He received an outpouring of celebrity support for the decision.
Kevin Zegers wants to be honest with his 3-year-old twin daughters, Zoe and Blake.
The 34-year-old Dirty John star opened up in a series of Instagram posts about how he and his family handle his addiction.
The actor first shared a video of his girls talking about his alcoholism, writing, “Learning ‘em young. #aameeting.”
In the clip, Zegers' wife, Jaime Field, asks little Zoe, “What is Daddy?” to which she replies, “An alcoholic.” Blake then repeats the same information for the camera. Jaime then tells the girls that their father is at an “Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting,” saying, “Isn’t that cool?”
The clip raised some eyebrows online, but Zegers quickly defended the family’s decision to be upfront with their daughters from an early age.
“Being in recovery is a part of my life,” he wrote. “Being an ‘alcoholic’ doesn’t mean that I drink. Quite the contrary. When I’m not home for bedtime, my girls often insist on knowing where I am. Instead of lying to them, or projecting an archaic stigma, we choose to tell them the truth. ‘Daddy’s at a meeting.’”
Zegers added, “Our hope is that we teach our girls some empathy and understanding about addiction. That in spite of being an alcoholic they have a father who has chosen a healthy way to live his life.”
The Gossip Girl alum revealed that he’s currently eight years sober, writing, “My choice is to crack the window open so others can see what’s possible on the other side.”
The decision was met with praise from other stars, including Dax Shepard, who has been honest about his own addiction issues.
“God Damn Son!!! Well said!!!” Shepard commented on the post.
“Couldn’t love you more or be more proud,” Lily Collins wrote. “You constantly inspire me. Those girls are the luckiest to have you as their dad xx.”
Sophia Bush added, “Love you, bud. Well said.”
Jason Biggs wrote, “I want to be you when I grow up,” and Jamie Lynn Sigler added, “You and your family should be so proud.”
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