredible people in her life: her dear friend Michael Feinstein and sister, Lorna Luft, and how they helped her get through some incredibly challenging times.
“For decades, people knew I abused drugs and was in and out of rehab. I wrote about being passed out on a New York street and hearing doctors say I’d never walk, talk, or even think again. Michael Feinstein flew to my side, held my hand, with my sister, and started crooning ‘Love Is Here to Stay,” she said.
She continued, “I joined in, opened my eyes, and we finished it together — on pitch! Everybody was sobbing. I still manage my encephalitis, and my AMFM music helps me every day! I’m still singing, laughing, and loving. The irony isn’t lost on me… Michael singing me back to life made it possible for me to contribute to this great MOMI event. It’s one more example of the power that music has in everyone’s lives, if you open yourself to it.” The event she is talking about is “The Minnellis,” which will be held at New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image from November 13, 2026 to January 24, 2027.
Liza Minnelli Bravely Shares Struggle With Addiction
Minnelli released her memoir, “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!” this year, and in it, she discussed her sobriety, among many other things. In February 2026, People reported that Minnelli was 11 years sober, and that her addiction started when she was given a Valium by a doctor after the death of her mother, Judy Garland.
“What began as a one-day blessing soon turned into a habit, then a full-blown case of addiction in the years ahead. It was a final gift, a genetic inheritance from Mama I could not escape,” she wrote in her memoir.
In an interview with People, Minnelli reflected on her past, saying, “What I did was, I was looking for something else that would make it more fun, that would make it better, and somebody said, ‘Try this.’ So I tried it, and everybody else around me was doing everything. So trying to be with the crowd was important when you weren’t pretty and your hair wasn’t quite anything right. I just felt so out of place…” Decades later, and she calls sobriety “amazing.”
In September, the “New York, New York” actress shared her gratitude for being alive and sober in an Instagram post. “Hey Kids, am grateful to be alive and able to honor National Recovery Month. Yes, even at 80 … we can still be kids. I feel damn childlike on days that make me vulnerable to my disease … Substance Use Disorder,” she wrote.
Liza Minnelli Bravely Reflects on Her Struggles & How She Overcame Them