Actress-turned-radio presenter Kate Ritchie has confirmed she is seeking help after admitting she has an “unhealthy alcohol dependency” after Daily Mail Australia published photos of her at a mental health clinic.
The Gold Logie winner took to her Instagram on Thursday morning, hours after the photos were posted, to address the matter.
“As previously announced, I will be taking a break until next year. The last year has been incredibly challenging emotionally, as well as a relentless schedule, stress, and lack of sleep. I realized that this had led to an unhealthy dependency on alcohol,” her statement began.
“So I decided to use this time to do something positive by getting the help I need from professionals who specialize in this area. As everyone would understand, this is a very big step for me.
“It is a shocking invasion of my privacy that the Daily Mail, through their relentless harassment of me, has forced me to issue this public statement in their brazen attempt to publicly embarrass me over a private health matter.”
Earlier in the day, the publication posted images of Ritchie, taken on Sunday, entering a private rehab clinic in Sydney.
The 43-year-old was supported by many of her celebrity friends, including Melissa Doyle, Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, and Sam Mac.
Sophia Forrest, who is the daughter of Andrew Forrest, wrote below the post: “Shameful journalism. Sending love.”
In October, the NOVA host announced that she would be taking the rest of the year off from her show Drive.
“I have had many changes, like many of you, in a short space of time and it has taken its toll on me. So I made the decision to take a short break in order to have more time for myself and my family to recharge,” Ritchie said in his statement.
His Australia’s Got Talent co-star Ricki-Lee was announced as his replacement.
Earlier in the year, Ritchie was fined for drink driving in Sydney. His breath test reading was 0.06, which is only slightly above the legal limit of 0.05.
The former actress addressed the error in an Instagram statement following the incident.
“I made a bad decision and there is no question that I understand the gravity of my actions.”
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