Heather Locklear may have needed to hit rock bottom before she could bounce back,
but friends and family are pulling for her to rise above her struggles.
Heather Locklear's substance abuse issues have been well documented,
and it's been reported that she sought professional help on multiple occasions.
In 2018, a person close to Locklear told The Post,
"She has so much talent and beauty, and we hate to see that wasted. But she's fighting
a lot of demons. The only thing she can do is go back to rehab and try again."
But, in 2019, when she once again entered an in-patient treatment facility, another
source told People that, although family and friends were hopeful the treatment would take,
Locklear had already been to rehab at least 20 times, and maybe as many as 25 times in the past.
As for what Locklear's specific problems were? The source went on to say,
"Her issue is alcohol, pills, and her mental health. She has no job,
nothing to keep her accountable. This has been tearing up her family."
Heather Locklear has been unable to escape public scrutiny of her private life,
and fans have kept tabs on her over the years. This includes the challenges she
faced when trying to deal with her addiction. Luckily, she had constant support from family
and friends who wanted to see her get better. This wasn't something Locklear wanted to share
with the world, and although she would later celebrate her sobriety publicly,
in general, she's been much quieter about the effort it took to get there.
"What's with her?"
"Only her psychiatrist knows for sure."
She gave a glimpse into her mind's inner workings with an Instagram post in 2018, writing,
"Addiction is ferocious and will try to take you down. Recovery is the best
revenge. Be kind to everyone you meet, your light just might change their path."
The downside to living in the public eye is that all of your problems and indiscretions
become tabloid fodder. Every mistake an actor makes is well documented, and every
challenge they face becomes a juicy headline. There was no exception for Heather Locklear,
whose personal struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues have become common knowledge.
Rather than being able to deal with these challenges quietly,
Locklear's admission to an Arizona rehab facility in 2008 was reported on by the media.
"So looking back, what would you have done differently in this past year? Anything?"
"I would have stayed in my house."
At the time, her representative made a no-comment comment to E! News, saying,
"There is no statement, and we will not be commenting about Heather's location."
It was reported that Locklear had checked into the Sierra Tucson treatment facility
to focus on her mental health. While she was afforded some level of privacy,
the publication notes that her stay was about four weeks.
Later, Locklear's spokesperson, Cece Yorke, made a more detailed statement, saying,
"Heather has been dealing with anxiety and depression. She requested an in-depth evaluation
of her medication and entered into a medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment."
Heather Locklear is fortunate to have many people who love her and want to see her
healthy. But her recovery is hers alone, and, in 2018, she made headlines not just for her
struggles with addiction and mental health, but also because she reportedly denied help
from her friends and family. The anguish her loved ones felt in response was apparent.
A source close to Locklear told People magazine:
"She isolates herself, which only feeds into the other issues. Of course, you can't force
someone to get help — they have to want to — but it's hard for someone who is sick to
make smart choices and keep at it. She has family and friends who are desperately trying to help."
The silver lining in this situation is that Locklear eventually received
the help she needed, and in 2020, she celebrated her first year of sobriety,
marking the occasion with an Instagram post reading,
"Hugs will come later! 1 year sober today!!!"
Heather Locklear is in a committed relationship with her now-fiancé,
Chris Heisser, whom she's known since high school and dated when they were younger.
"First of all, when you guys were making out, could anyone tell you apart?"
The couple appeared in a photo at a friend's wedding as recently as
June 2023. But things between them weren't always so great. In 2018,
the actor was arrested on domestic violence charges after an altercation with Heisser.
Page Six reported that an assault took place in Locklear's home in Thousand Oaks, California.
Ventura County Sheriff's Office Captain Garo Kuredjian commented
on the situation in an interview with the publication, saying,
"She claimed to be injured, but we didn't see any sign of that.
We determined she had battered her boyfriend."
At the time, a concerned source close to Locklear commented on the relationship, telling Page Six:
"They rekindled their relationship a little over
a year ago. We're not sure how good they are together."
There's no denying their relationship was off to a
rocky start, but they appear to be in a healthier place several years later.
