James Argent says the tough love dispensed by girlfriend Gemma Collins helped him confront his drug addiction problems – even though he “hated” her for forcing him to confront his faults.
The 32-year-old former The Only Way Is Essex star has credited 39-year-old lover Gemma for helping him acknowledge he was addicted to cocaine – and for making him be more truthful about his problems.
On Sunday, the reality star opened up about his secret drug addiction – which, he says, almost claimed his life after he endured two overdoses last year.
While the star says he would take drugs to hide his inner pain, he says on-off girlfriend Gemma was instrumental in getting him on to the straight and narrow – and she took no nonsense from him in the process.
He told The Sun: “She isn’t an enabler.”
“I hated her sometimes.
“I’d say, ‘Why are you telling my mum, my friends, the bosses of the TV shows? You’re gonna ruin my career’.
“She wasn’t going to lie for me or let me get away for my using. She was extremely tough, but that’s exactly what I needed.”
He added: “If she was a girl that was going to lie for me, telling people I was alright when I really wasn’t, that wouldn’t have helped me.”
During the same interview, Arg opened up about his plans to wed Gemma, saying marriage and children are on his wish list.
However, he also acknowledged that he would only be able to achieve this if he continues to stay off the drugs.
Over the weekend, Arg revealed he had battled cocaine addiction for seven years.
He said he would often lock himself away in a dark room on his own and take drugs for “days on end.”
The reality star had a wake-up call last year following a suspected overdose last October, and after being hospitalised with an overdose last December.
Arg argued that his drug taking stemmed from insecurities and the fact he had been heartbroken by past romances.
He also said he would abuse food in a similar way, by overeating to calm his fears.
