Hunter Biden opens up about addiction struggles six months after his father Joe Biden, pardoned convictions

Six months after Hunter Biden was pardoned by former US President and father Joe Biden for his federal crimes, the 55-year-old has opened up about his struggles with addiction in a rare interview. Thinking about his journey, Hunter said his alcoholism and drug abuse were incredibly destructive and talked about his very long and continuing road to recovery. 

During a recent interview with Channel 5’s Andrew Callaghan that was made public on July 21, Hunter opened up about his addiction and the impact it had for years on his adult life.

"I was drinking so much alcohol, almost a handle of vodka a day. And alcohol is the most destructive drug not just to your body, but it puts you in more danger than any other drug I’ve ever experienced." He said.

Hunter Biden denies cocaine in White House locker was his, claims sobriety since 2019.https://t.co/lFvI7IgQwj

— CBS 6 Albany - WRGB (@CBS6Albany) July 21, 2025

He also talked about his own use of crack cocaine, stating that while crack was dangerous to health, the risks of getting it and using it were still greater.

"Crack cocaine in terms of your physical health is not as dangerous as the situation you put yourself in to be able to obtain it." He added.

Hunter's revelations follow a public scrutiny over his personal struggles. As one of his final actions as President, Joe Biden pardoned his son on federal tax evasion and gun charges. The decision was met with a range of responses from across the political spectrum, and Hunter has kept mostly low since then, concentrating on his sobriety.

A look into Hunter Biden's history with addiction and other controversies

Hunter, born in 1970, lost his mother and infant sister in a car crash when he was 2 years old; he and his brother Beau were both seriously hurt. Yet he went on to pursue college at Georgetown and Yale Law School. He later married Kathleen Buhle in 1993 and had three daughters.

According to the BBC, Hunter’s addiction started when he was a teen, centered primarily on alcohol and advancing to cocaine in college.

His addiction supposedly got worse after his brother, Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015. Hunter’s naval service ended in 2013, as he was fired from the Navy Reserve after he tested positive for cocaine the first day he reported to his unit.

President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun, making him the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime https://t.co/F49rmiZR5t pic.twitter.com/dsClDeqbmY

— Reuters (@Reuters) June 11, 2024

Hunter Biden’s personal life became the focus of public scrutiny. His split from Buhle was controversial, with claims of financial burden due to drugs and escorts. He went on to have a troubled romance with Beau Biden’s widow, Hallie Biden, and fathered a child with Lunden Roberts, denying paternity at first.

"I’m still appropriately paying the price for some, or trying to make amends for stuff that are personal that I still believe I need to make amends for." Hunter told Andrew Callaghan in a recent interview. 

In 2018, Hunter Biden supposedly held a gun under the influence of drugs, resulting in a federal indictment. In his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things, he chronicled his struggles with addiction and the effects of family tragedies.

Even after he got sober in 2019 and turned to therapy, his past scandals and business dealings have become the point of political attention and criticism.