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Radio star Jackie ‘O’ Henderson made a startling confession on-air last week that shocked even co-host Kyle Sandilands.
Reading an extract from her new memoir, The Whole Truth, Jackie broke down as she admitted her absence from the airwaves in November 2022 was due to a secret rehab stint. Having developed a deadly dependence on alcohol and prescription pills – taking up to 24 Panadeine Forte tablets and 12 Stilnox a day – Jackie admitted she’s lucky to be alive.
“Someone was watching over me because I don’t know how I woke up some days,” she said.
Hitting rock bottom after three years of struggling, Jackie, 49, reached out to her best friend and manager Gemma O’Neill for help. She still didn’t think she needed rehab though.
“[Jackie] called me and she said, ‘Gemma, I’m doing something really stupid,’” Gemma recalled. “She said, ‘I’ve been taking pills.’ She was an emotional mess. She was sobbing and having a panic attack. I could tell very quickly that it was a life-or-death situation and I needed to move very quickly, and I checked her into Betty Ford.”
Flying to the US together, Jackie spent 28 days at the celebrity-favoured clinic in California – chosen for its success rate and privacy.
“I believe she saved my life,” Jackie said.
While the single mum was hesitant about being so open, she felt it was important to share her story to eliminate the stigma of addiction.
“I was scared to tell people … I know people will look at me differently,” she said.
Jackie also had a candid dialogue with daughter Kitty, 13, before penning her story. As she recalled: “Kitty said, ‘I’m so sorry, Mum, I didn’t know. If anyone says anything or judges you, that’s not someone I want in my life.’”
