By
- Sara Donnellan | NJ.com
Travie McCoy, the lead vocalist of the rock rap group Gym Class Heroes, is opening up about his past struggles with opioid addiction
During a July 22 appearance on Joel Madden’s “Artist Friendly” podcast, McCoy, 44, said his nine-year battle with opioid abuse began after a surgery. He’s now been sober for more than 13 years
“You lose all touch with your morals. Like, s–t that you swear you’d never do, you end up doing,” McCoy said. “Flying to countries with drugs [where they] will kill you if they find drugs on you… But, like, that’s the sickness. You start feeling like you’re invincible. It gets to a point where it being fun dies real fast. And then it becomes survival.”
McCoy noted that he never used drugs socially, fearing that his friends would judge him
“I always did it locked in the back of the bus, by myself. But you can’t really hide that when you’re drooling on yourself in front of people,” he said. ”My friends, they knew what was going on but didn’t really know how to navigate and approach it.”
McCoy called addiction a “selfish disease,” noting that his behavior began to affect his bandmates
“You got a squad of dudes depending on you, and you’re dependent on this substance,” he said. “I’m so, so glad that’s in the past, bro.”
McCoy was still in the throes of addiction when he dated Katy Perry from 2007 to 2008. In a 2012 “Behind the Music” TV special, McCoy admitted he “chose drugs” over his relationship with Perry
“She wasn’t stupid. … She knew when I was f–ked up,” he said, adding that their breakup “destroyed” him. McCoy later moved on with Jessica Phillips, whom he married in 2022
Gym Class Heroes released their first single in 15 years, “Universal Language,” on July 10. The group’s sixth studio album is slated to be released later this year
Decades after Gym Class Heroes reached mainstream success with their 2004 hit “Cupid’s Chokehold,” McCoy told Madden it’s nice to be writing songs with a different mindset
“I feel like the spectacle’s over,” he said. “Now it’s really about the music and making memories.”
- ‘General Hospital’ shocks fans by recasting popular character
- CBS sets fall 2026 premiere dates — See when ‘Tracker,’ ‘Marshals’ and more shows return
- ‘Law & Order’ replaces main cast member with new actor
- 6 Emmy-nominated shows to binge watch this weekend
