Tim Allen Shares How He Got Sober From Drugs and Alcohol for 22 Years

tim allen in january 2020
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Tim Allen is all about giving back when it comes to his sober journey.

Tim Allen is all about giving back when it comes to his sober journey.

The 66-year-old comedian recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, which aired on Thursday, and he said he's been drug- and alcohol-free for 22 years. He said somebody reached out to him before he got sober, which is what he strives to do today.

"Because I had money and I was a star, people helped, they enable you to get by," he says of his experience. "The program I practice, it's all about as soon as you get it, you gotta give it away. A kid can't hold on to all these toys, and every time he sees a new toy, and he goes, 'Mine,' you gotta drop one of those before you can grab another one."

"It doesn't happen overnight," he adds. "It's a day-to-day thing.... But giving back what somebody gives you, that's ... I see this happen right here, this is a miracle. I see it in my particular program."

Clarkson then praised Allen, noting that although someone reached out to him about getting sober, he was receptive enough to follow through.

Last June, Allen opened up to Parade about comedy being his "coping mechanism." According to the magazine, Allen served nearly two and a half years in federal prison for cocaine possession after college at Western Michigan University, and two decades later he was arrested for a DUI and went to rehab. These days, he said he practices a much healthier lifestyle, noting that he eats healthy, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly.

"To be perfectly frank, I'm going on 21 years sober," he said at the time. "That's the biggest blessing in my life."

ET was recently with Allen as he spilled on-set secrets from his Fox sitcom, Last Man Standing. Watch the video below for more.

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