On the surface, Mary Tyler Moore's infectious smile and screen presence seemed flawless, but sadly, years of alcoholism and tragedy affected Moore's life. The actor passed away on Wednesday, January 25, at the age of 80. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and is considered by some to be "America's Sweetheart." However, life was very different for the behind-the-scenes star as she tried to overcome her difficult battle with alcoholism. Her honesty about her struggles and her efforts to recover show how brave she is.
In 1995, Moore opened up about her battle with alcoholism, recalling her account of her downward spiral in her autobiography, After All . In candid excerpts from the memoir shared by People magazine, Moore revealed that her alcoholism runs deep in her blood. Her mother and sister both struggled with drug addiction, dying at age 21 from a toxic mix of alcohol and prescription drugs, and her only child, Richard Meeker Jr., faced his own struggles. Suffering from substance abuse, he accidentally shot himself at age 24.
In the book, Moore details her drinking problems and reveals they began as an attempt to save her marriage to Grant Tinker, while she shares the shocking dangers of drunkenness - including using Her car plays "Russian roulette." According to an excerpt from People magazine , Moore wrote:
In 1979, Grant and I began hesitantly to talk about the great silence we experienced. We always make these feeble attempts at self-counseling during so-called happy hours, which are the only times we are brave enough to broach the subject.
However, her separation from Tinker did not resolve her drinking problem, which she explained grew worse while she was single and trying to numb the pain on her own. She also wrote,
Not surprisingly, that summer, my growing symptoms of alcoholism took a turn for the worse. Even though I got a few things done on my own, it was all so uncomfortable that I anesthetized myself by the end of the day. Nothing was that difficult until five-thirty or six o'clock. Then the vodka on the rocks made it all disappear.
In a 2005 interview with Larry King Live , the actress and diabetes activist revealed that she quit drinking on her own and decided to enter the Betty Ford Center to treat the "debilitating" disease. She told the king,
"And, you know, with alcoholism, you tend to drink because you're angry, or you drink because you're sad right now, or you drink because you're so happy and you want to celebrate. But unfortunately, it can be debilitating."
It appears Moore managed to stay sober after rehab and was able to change her life for the better. Her openness on this issue is eye-opening and brave. By sharing her story, she hopes she can help others face and deal with their own struggles.
Rest in peace, Moore. Thank you for your undeniable strength and courageous honesty. You will certainly be missed.
