How star went I was called ‘ party Sadie’ but I was just so lost
Hellraiser’s doubts during nights of e xcess
SADIE Frost seemed to have it all – looks, fame, fortune and an amazing group of friends.
Brit Pop was at its peak and the actress was at the heart of the notorious, hedonistic Primrose Hill Set along with supermodel pal Kate Moss.
It was excess all areas for the exclusive North London crew whose antics became the stuff of gossip legend.
Oasis rock stars Noel and Liam Gallagher and their then partners Meg Mathews and actress Patsy Kensit were also part of the wild partying set.
Sadie, who was married to actor Jude Law, appeared to be having the time of her life – but that was far from the truth.
The star, who became known as “party Sadie”, said: “I think when I did all that stuff I was completely lost.”
Now the mum of four, aged 55, has put her days of crazy parties and champagne behind her.
She has turned from sinner to saint, enjoying healthy food, yoga, meditation and nature.
Her perfect night on the tiles now involves the ones in the word game Scrabble, which she likes playing with Mossy, 46.
Sadie has been sober for four years and attends a local Alcoholic Anonymous group. And she reveals she had never liked the party scene.
She said: “Some people like going out partying, going dancing but I’ve never really enjoyed it. It always made me really nervous.
Chaotic
“For years, group holidays and kind of big events just stressed me out so much.
“I just realised I really love my own company. I’ve got two dogs, I’ve got a cat. I wake up in the morning, I meditate.
“I have my routine and if anything takes me out of that routine I’m thrown so I get up and I do yoga and I meditate and I play with the animals and I go in my garden and be around nature.”
Born in Islington, North London, Sadie described her childhood as a “chaotic but positive” experience. Her dad David Vaughan was a psychedelic artist and her mum Mary Davidson was his 16-year-old muse.
They had six relationships between them, which gave Sadie ten siblings. She said: “I love my family but it was a challenging upbringing and I always felt kind of fearful and insecure.”
Sadie appeared in TV series Press Gang and Casualty and as a vampire opposite Winona Ryder in 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
She earned her living mainly through appearing in music videos, including for Pulp’s song Common People and various productions for Spandau Ballet, where she met band member Gary Kemp, who became her first husband.
Sadie starred opposite Jude Law in the 1994 film Shopping. They became a couple and had three children but their six- year marriage ended in 2003.
Sadie opened up about her life on DJ Fat Tony’s Recovery podcast. She said: “I kind of got known for being ‘party Sadie’. At my worst, I definitely abused alcohol. I can’t handle my booze. Some
people can drink all day but I have a few and I’m literally on the floor.
“So I have to be really careful around alcohol and I don’t really like the taste.
“I think when I did all that stuff I was completely lost and I had lost everything.” The split from Jude, together
with the death of her dad soon after and severe postnatal depression, sent Sadie into a downward spiral.
She said: “It got so bad that I had to go, ‘Well, I can carry on like this or I can go stop being the victim.’
“Tell yourself, ‘ You are an OK person.’
“I’m not a bad person. I’ve never hurt anyone, I don’t want to hurt anyone.
“You know, you are a worker, you are a grafter, you’ve come from nothing. I’m just going to work really hard, I’m going to love myself, animals, nature, work and people.”
Sadie, who ran a fashion label for 12 years, said: “I learnt to be around the right people, positive people, people that you can trust.
“A lot of people out there are jealous if somebody is a kind person and want to f*** it up for you.”
Disaster
She turned to meditation, yoga and Alcoholics Anonymous.
“If I wanted to get happy I had to find peace within myself, find my higher power.
“When I’ve felt that that has gone, that’s when I’m anxious and I have panic attacks.”
Sadie has been free of them for five or six years.
She said: “People used to always kind of say to me, ‘ What’s wrong with you? You have everything.
“You’ve got a beautiful husband, you’ve got beautiful kids, you’ve got a lovely home.’
HUBBY ONE: With Gary Kemp
And I’m like, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ It’s not external, it’s everything that’s happening in me does not feel normal and the mechanics are not right.
“You add all the other things to that
VAMPIRE: Stars with Ryder and then it can be a disaster.” Sadie, whose children are Finlay, 29, Rafferty, 23, designer Iris, 19, and Rudy, 17, has been with businessman Darren Strowger, 53, for six years after being introduced by mutual friend Kate Moss.
The pair don’t live together because she likes being independent.
Darren’s home is two miles away from Sadie’s North London place.
Sadie said: “I like sharing my life with somebody. We love each other but we’re strong personalities, I don’t know if we could live together.”
“I love having him as a companion and we share things together like the animals and experiences.”
Sadie has learnt to depend on herself: “I’ve probably got a little better, like I’m not so co-dependent. I used to do a lot of Coda – CoDependents Anonymous – meetings because I couldn’t do anything on my own.”
It seems that’s one problem she won’t have in the future.
HUBBY TWO: With Jude Law