Taylor Momsen Confesses She Had a 'Dark Period' Filled With 'Heavy' Substance Abuse and Depression After Friends' Deaths

Taylor Momsen recently opened up about a really tough chapter in her life during a candid interview on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with Alex Cooper. The 32-year-old actress and lead singer of The Pretty Reckless described a 'dark period' when she struggled deeply with substance abuse and depression. This spiral began after she lost two close friends, which hit her harder than she initially realized. She said the cloud of depression was something she just couldn't shake, and it led her to a point where she felt like she'd given up on life altogether. The first major blow came in May 2017, when Chris Cornell, the legendary Soundgarden frontman and a friend of Momsen’s, died suddenly. At the time, both bands were on tour together, and the news of Cornell’s death stunned her. Momsen described how the shock left her confused at first, but it soon turned into something much darker — a sinking feeling that grew into a devastating pit in her stomach. She admitted she fell completely apart emotionally but kept going on the tour despite how hard it was. Things got much worse less than a year later in April 2018, when Momsen's best friend Kato Khandwala died in a motorcycle accident at age 48. This second loss was like a one-two punch and completely floored her. The two tragedies were so close together that Momsen said she went 'off the rails' and absolutely didn't handle the grief well. She confessed that at one point she felt everything she loved was dead, and she questioned the point of continuing on. Momsen shared that she had to confront a stark choice — either keep living or give up completely. This moment of reckoning forced her to make a conscious decision to fight for her life and get her act together. Writing music became a lifeline for her during this dark time. She poured her pain and emotions into the 2021 song "Death by Rock and Roll," which she described as therapeutic and cathartic. Creating that album was a crucial step in her healing process and marked the beginning of her turning the corner back to stability. Throughout the interview, Momsen was very honest about how tough it was to face those losses and the heavy toll it took on her mental health. She emphasized the importance of reaching out for help and gave a message to anyone else struggling with depression to seek support. Her story highlights how grief can trigger destructive behaviors but also shows how creative expression and conscious determination can lead to recovery and hope for the future.