Bradley Cooper and Dax Shepard attend the premiere of ‘Happiness Therapy’ (Silver Linings Playbook) on January 17, 2013 in Paris, France.Photo:Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/GettyBradley CoopermotivatedDax Shepardto tell the public that he relapsed after 16 years of sobriety.Shepard, 49, revealed in the Tuesday episode ofJesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcastDinner’s On Methat Cooper, 49, helped him open up abouthis relapse in 2020.TheModern Familyalum, 48, asked theParenthoodactor how he decided to share that he had relapsed publicly. Shepard quickly confessed that he first considered not revealing this to the public “way more” than sharing the information. That was until Cooper brought it up and reframed the situation for him.“The last thing I wanted to do was go in public, seven days after the collapse of everything, and share that with people. But it would have felt so dishonest,” Shepard began. “The bond and the agreement you have with the audience would have just felt like a huge violation of all these people who had been listening for years and maybe looking to me as a role model.”Dax Shepherd.Robin Marchant/GettyShepard then credited his conversation with Cooper as “kind of the tipping point” for him to reveal his relapse. “He said, ‘Are you going to?’ ‘Cause I told him I relapsed. And then he said, ‘Are you going to tell everyone?’ And I said, at that point, I was like, ‘I don’t think so,'" recalled Shepard.He continued to explain that opening up about this information would also impact his wife,Kristen Bell, and her public persona. “I don’t want her to have to f—–g spend half of every interview, ‘What’s it like being married to an addict?’ Like, it just doesn’t feel fair to her,” explained Shepard.As he continued to recall the conversation with Cooper, he confessed that at the time, he was “so afraid of losing that thing that people liked about [him],” adding, “that I might be helping people.“Shepard then shared Cooper’s candid reply: “And he said, ‘Well, let me tell you this. There’s nothing helpful about a guy that’s 16 years sober, and married to Kristen Bell, and is rich. What’s helpful to somebody is someone who just ate s— and gets back up.'““And I was like, ‘Wow.’ So, if I’m sincere about what I like about it, [which] is that I’m being helpful, then I really have only a single option,” added Shepard.Ferguson quietly interjected and added, “You have that obligation, sure.““So, f— it, I’ll give him credit. He earned it,” continued Shepard. “And he’s so sexy, too. It’d be easier if he wasn’t so sexy.“Bradley Cooper attends the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award ceremony during the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at The Arlington Theatre on February 08, 2024.Tibrina Hobson/GettyOn Sept. 25, 2020, during an episode on Shepard’sArmchair Expertpodcast, he announced he had relapsed after 16 years of sobriety. He explained in the episode, which was recorded on Sept. 21, 2020, that he was seven days sober following a relapse with painkillers that occurred after a motorcycle accident.Cooper first got sober at 29 years old and has been open about hispast addiction struggles.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Bradley Cooper and Dax Shepard attend the premiere of ‘Happiness Therapy’ (Silver Linings Playbook) on January 17, 2013 in Paris, France.Photo:Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 17: Bradley Cooper (R) and Dax Shepard attend the premiere of ‘Happiness Therapy’ (Silver Linings Playbook) at Cinema UGC Normandie on January 17, 2013 in Paris, France

Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty

Bradley CoopermotivatedDax Shepardto tell the public that he relapsed after 16 years of sobriety.Shepard, 49, revealed in the Tuesday episode ofJesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcastDinner’s On Methat Cooper, 49, helped him open up abouthis relapse in 2020.TheModern Familyalum, 48, asked theParenthoodactor how he decided to share that he had relapsed publicly. Shepard quickly confessed that he first considered not revealing this to the public “way more” than sharing the information. That was until Cooper brought it up and reframed the situation for him.“The last thing I wanted to do was go in public, seven days after the collapse of everything, and share that with people. But it would have felt so dishonest,” Shepard began. “The bond and the agreement you have with the audience would have just felt like a huge violation of all these people who had been listening for years and maybe looking to me as a role model.”Dax Shepherd.Robin Marchant/GettyShepard then credited his conversation with Cooper as “kind of the tipping point” for him to reveal his relapse. “He said, ‘Are you going to?’ ‘Cause I told him I relapsed. And then he said, ‘Are you going to tell everyone?’ And I said, at that point, I was like, ‘I don’t think so,'” recalled Shepard.He continued to explain that opening up about this information would also impact his wife,Kristen Bell, and her public persona. “I don’t want her to have to f—–g spend half of every interview, ‘What’s it like being married to an addict?’ Like, it just doesn’t feel fair to her,” explained Shepard.As he continued to recall the conversation with Cooper, he confessed that at the time, he was “so afraid of losing that thing that people liked about [him],” adding, “that I might be helping people.“Shepard then shared Cooper’s candid reply: “And he said, ‘Well, let me tell you this. There’s nothing helpful about a guy that’s 16 years sober, and married to Kristen Bell, and is rich. What’s helpful to somebody is someone who just ate s— and gets back up.'““And I was like, ‘Wow.’ So, if I’m sincere about what I like about it, [which] is that I’m being helpful, then I really have only a single option,” added Shepard.Ferguson quietly interjected and added, “You have that obligation, sure.““So, f— it, I’ll give him credit. He earned it,” continued Shepard. “And he’s so sexy, too. It’d be easier if he wasn’t so sexy.“Bradley Cooper attends the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award ceremony during the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at The Arlington Theatre on February 08, 2024.Tibrina Hobson/GettyOn Sept. 25, 2020, during an episode on Shepard’sArmchair Expertpodcast, he announced he had relapsed after 16 years of sobriety. He explained in the episode, which was recorded on Sept. 21, 2020, that he was seven days sober following a relapse with painkillers that occurred after a motorcycle accident.Cooper first got sober at 29 years old and has been open about hispast addiction struggles.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Bradley CoopermotivatedDax Shepardto tell the public that he relapsed after 16 years of sobriety.

Shepard, 49, revealed in the Tuesday episode ofJesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcastDinner’s On Methat Cooper, 49, helped him open up abouthis relapse in 2020.

TheModern Familyalum, 48, asked theParenthoodactor how he decided to share that he had relapsed publicly. Shepard quickly confessed that he first considered not revealing this to the public “way more” than sharing the information. That was until Cooper brought it up and reframed the situation for him.

“The last thing I wanted to do was go in public, seven days after the collapse of everything, and share that with people. But it would have felt so dishonest,” Shepard began. “The bond and the agreement you have with the audience would have just felt like a huge violation of all these people who had been listening for years and maybe looking to me as a role model.”

Dax Shepherd.Robin Marchant/Getty

Dax Shepherd

Shepard then credited his conversation with Cooper as “kind of the tipping point” for him to reveal his relapse. “He said, ‘Are you going to?’ ‘Cause I told him I relapsed. And then he said, ‘Are you going to tell everyone?’ And I said, at that point, I was like, ‘I don’t think so,'” recalled Shepard.

He continued to explain that opening up about this information would also impact his wife,Kristen Bell, and her public persona. “I don’t want her to have to f—–g spend half of every interview, ‘What’s it like being married to an addict?’ Like, it just doesn’t feel fair to her,” explained Shepard.

As he continued to recall the conversation with Cooper, he confessed that at the time, he was “so afraid of losing that thing that people liked about [him],” adding, “that I might be helping people.”

Shepard then shared Cooper’s candid reply: “And he said, ‘Well, let me tell you this. There’s nothing helpful about a guy that’s 16 years sober, and married to Kristen Bell, and is rich. What’s helpful to somebody is someone who just ate s— and gets back up.'”

“And I was like, ‘Wow.’ So, if I’m sincere about what I like about it, [which] is that I’m being helpful, then I really have only a single option,” added Shepard.

Ferguson quietly interjected and added, “You have that obligation, sure.”

“So, f— it, I’ll give him credit. He earned it,” continued Shepard. “And he’s so sexy, too. It’d be easier if he wasn’t so sexy.”

Bradley Cooper attends the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award ceremony during the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at The Arlington Theatre on February 08, 2024.Tibrina Hobson/Getty

Bradley Cooper attends the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award ceremony during the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at The Arlington Theatre on February 08, 2024

Tibrina Hobson/Getty

On Sept. 25, 2020, during an episode on Shepard’sArmchair Expertpodcast, he announced he had relapsed after 16 years of sobriety. He explained in the episode, which was recorded on Sept. 21, 2020, that he was seven days sober following a relapse with painkillers that occurred after a motorcycle accident.

Cooper first got sober at 29 years old and has been open about hispast addiction struggles.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com