ENTERTAINMENTAnthony Weiner Reveals What Caused His Sexting Addiction on 'The View': 'I'm Gratefully in Recovery'
Anthony Weiner candidly discussed his scandalous past.
Scandal-plagued politician Anthony Weiner opened up about his shameful past while appearing on the Friday, May 30, episode of The View.
During the candid chat, Weiner explained what he learned about himself when he entered a treatment program while serving 21 months in prison for sending explicit material to a 17-year-old girl several years ago.
Anthony Weiner Explains What Led to Sexting Addiction
Anthony Weiner appeared on the Friday, May 30, episode of 'The View.'
"You call yourself a s-- addict," Sara Haines, 47, noted. "So if sexting is your drug of choice so to speak, have you been able to stay clean?"
"Well, here's what I've come to believe. That period [of his scandal], I had no idea what I was doing," stated the 60-year-old, who pled guilty in 2017.
"I had dozens and dozens and dozens of people I was interacting with," Weiner explained, revealing that in total, he realized he "involved" himself with 84 people.
"One of them turned out to be — to my detriment — not of age," he acknowledged, clarifying he was "not sexting with" 84 individuals but "engaging with" them on everything from politics to how to fix a car.
The Politician Was Looking for 'Affirmation'
The politician said his desire for 'affirmation' led to his sexting addiction.
"I came of age in politics at a time when anyone who wanted to could reach out to you, ping you on Facebook, engage you, and it became clear to me that the affirmation I was getting in politics and the affirmation I was getting on TV was not enough," he shared. "That even when I went home I needed to be clicking with someone and saying I needed this or that."
Anthony Weiner Is Still in Recovery
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"I now see, that if you define addiction as 'trying to stop but not being able to despite increasing consequences...' that's where I was about all of that interaction," the dad-of-one said.
"So I'm in recovery, but I've learned — the first thing you learn in recovery is you're not a former addict. You're either in recovery or you're not," he continued. "And I'm gratefully in recovery."
How the Scandal Affected His Career
Weiner spent 21 months behind bars for sending explicit material to a 17-year-old girl.
Weiner also talked about his return to politics, as in December 2024, he announced he's running for New York City's 2nd City Council district after his drama caused him to resign from Congress in 2011.
The NYC native acknowledged many male politicians who faced scandals were able to work their way back into the public's good graces and agreed it was unfair that people like Hillary Clinton, 77, still deal with backlash.
He gave a shout-out to ex-wife Huma Abedin, 48, a political staffer, calling her "amazing."
Huma Abedin filed for divorce in the wake of his scandal.
The exes married in 2010 and separated in 2016 amid Weiner's sexting allegations.
She filed for divorce in 2017 after he pled guilty but withdrew the case the following year to settle privately for the sake of their son. In 2021, it was reported that the split was nearing finalization, but in the summer of 2024, the divorce had yet to be officially signed off on.
