Did Janhvi Kapoor Struggle With Alcohol Addiction? Mental Health Platform Clarifies Her Words Were Misrepresented After Viral Interview

Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor recently found herself at the centre of online discussions after reports from her interview about alcohol consumption and addiction surfaced. Following the viral chatter, mental healthcare platform Amaha issued a clarification, stating that the actress’ comments have been misrepresented.

For those unversed, Janhvi has partnered with Amaha and its initiative Off The Rocks, which focuses on spreading awareness around addiction and mental health support. During her appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast, the actress spoke about witnessing addiction closely as a caregiver and discussed the emotional burden carried by families supporting someone struggling with dependency.

While sharing her experiences, Janhvi also briefly opened up about a difficult phase in her own life during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she found herself drinking more frequently than usual following a traumatic experience.

“I am not a frequent drinker. I drink maybe every couple of months. But during COVID, there was a phase of one year. I wouldn't say I was addicted or abusing alcohol, but I was drinking frequently. And this was after a very traumatic experience in my life,” she said during the podcast.

The actress further admitted, “I felt I needed to get drunk.”

However, Janhvi clarified in the same conversation that she never considered herself addicted to alcohol and eventually stopped because she disliked its effects on her body and mind. “And I did not like what it was doing to my body. I did not like how I was feeling when I was waking up. That feeling of the hangover gives me the ick,” she added.

As reports from the interview went viral, several online posts reportedly framed her comments as a confession about addiction. Responding to the growing speculation, Amaha and Off The Rocks shared a statement clarifying the context of Janhvi’s remarks.

The organisation said, “We at Off The Rocks & Amaha have noticed certain media pages misrepresenting content associated with this initiative and Janhvi Kapoor. This is deeply concerning.”

It further clarified, “We want to be clear, Janhvi Kapoor is part of this conversation as a caregiver and ally, not as someone who has had any personal experience of addiction or alcohol dependence.”

The statement also criticised misleading headlines and viral posts around the issue. “Such misrepresentation not only diminishes her role, but also undermines and disrespects the real, lived experiences of those battling addiction and those supporting them. Let's not trivialise efforts to lend a healing hand to a critical problem by misleading information for the sake of click bait.”

Calling for responsible reporting, the organisation added, “We strongly call upon media outlets, digital platforms, and individuals to report with integrity and ensure conversations around addiction are handled with the sensitivity they deserve. Misinformation in this space is harmful, irresponsible and disrespectful to the very community this dialogue aims to support.”

During the podcast, Janhvi also reflected on how her understanding of addiction evolved over time. She shared that earlier she mostly viewed it through the lens of a caregiver, constantly worrying about whether loved ones dealing with addiction were having a “good day or bad day.”

The actress revealed that after learning about addiction and its impact, she chose to completely avoid alcohol for nearly a year and a half.