On Tuesday, Oct. 26, model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen made her first live appearance since her cyberbullying scandal to discuss her new cookbook on the TODAY show. In her interview, she opened up about her history of cyberbullying and shared with the audience her journey of sobriety.
Chrissy Teigen first gained popularity for her modeling appearances in advertisements. She made multiple TV appearances, including a role as a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal. More recently, she has been known for being an outspoken presence both on and off the internet and her relationship with her husband John Legend has also been idolized in the media.
The controversy ignited back in May when fellow model Courtney Stodden called Teigen out for years of cyberbullying. Stodden resurfaced old tweets from Teigen in 2011 that used negative language against the model. Stodden also noted that Teigen would direct message her on Twitter with statements toward her, such as “not pretty” and “ugly.” Following the claims, Teigen came onto Twitter to issue an apology to Stodden where she wrote, “I will forever work on being better than I was 10 years ago, one year ago, six months ago.” Her track record also included negative tweets directed at stars Avril Lavigne and Lindsay Lohan. A month later, she apologized again for her behavior toward others and admitted to being “a troll.”
Last Tuesday was her first public appearance since the scandal, but also marked a milestone in her sobriety journey. Teigen exclaimed, “I’m actually 100 days sober today and I am so excited!” Teigen explained that she decided to get sober following the controversy. She shared that she had been struggling with drinking for the “past couple of years” and she had not gone a “day or two” without alcohol since her early 20s. She realized the severity of the issue when it became an occurrence in interviews and her everyday life. She felt that her behavior in public was “embarrassing” whenever she drank and also around her husband John Legend.
Due to the scandal and time off of social media, Teigen was given time to “digest it all.” She explained that she learned that there is always an opportunity to grow and “become more empathetic.” As a mother to two kids, she realized that her actions reflect onto them and that she wasn’t setting a good example on how to treat people. Teigen stated, “For me it was a big moment of, ‘Wow, I need to find out how I can be better, how I can grow from this, learn from this.’”
Now, Teigen feels good and “clear-headed.” “I feel like I’ve done the work, and I hope these people can forgive and be able to welcome the fact that hopefully they’ve seen me be better,” Teigen shared. She has channeled her newfound insight and growth into her new cookbook Cravings: All Together: Recipes to Love: A Cookbook. The book showcases recipes of comfort food inspired by her family. She hopes this new chapter of her life will show the steps she has taken to become a better version of herself and to take responsibility for her prior actions.
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