HEALING With My Family
AFTER A BATTLE WITH ADDICTION, THE STAR REACHES OUT TO LOVED ONES FOR HELP ON HER ROAD TO RECOVERY
It was a welcome sight when Melrose Place vet Heather Locklear, 58, posted a rare Instagram video on March 27. Looking healthy and in good spirits, the star — who’s been keeping out of the public eye since completing her court-ordered rehab treatment in September — gave her heartfelt thanks to the folks on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. “Heather wanted her fans to know she’s back on solid ground,” says an insider. “And that she’s still the talented, lovely person they know and love.”
Remaining sober has been challenging for Heather, but with her family’s love and support, she’s staying on track. “Her parents and daughter, Ava, are always around,” the insider reveals. “And her sisters, Laurie and Colleen, and their families are constantly with her as well.”
While rehab and therapy have made a world of difference in Heather’s recovery, it’s the love she gets in her Thousand Oaks, Calif., home that means the most. “Her family has ‘sober nights’ with her,” says the insider. “They go to her house and cook — Heather loves to cook and is good at it. She’s also a beach-and-sun girl, so she enjoys hanging out with them by her pool, and they’ve taken her on weekend trips to Santa Barbara.”
HER LONG WAY BACK
Life hasn’t been sunny for Heather in a while. In 2018, she was arrested twice on charges that included alleged battery of a police officer and was treated for a possible overdose. She’s reportedly been to rehab more than 20 times, and after pleading no contest to eight misdemeanor offenses in August, she was ordered to spend 30 days in a residential mental-health facility.
“She’s sweet and kind, but has this dark side where she’s incredibly insecure — that’s what the drinking brings out,” the insider says. “Throw in anxiety and depression, and it all just came to a head.”
Now, with the love of her family, Heather seems to have turned a corner. “They try to keep her away from Hollywood people and off social media,” the insider reveals. “She feels she needs to grow up, and she’s trying so hard to make her parents, siblings and daughter proud.”
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