Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Pink Is Determined to Be a ‘Good Role Model’ After Young Party Years: ‘Learned From Her Mistakes’
Pink was just 16 years old when she hit rock bottom. In 1995, the singer (born Alecia Moore) — who had dropped out of high school and was selling drugs — almost died while partying at a rave on Thanksgiving. “I was on ecstasy, angel dust, crystal [meth], all kinds of things,” she recalled during a recent interview with 60 Minutes. “And then I was out, done, too much. I was off the rails.” It was a wake-up call for the 44-year-old star — and life-changing in more ways than one. “The OD was a terrifying experience,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style “but it gave Pink a second chance. She never touched drugs again.” She survived — and thrived, going on to sign her first record deal just a few weeks later. “Pink’s always been tough,” says the insider. “She had a rough childhood, but she persevered. She just kept going.”
She’s taken the same tenacious approach to everything in her life, including her career (she’s won three Grammys, has embarked on multiple sold-out tours around the globe, including the current Summer Carnival Tour, and sold more than 60 million records) and her 17-year marriage to motocross racer Carey Hart, 48. The parents of Willow, 12, and Jameson, 6, briefly separated and have since been open about the challenges of their relationship. “It’s taken a great deal of work,” the source explains to Life & Style, “but they’ve figured a lot of things out.”
Bumps in the Road
The couple had been married less than two years when they shocked fans by announcing they had separated in 2008. But taking another second chance, they called off the divorce the following year, with Carey revealing they were “rebuilding.” Pink was open about their highs and lows — in 2017, she said her album Beautiful Trauma was inspired by their tumultuous romance. “You’ll go through times when you haven’t had sex in a year,” she said at the time, adding, “Monogamy is work! But you do the work and it’s good again.”
She credited couples counseling with ultimately saving the marriage. “It’s the only reason that we’re still together,” the “So What” singer said during a 2020 Instagram Live with her therapist. The insider tells Life & Style: “Pink and Carey used to just fight and leave the room but now they talk about their feelings more openly and try not to accuse or blame each other for things. They identify any issues before they become battlegrounds.” It’s family first for the star. “Pink doesn’t make any career moves without thinking of Carey and the kids,” says the insider. “She’s proud of the family she and Carey built together and she wants them to be good role models for their kids. She thinks they’re doing a pretty good job so far.”
Straight and Narrow
As for her brush with death, the “Get the Party Started” singer has mellowed out over the years. “Her wild partying days are long over,” confirms the insider. “She’s much too responsible for that.” Instead, she’ll enjoy a nice glass of wine or two from the 18-acre vineyard she purchased in Santa Barbara in 2013. After all, she has to remain in tip-top shape for her grueling concerts — which famously include high-flying aerial stunts. “Pink doesn’t drink to excess anymore,” the source reveals to Life & Style. “She’s still very adventurous and a risk-taker, but she’s learned from her mistakes.”
