Jordan Stephens, one half of pop duo Rizzle Kicks, has spoken candidly about the damaging effects of the music industry on his mental health and behaviour. In an interview ahead of the release of his memoir, Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak & Dogs, the 32-year-old reflected on how fame at 19 led to addiction and self-destruction.
Stephens said that the industry’s culture of excess and lack of support contributed to a downward spiral. “I had time and money,” he explained, “and if you are heartbroken and have time, it attacks you. Some of what I did was expensive.” He noted that the celebrity lifestyle often masks deeper issues, and that men in particular lack cultural references to navigate heartbreak and emotional turmoil.
The book details a pivotal infidelity five years ago that triggered a breakup, breakdown, and eventual path to sobriety. Stephens admitted that earlier relationships had been handled with numbing behaviour—touring, casual sex, cocaine, and drinking—but this time he was forced to confront his actions. “I was confronted by my own behaviour, and by grief,” he said. “That single moment changed my life’s trajectory.”
Writing the memoir was only possible because of his secure relationship with former Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall, whom he has been dating since 2020. “The only reason I’ve been able to write this is because I feel so secure,” Stephens said. He hopes the book will help other men feel less alone in their struggles with heartbreak and self-destructive patterns.
Stephens, who shot to fame at 16 with Rizzle Kicks, now works as an actor and podcaster. He deliberately avoids dwelling on his pop-star years in the memoir, saying he is not ready to discuss them yet. “Our perception of celebrity is unhealthy,” he implied, without elaborating further.
