The One Hurtful Thing That Kickstarted MGK’s Sobriety Journey

MGK had to get his heart broken before he got sober.

The performer revealed the events that led to him starting down the path to sobriety during a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.

The topic of sobriety was brought up fairly early in the episode when Gillie shared an observation about some rappers needing drugs to feel comfortable onstage. MGK responded with a story that nearly left the show’s hosts speechless.

“It started with my daughter saying, ‘Dad, you know I can tell when you’re high,'” MGK says in the episode. “It broke my heart. It was like the ultimate letdown.”

The 34-year-old MGK has a 15-year-old daughter, Casie, with ex Emma Cannon. He said Casie was around 11 or 12 when she first alluded to her father’s drug use.”

People noted that sobriety has been a frequent topic in MGK’s most recent podcast appearances. A few weeks ago, he shared with BunnieXO on the Dumb Blonde podcast that he had reached a year of being sober after abusing alcohol, marijuana and pills.

“It took me awhile afterwards because obviously drugs have a vice grip on you,” MGK said during the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.

He also traced drug abuse back to his childhood when he said “being somebody else was beaten into me.”

“You get to fifth or sixth grade you become ashamed because you’re not who your father wants you to be,” MGK said “Really, that’s just a reflection of him not being who he wanted to be.”

MGK has spoken in the past about his mother leaving when he was nine years old leading to his father primarily being in charge of his upbringing. His father, as he revealed this summer, was also put on trial at nine years old for the murder of his own father, but was acquitted.

These days, MGK is a self-professed “volleyball dad” who can’t help but notice how the other fathers are hard on their kids when attending Casie’s games. He is using how they act as motivation to be a better father and person to be around.

“To be the father I wish my dad would have been, I have to break this generational curse for my kid,” MGK said.