On September 10, Lala Kent, star of Vanderpump Rules, was named the 2022 Spirit of Sobriety Honoree by the Brent Shapiro Foundation. The foundation was created by Robert and Linell Shapiro after losing their son to drug and alcohol addiction. Each year the award is given to an individual who has inspired others with their sobriety and is outspoken in regard to their journey to live a sober life. Other celebrities who have shared the honor include Demi Lovato, Rob Lowe, Joe Manganiello, and Will Arnett.
The Give Them Lala Beauty founder rose to fame after joining the cast of Vanderpump Rules in 2016. Her fierce personality made her a fan-favorite, but that same fierceness also led to numerous blow-out fights with cast mates. In addition, Lala's close friendship with the divisive James Kennedy didn't help her relationship with the other cast members either. However, as the seasons progressed, Lala was able to mend relationships with many people in the cast.
Lala has been very transparent during her struggle with sobriety, talking openly about it during Vandperpump Rules. As of now, Lala is almost four years sober, and by receiving the Spirit of Sobriety Award by the Brent Shapiro Foundation she was recognized for her hard work. Lala shared on her Instagram that, "[her] goal is to continue sharing [her] story of sobriety with as many people as [she] can." Stassi Schroeder, a former Vanderpump Rules cast member, was at the foundation's Summer Spectacular Gala to support and congratulate Lala while she was honored. Stassi posted on her Instagram stories short videos of Lala receiving the award and speaking to the audience, saying how "unbelievably proud" she was of her close friend.
Lala previously stated that the passing of her father in 2018 was a major factor in leading her to sobriety. She explained that after losing her father, "we had lots of drinking," and she realized she was "ready to be a healthy person." In March 2021, Lala had her first child, Ocean, with ex-fiance Randall Emmett, which is yet another reason she is so grateful to be sober.
Despite the challenges of getting sober while on reality TV, Vanderpump Rules star Lala has continued to persevere in her journey and continuously inspires fans and followers with her openness and candid posts about sobriety. The 2022 Spirit of Sobriety honoree recognizes the importance of the award and is eager to continue to foster deeper understanding of addiction and to "bring awareness to this life-altering disease." In the past few years, Lala has been focusing on herself, her daughter, and her Give Them Lala empire, always keeping her sobriety the utmost priority, saying, "It comes before everything–because without it, I am of no use."
Source: Lala Kent/Instagram, Stassi Schroeder/Instagram