In a recent CBS interview with Gayle King, Lady A singer Charles Kelley and his wife Cassie McConnell opened up about Kelley’s struggle with alcoholism and how it nearly ended their marriage. Kelley admitted that for the longest time, he was in denial about his alcoholism because he wasn’t “living on the street” or “waking up in a bush.” Their marriage almost ended after an argument while on on a family vacation in Greece, where Kelley stayed out all night drinking afterwards. “Basically, we got in an argument, and I, like, just turned my phone off in, you know, the middle of nowhere and just took off and stayed up drinking with all these like random people I didn’t know,” Kelley explained. “I had one of those moments where I’m just like, ‘I’m so sick of being told what to do,’ and I turned off the phone. I didn’t realize I had eight of my friends looking for me all night.” McConnell recalled never going to sleep that night and had plans to meet with a divorce attorney. “At that point, I thought I was fully flying back to the U.S., going to meet with a divorce attorney, like, that was it.” When he returned in the morning, she sat him down and told Kelley he needed help, where he responded saying he knew. “He made a plan with his manager, and he flew directly from Greece to treatment,” she said.

Last year, @ladya postponed its tour to allow @charleskelleyla to seek treatment for alcohol abuse.

In a candid conversation, Charles and his wife Cassie tell @GayleKing why he was “scared to death” of going to rehab — and how he is rebuilding trust with his family. pic.twitter.com/tsxboBOwpE

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 10, 2023

Kelley recalled feeling “crushed” after McConnell said that their 7-year-old son, Ward, had begun noticing his drinking habits. “Cassie would tell me some stories about how little things that Ward would say that I didn’t even know he was noticing. You know, ‘Daddy’s talking a little funny’ or, you know, ‘You and daddy are — y’all argue a lot.’” Kelley spoke about the steps he has been taking to rebuild his family’s trust, saying he breathes into a breathalyzer every morning and night and attends “a lot of meetings.” The singer is now nearly one year sober, and McConnell could not be prouder. “I’m really proud of him. It’s not easy to walk through, and it’s not easy to, you know, stay connected and to just put your head down and do the work — because it is a lot of work. Because he keeps showing up every day, I get to keep showing up every day and our family gets to be intact. So I’m really, really proud of him.” Kelley responded saying, “I couldn’t do it without her support. I feel a lot of love.”