Cara Delevingne Opens Up About Sobriety, Her Viral 2022 Airport Photos

Cara Delevingne Opens Up About Sobriety, Her Viral 2022 Airport Photos

Cara Delevingne is breaking her silence on one of the most difficult periods of her life. In a candid interview on The Louis Theroux Podcast published Monday, the 33-year-old model, actress, and musician spoke openly about her addiction struggles, the seizure that triggered her wake-up call, and the paparazzi photos that went viral in 2022 when she appeared disheveled and barefoot at Los Angeles International Airport.

The images, which showed Delevingne smoking a cigarette while wearing a Free Britney T-shirt, were widely shared and sparked public concern. “Disheveled, yeah. Mentally unwell for sure, not lack of sleep. I just had a seizure,” she told Theroux. “I was not sober for sure.”

A Seizure at Burning Man

Delevingne said the seizure occurred as she was leaving the Burning Man festival, where she had been “taking a lot of drugs.” She described how the physical strain of carrying luggage triggered the medical episode. “My body just couldn’t take it, and I had a seizure, which, again, never seen myself have a seizure, but I’ve had a bunch,” she said, clarifying that the episode was drug-related—either a result of “lack of drugs or too many drugs.”

The now-infamous airport photos were taken after she returned to Los Angeles, desperately seeking more substances. “Got home desperately trying to find more drugs because, I don’t know, I hadn’t slept,” she recalled. “I look absolutely wild and feral and not well.”

The public reaction was swift and painful. “People saw it. It was everywhere. I lost jobs. That sucked,” Delevingne said. As a model, she explained, there are contractual expectations tied to brand image. She wasn’t fired outright, but contracts were not renewed, and work dried up.

A New Chapter: Music and Sobriety

Now, four years later, Delevingne is charting a new course. She has been sober, has released music, and is preparing for her debut album—a project that includes a collaboration with the reclusive Fiona Apple. On June 26, Delevingne dropped her new single “Need It,” co-written with Apple, producer BJ Burton, keyboard player Tommy King, Victoria “Ryann” Zaro, and Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath.

Apple, who famously featured Delevingne meowing on her 2020 album Fetch the Bolt Cutters, co-wrote the song via a quirky method of Post-It notes sent back and forth. “She’s an absolute savant when it comes to portraying emotion and melody and lyric,” Delevingne said in a press release. The result is a “skittery synthpop track” that Rolling Stone described as “an act of surrender built around distorted synthesizers.”

Delevingne also released a double single earlier this year—“I Forgot” and “Out of My Head”—further signaling her shift into music as a serious pursuit. She told Rolling Stone that the time felt right: “There was this part of me that always thought I was gonna do it. I just knew I was going to be a bit older and have that experience under my belt and have that point of view, that belief in yourself.”

Merging Fashion and Music

Her musical rebirth is also being woven into her fashion identity. According to Yahoo Entertainment, Delevingne is now merging fashion and music as her debut tour becomes part of a new Rag & Bone campaign, capturing her onstage and behind the scenes. It marks a major style twist for the star, who is redefining her public image beyond the tabloid headlines of 2022.

Broader Implications

Delevingne’s arc—from viral low point to sobriety and creative rebirth—mirrors a wider trend in Hollywood where celebrities are increasingly turning to music as a more personal form of expression after years in the modeling or acting spotlight. For Delevingne, the shift represents a chance to control her own narrative.

Her candidness also comes amid a broader cultural moment where public figures are more willing to discuss addiction and recovery openly. Delevingne’s story is a reminder of the human cost behind viral images and the possibility of redemption. As she performs at intimate venues like Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right and prepares for a full album release, her journey offers a cautionary yet hopeful tale—one that resonates with anyone who has struggled with substance abuse or witnessed a public figure’s fall and rise.