'Well said!!!' 44-year-old Dax tells the 'Gossip Girl' alum after the latter defends his decision of letting his children know that their father has alcohol issue.
- January 25, 2019
AceShowbiz - Actors Dax Shepard and Lily Collins have rallied round former "Gossip Girl" star Kevin Zegers after facing criticism for identifying himself as an alcoholic to his young daughters.
Zegers, 34, took to Instagram on Wednesday, January 23, and shared a video clip of his wife, Jaime Feld, having a candid conversation with their twin girls.
In the footage, Jaime can be heard asking them, "What is daddy?," to which they each respond, "An alcoholic."
She then asks the kids where Zegers is, and confirms he's attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, saying, "Isn't that cool?"
"Learning 'em young. #aameeting," Kevin captioned the post.
However, the topic appeared to divide followers as some lashed out at Kevin and Jaime for being so upfront with his addiction battle with the three year olds, suggesting they are too young to be discussing the issue.
Responding to their detractors in a follow-up post, Kevin made it clear he has no regrets about choosing to be honest with his daughters, because he wants them to understand how his addiction will always be a part of his life.
"Some people seem to have taken issue with my previous post," the "Dirty John" actor wrote. "Let me clarify. Being in recovery is a part of my life. Being an 'alcoholic' doesn't mean that I drink. Quite the contrary."
"When I'm not home for bedtime, my girls often insist on knowing where I am. Instead of lying to them, or projecting an archaic stigma, we choose to tell them the truth. 'Daddy's at a meeting.'"
He went on to explain their aim is to teach the girls "some empathy and understanding about addiction".
"That in spite of being an alcoholic they have a father who has chosen a healthy way to live his life," he added. "For 8 years, I've chosen to live a clean and sober life that involves much more than just not drinking. I choose to share this because too many people, like some commenting below, want to shame people with addiction and mental health issues back into the shadows. My choice is to crack the window open so others can see what's possible on the other side."
His statement quickly won him praise from celebrity friends and fans alike, with Dax, a fellow recovering addict, applauding him for taking a stand against haters.
"God Damn Son!!! Well said!!!" he remarked, while Jamie Campbell Bower wrote, "F**king A right. B**locks to backwards thinking. Right with you big man."
"Couldn't love you more or be more proud," Collins shared. "You constantly inspire me. Those girls are the luckiest to have you as their dad xx."
Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Sophia Bush also showed their support, while "American Pie" star Jason Biggs, who revealed he was one year sober in October (18), commented, "I want to be you when I grow up."
