Hunter Biden Believes He'll Die If He Uses Drugs Again: 'There's No Coming Back for Me for Another Relapse'

Hunter Biden is opening up about his battle with addiction, admitting he believes another relapse could cost him his life.

During an appearance on Howie Mandel's "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast, the former president's son discussed his sobriety and how his father Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis has intensified his fears.

"If I use, it means that I'm choosing death," Hunter confessed. "I don't have any doubt in my mind about that, that there's no coming back for me for another relapse."

Hunter explained that his perspective on addiction has changed, particularly when dealing with anxiety and uncertainty.

He emphasized that his focus is staying sober one day at a time rather than making promises about the distant future.

"I've been sober before, but I never felt that way," he admitted.

The 56-year-old acknowledged that previous periods of sobriety hadn't given him the same conviction about the consequences of using drugs again.

Hunter also recalled how one of his earlier periods of sobriety ended during a flight home from Madrid, Spain, in 2010.

After being upgraded to business class, he found himself alone in the cabin when a flight attendant approached with a drink cart.

"I look at her. She looked at me. I said, 'I'll have one,'" he recalled.

The moment came after seven years of sobriety, illustrating how unexpectedly a return to substance use can begin.

Hunter also revealed that he had previously maintained sobriety for shorter stretches, including one year and three months.

The conversation turned emotional when Howie asked how Hunter manages his father's illness while navigating his own recovery.

Hunter admitted that much of his anxiety stems from the possibility of losing Joe, who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

"It's all fear-based. Fear that I've got that I'm losing my dad, which, you know, just by the actuarial table, I'm going to lose my dad," he explained.

He acknowledged that the cancer diagnosis has heightened those feelings, making his commitment to sobriety especially important.

Joe, 83, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones in May 2025.

Hunter recently described his father's treatment as particularly grueling while clarifying that there had been no changes.

"He's okay," Hunter said, adding that the treatment is "like torture."

Despite the challenges facing his family, Hunter's latest comments suggest he remains determined to protect his recovery.