Heather Locklear has had several run-ins with the law, including an arrest for a hit-and-run.
Thankfully, the incident was relatively minor, involving only her car and a parking sign. So,
what exactly happened, and why did the actor make headlines because of it?
The arrest happened in April 2010 for a misdemeanor hit-and-run. Ventura District Attorney
Gregory D. Totten released details of the accident in a statement reported by People which read:
"Physical evidence established that the vehicle involved in the collision
was [...] a 2005 black BMW sedan registered to Richard and Heather Sambora of Westlake
Village. [...] Insufficient evidence exists to establish who the driver of the vehicle
was at the time of the collision. As a result, no criminal charges will be filed."
This isn't the most tragic thing that's happened in Locklear's life,
but the added media attention had to be unwelcome.
Heather Locklear was a big star in the '80s and '90s, mostly known for her role as Amanda Woodward
on the television series Melrose Place. While she continued to work after the show wrapped,
leading roles have become more scarce in recent years. Hollywood isn't known to
be kind to aging actors, but Locklear also had to contend with her personal struggles.
Was she content to give up her career for good? Nope. Locklear was excited to be cast
in the TV movie Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story in 2021. Many saw
the role as her comeback and expected great things to come from the actor. In
addition to her two years' sobriety, Locklear was embracing her sixties.
"Good morning, Wayne."
"Ody-ody-ody-ody. Schwing!"
In an upbeat 2021 interview, the actor told People,
"I've always loved getting older because it means I'm alive. I'm so grateful. I don't really give a
hoot. I don't give a hoot about how I look. My parents still love me. My daughter loves me."
In 1986, Locklear wed her first husband, Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee. They were
young and in love, and Lee showed his adoration with a large tattoo of her name. For her part,
Locklear told People magazine she was sure the relationship would stick, saying,
"I've only thought of getting married once. I plan for this one to last."
But it didn't, and, seven years later, they were divorced. A breakup is never easy,
but Locklear admitted to being deeply saddened by the split.
"Why can't men be more like plants? I mean,
you can stroke a plant and it doesn't get the wrong idea."
However, she didn't wait long before finding love again. She
married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in 1994.
Locklear filed for divorce in 2006, a move that blindsided Sambora to the extent that he
even told ABC News the reports were untrue. But they were. Locklear's public statement,
delivered by her rep, was brief and to the point, saying:
"After 10 years of marriage, Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from
Richie Sambora. This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time."
Then came Jack Wagner. Locklear and Wagner were playing love interests on Melrose
Place when their professional relationship turned romantic. They got engaged in 2011,
although they would break up later that same year. At the time,
it was reported that the demands of planning their wedding and reservations about how the
marriage would affect their respective children were the cause of the split.
In a 2018 press junket for his series When Calls the Heart,
Entertainment Tonight asked Wagner about his ex's struggles. He responded diplomatically.
"We all have our struggles. [...]”
“We either really work at getting well, you know,
and it's just about when you make that decision to do it. So…”
Despite Heather Locklear's personal struggles,
she hasn't entirely alienated herself from those who love her. She and her daughter, Ava Locklear,
whom the Dynasty actor shares with her ex-husband, Richie Sambora, appear to share a close bond.
Ava has spoken about how her mother has been there for her while she was dealing with
anxiety and navigating her own problems. Ava credits her mom for being reliable and kind,
and in 2020 she praised her mother in an interview with People, saying,
"She never judged me and made sure I didn't feel alone. This was so
important to my mental health and helped me continue on with my life."
Ava also spoke about how her anxiety became particularly intense and debilitating in 2019.
Despite not living near her daughter at the time, Locklear would make an effort to visit
when Ava needed her. In a personal essay that appeared in People's 2020 "Kindness" issue,
Sambora wrote about Locklear's selflessness when she was struggling, saying,
"She would stay on the phone with me late into the night until I was calm
enough to sleep. She did everything she could to help me get through those difficult months,
from taking me to every doctor's appointment to giving me tons of books on managing anxiety."