Supermodel Beverly Johnson said she leaned on cocaine and deprived herself of food in pursuit of success in the fashion industry, Page Six reported.
Johnson said she relied on a sparse diet consisting only of cocaine, a bowl of rice, and two eggs consumed over the course of a week, according to a recent interview with Page Six. She reportedly admitted to being addicted to drugs during the 1970s, saying cocaine helped her maintain a “chiseled to the bone” look she was pressed to maintain for photo shoots.
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“We were led to believe that cocaine was not addictive. We didn’t know cocaine was addictive. Everyone used drugs back in the day but that particular drug for models was used because we did not eat,” the supermodel told Page Six.
Johnson explained the troubling toll drugs and starvation took on her health, according to the outlet.
“I would be shaking in a cab, and I would say pull over because I have to get a bag of M&Ms,” she informed Page Six, recalling how her body would respond to the food deprivation, drug intake, and lack of nourishment.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 10: Beverly Johnson attends the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards at The Grill Room on November 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
“I would just stop and get the shakes. We did not eat, and every time you came to work they would say, ‘Yes! Chisel to the bone girl. Yes,’ like congratulating you. Nobody really told you the truth,” the supermodel explained to Page Six.
Johnson reportedly said she came to the realization she needed help when her mother expressed her deep concern. She said her mom made her exit her bathtub and take a good look at what her body had become. She “put me in a three-way mirror,” she told Page Six.
“It was the first time I saw my bones looking back at me,” Johnson explained to the outlet.
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In that moment, she knew she had to make a drastic change.
“It was a major wake up call for me,” she informed Page Six. (RELATED: ‘I Was Killing Myself’: Naomi Campbell Explains Why She Did Drugs)
Johnson is now celebrating the 50th anniversary of becoming the first Black woman to grace the cover of Vogue — and 50 years of sobriety, the outlet reported.