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Nicky Jam Admits to Recent Addiction Problems: ‘It’s Been Really Hard’

The Puerto Rican artist admits that this made him consider retiring from music

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In October 2023, the reggaeton world was shocked by the news that Nicky Jam was retiring. He announced it in a video, saying that his time had come and expressing deep gratitude for all the years of unwavering support. But the truth was different.

This came to light in a recent interview where the Puerto Rican artist spoke with Jay Shetty on his podcast. No, he’s not retiring. The decision was influenced by something else—alcohol.

Nicky openly admitted that last year he struggled with alcohol. “I’m going to be honest with you, Jay. I’m going to share something I haven’t talked about on any other show. Last year, I had issues with alcohol. I was drinking a lot because, for some reason, memories of my past kept coming up. People know this happens to me, and it has had a big impact on my life. It hasn’t been easy at all. I even said I was going to retire, but that wasn’t true. I’m not retiring. I will never retire. I remember editing and posting a video saying I was going to retire, but it was the alcohol talking. I’ve been struggling with this for a couple of years—maybe one or two,” he explained.

Nicky Jam’s Confessions

“I can’t say I’m an alcoholic because that wouldn’t be accurate. An alcoholic sees alcohol, starts shaking, and drinks every day. But sometimes I lose control and end up drinking for five or six days in a row, and people know this happens to me. Honestly, I’m not drinking anymore, but I smoke marijuana to cope with the anxiety that comes from not drinking. I’ve stopped drinking because of marijuana. It’s helping me in some way, and I feel better. People see me smoking and think I’ve gone back to using harder drugs. But marijuana was never the issue for me. The real problem was cocaine, and other substances,” he shares.

It’s important to remember that Nicky Jam overcame his drug addiction a few years ago. He spoke openly about it in his documentary Nicky Jam: El Ganador, where he revealed the darkest moments of his life and the struggles he had to overcome.