Patricia Heaton details the concerning moment that led her to quit drinking nearly
Patricia Heaton details the concerning moment that led her to quit drinking nearly
Joey NolfiThu, August 13, 2026 at 3:56 PM UTC
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Patricia Heaton on ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’Credit: CBS/Courtesy Everett CollectionKey Points -
Everybody Loves Raymond actress Patricia Heaton detailed the moment that made her stop drinking nearly 10 years ago.
The 68-year-old Middle star noticed her “behavior changing” around 10 years ago.
“A glass of wine while cooking became wine with dinner, wine while cleaning up, and wine while watching Wheel of Fortune,” she said.
Everybody Loves Raymondactress Patricia Heaton has opened up about the concerning moment that made her stop drinking nearly 10 years ago.
The two-time Emmy-winning star detailed when she noticed “my own behavior changing” thanks to her perceptive ability to study behavior and motivation as an actor.
“Right before the pandemic, my children had left home and I wasn’t working. The things that had always anchored me — my family and my work—were gone,” the 68-year-old said in a new interview with Woman’s World. “I started thinking, What am I supposed to do today?”
The Middle actress said that patterns shifted, but she didn’t take notice until much later. “A glass of wine while cooking became wine with dinner, wine while cleaning up and wine while watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!” Heaton recalled. “One night I realized I had almost finished an entire bottle by myself.”
Patricia Heaton in Los AngelesCredit: Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty
She said she began “thinking about alcohol differently,” and turned to religion to help her through the shift.
“I said a prayer: ‘God, I think you want me to stop drinking. I would be willing to stop, but you have to make it happen because I can’t. I’m willing, but I’m unable,’” Heaton remembered. “The next night I was with my sons and their friends, and I couldn’t pronounce the word ‘tradition.’ I tried three times. My youngest son said, ‘That’s great, Mom. You can’t even speak.’”
Heaton said she “was completely mortified” by the incident, which she cited as the key factor in sparking her sobriety: “The next morning I said, ‘Okay, God. Message received.’ That was eight years ago.”
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Now, Heaton has an alcohol-removed wine brand called Solubrae, but admitted to the publication that “it’s taken me so long to understand my own value,” later adding, “I am a struggling human being, and I remind myself that God still loves me more than I can love myself.”
The star previously made headlines for hitting back at critics of another element regarding her personal life: her gray hair.
Heaton posted an Instagram video in May, where she replied to an internet comment that called her “too young for grey old lady hair.”
Patricia Heaton in TennesseeCredit: Leah Puttkammer/FilmMagic
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“Some of you seem very concerned about the silver in my hair,” Heaton responded. “But let me just say: there’s some things that come along in life that I’ve just decided to embrace, and that doesn’t include boxed hair dye.”
She continued, “The people in my life love me no matter what color my hair is, and maybe we could all use a little more of just accepting what is and being grateful.”
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
