Courtney Friel has been gracing our televisions for over a decade. She has been seen on Fox News, E!, World Poker Tour and is currently an anchor on KTLA. She also has a podcast titled #KeepinItFriel, which showcases stories of people overcoming addiction. Her bright smile and sunny personality make her a favorite on the news.
What many people am not realize is that Courtney’s life had a darker side. For fifteen years, she was addicted to booze, pills and cocaine. She eventually landed in rehab (thanks to an intervention) and has been sober since 9/9/09.
Courtney recently opened up a about her struggles and overcoming addiction in her new book Tonight at Ten: Kicking Booze and Breaking News. It is a raw, honest look at her life, her struggles with addiction, motherhood, divorce and how she is finally living the life she has always wanted. Below are the top ten revelations from her book.
10. She was bullied as a child. The former Love’s Baby Soft girl admits that high school was no musical. She says her car was destroyed, people taunted her at pep rallies and she often was called degrading names by the ‘mean girls.’
9. She began drinking at fifteen. Being bullied led to Courtney turning to drinking for solace. She says it all began when she had too many beers and came home sick. While it led to her being punished, she didn’t stop drinking. Before long, she was also abusing pills and cocaine or a daily basis.
8. Courtney admits to some close calls while working. She partied while traveling for work, having several embarrassing moments that worried her coworkers. While she never got fired due to her antics, her time on Fox News diminished post-rehab. (However, it was less due to her behavior and more due to changes at the station.)
7. Her friends staged an intervention. After a wild night of partying, Courtney’s now ex-husband and friends encouraged her to go to rehab in 2009. She spent 28 days in treatment and came out a new woman. For her, it was a huge wake up call and she knows that deep down, it was what she needed.
6. Despite the fact that her marriage didn’t work out, she remains friends with her ex. Courtney was married to Carter Evans, a fellow television journalist. The two share two children and ended their marriage in 2016. He since remarried and the three of them coparent he kids. Courtney jokes that Lauren Lyster is her sister wife and even helped her get a job at KTLA.
5. She uses faith, mediation and yoga as some of her coping skills these days. Courtney admits that being sober isn’t always easy, but she finds ways to deal with her issues in healthier ways. Religion was always a big part of her life, so it is no surprise that she still believes. She also fell in love with yoga and mediation, both of which she does on a regular basis.
4.She is currently engaged to Jim Hecht. The couple have a sweet,loving relationship that she cherishes. They got engaged in her favorite store Ross Dress for Less this past fall.
3. Courtney dealt with sexual harassment throughout her career. She admits someone at Fox News used to make her twirl and show off her legs while a politician called her to ‘come over and kiss.’
2. She admits there have been lots of tough moments in her career. She has covered school shootings, murders,political events and everything in between. While she admits there were times where she cried and had emotional moments, she loves her job and continues to work hard every day.
1. Courtney is a BADASS. Despite all her hardships, she continues to persevere and succeed,remaining positive and determined to live each day the best way she can.
Courtney’s book can be found on Amazon.
