Denzel Washington says he ‘did a lot of damage’ to his body drinking 2 bottles of wine daily

Gladiator II star Denzel Washington recently opened up about the impact years of drinking had on his health.

In an interview with Esquire, the star, who turns 70 in December, shared that he consumed up to two bottles of fine wine daily for 15 years.

Washington’s relationship with alcohol grew in the late 1990s after he installed a 10,000-bottle wine cellar in his home.

He developed a taste for high-end vintages, sometimes indulging in $4,000 bottles. 

Reflecting on that time, he said, “Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden.”

“And part of it was, we built this big house in 1999 with a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, and I learned to drink the best. So, I’m going to drink my ’61s and my ’82s and whatever we had.”

“Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left.”

He continued, “And then, later in those years, I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, ‘Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.’”

“And my wife’s saying, ‘Why do you keep ordering just two?’”

“I said, ‘Because if I order more, I’ll drink more.’”

“So, I kept it to two bottles, and I would drink them both over the course of the day.”

Despite his heavy drinking, Washington kept it separate from his work.

He avoided alcohol while filming, only drinking during breaks between projects.

 “I never drank while I was working or preparing,” he said.

“I would clean up, go back to work - I could do both.”

He continued: “However, many months of shooting, bang, it’s time to go. Then, boom. Three months of wine, then time to go back to work.”

Things changed as he approached his 60th birthday. Realizing the toll it had taken on his body, Washington quit drinking completely. 

Now, nearly 10 years sober, he reflects on his journey “I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean.”

Beyond sobriety, he has also adopted a healthier lifestyle.

Inspired by his friend Lenny Kravitz, Washington started working with a trainer and following a strict diet.

These changes have helped him lose weight and regain his strength.

As he looks to the future, he is focused on making the most of what he calls his “last chapter,” taking inspiration from his mother, who lived to 97.

Washington said, “Things are opening up for me now - like being seventy.”

“It’s real. And it’s okay.”

“This is the last chapter - if I get another thirty, what do I want to do? My mother made it to ninety-seven. I’m doing the best I can.”

“I’m doing the best I can. And not only alcohol - forget all that. Strength.”

“About two years ago, my good friend, my little brother, Lenny Kravitz, said, ‘D, I wanna hook you up with a trainer. And he did, and he’s another man of God.”