Kelly Osbourne Says Rehab Taught Her ‘How To Be A Better Addict’

Kelly Osbourne reflected on the first of her seven experiences in rehab in the new documentary TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring.

“First rehab I went to was, like, university on how to be a better drug addict,” Osbourne shared. “I learned so many tricks, so many things I never even thought of from my fellow addicts that were in there.”

She remembered how the other addicts in the program would obtain substances. “People threatened to leave until they got given what they wanted, whether it be Ambien for sleep, Valium for nerves. They would somehow end up getting it…They end up giving them whatever it is they’ve asked for.”

Osbourne also described “body brokers,” people who would allegedly wait outside of AA meetings and prey on weak or vulnerable-looking addicts in recovery to entice them into relapsing so that treatment facilities could continue to profit from their disease. “I swear on everything that that is true. And it’s heartbreaking,” she said. 

Osbourne introduced herself in the documentary as “in recovery.” 

“I don’t say I am recovered because I don’t believe that I ever will be…and it’s something that I have to work at every single day,” she added. 

The hour-long documentary premiered on Sept. 16 and can be streamed on Hulu. The feature examines “the roles of drug dealers, willing enablers, unscrupulous doctors and unethical rehab centers.” 

In 2021, Osbourne revealed in an appearance on Red Table Talk that her addiction problems started when she was 13 and was prescribed opioid pain medication for surgery. 

“They gave me Vicodin,” she said. “And that was all I needed. I went from having every voice in my head being like, ‘You’re fat, you’re ugly, you’re not good enough, no one likes you, you don’t deserve this, people only like you because of who your parents are.’ And then all of a sudden, every single voice was silenced and it felt like life gave me a hug… And then very quickly I went from Vicodin to Percocet, from Percocet to heroin eventually, because it was cheaper.”