Justin Moore Opens Up About Rehab and His Sobriety Journey

Country music star Justin Moore is opening up about his decision to enter rehab and take a break from touring, saying his drinking had begun to affect his career, family and faith.

Moore, 42, discussed his experience on TL’s Road House podcast several months after announcing that he was stepping away from the road to focus on his health.

He said his drinking increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as having a drink around 5 p.m. eventually became drinking earlier in the day and, eventually, drinking throughout the day.

“It started affecting my life,” Moore said. He explained that he was putting so much time and energy into drinking that it was taking away from his work, his family and, most importantly to him, his church life.

About a year before entering rehab, some of Moore’s friends confronted him about his drinking. At the time, he said, he was not ready to accept what they were telling him.

“Everybody grew up except me. I was hanging on by a thread,” he recalled.

The turning point came after church one Sunday when Moore approached his wife, Kate, and told her he needed to get help. He later spent 30 days in rehab, approaching the experience like a “business trip.”

Moore said he has now been sober for 65 days and feels healthier and more like himself.

“I feel like myself for the first time in a while,” he said. “I’m actually proud of myself for the first time in a while.”

He also spoke about the challenges of staying sober in the country music business, where drinking and partying are often closely connected to touring and social events.

“This business functions a lot around alcohol,” Moore said, explaining that artists are frequently expected to join in when friends, fans and others gather to celebrate.

He said that lifestyle can seem harmless when someone is younger, but eventually it can become unhealthy.

Moore first announced his break from touring in an Instagram post on June 8, saying it was “the right decision for me and my family.”

During a July 9 concert in Knoxville, Illinois, he gave fans more details, revealing that he had recently completed 30 days in rehab after his drinking “got out of control.”

“I let down my band and my crew and most importantly God, my family,” Moore told the crowd.

He said he wanted to use his experience to help others struggling with similar issues and become a better example for his children.

Moore has been married to Kate since 2007. The couple have four children: daughters Ella, 16, Kennedy, 14, and Rebecca, 12, and son South, 9.

For Moore, the decision to seek treatment appears to have marked a major shift. He said his goal now is not only to remain sober but also to use what he has learned to help others and be more present for his family.