Liam Neeson’s son Michael Neeson has revealed his battle with drugs.
The 19-year-old has said he turned to partying in a “delayed reaction” to his mother Natasha Richardson dying in 2009 during a ski-trip.
“Of course when it happened it was devastating,” Michael admitted.
“But in my mind, subconsciously I either pushed it out or stored it deep inside. And so, within the following week or so I was like, ‘Ok, now on with my life.’”
Devastated: Michael’s mother Natasha died in 2009 | VIPIRELAND.COM
The son of Taken star Liam revealed that in his late teens he turned to drugs.
“I was in New York. I was going out, partying a lot looking for self-gratification. I wanted to be the man, doing these drugs,” he told the Sunday Times.
“Everyone just said: ‘This kid has lost his mother — that is where the problem comes from. And I was like, ‘No, it isn’t, I just like to party’.”
However Michael admitted now he knows his partying ways came from grief.
Off the rails: Michael turned to drugs | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Looking back, I realise it was a delayed reaction. You just meet so many people who lost a parent when they were young and then they’ll break down when they are 45.”
“Not having the mother figure definitely set the balance of the family off. I am the eldest,” he explained.
“When I was younger, I was more of a momma’s boy, my brother was more of a dad’s boy.
“So I took solace in my friends, just living with different families. It wasn’t a conscious thing I was doing.”
Action star: Liam is protective of his two boys
Now Michael says he was turned a new leaf, after things went from bad to worse last year.
“Last spring, things started to go downhill. The people I was with, we are partying a lot. I couldn’t leave my house.
“I was unmotivated, couldn’t wake up in the morning. It was very dark. I hit rock bottom and I couldn’t do anything.”
Michael revealed he then went for therapy in Utah, spending months in a desert living in a tent, and says he hasn’t touched drugs since.
– MORE: Liam Neeson says the turned to Bono for drug advice
