Former Miss America Runner-Up Shares Her Addiction Struggles

A former beauty queen is getting candid about her journey to sobriety. 

Cullen Johnson Hill, who was first runner-up in the Miss America 1995 pageant, gave an unfiltered look at “what addiction looks like” to inspire others to quit drinking.

“I’ve just come from jail, serving my time that I owed from my second DUI, and this will be my journey,” she said in a Nov. 29 TikTok video. “I’m so much better when I’m sober. You’re like, ‘Yeah, no kidding, because you look like crap.'”

Pointing out her black eye and short haircut, Cullen explained that she wants viewers to see what her life is like as she holds herself accountable to stay clean after serving 30 days behind bars.

“I am an alcoholic, and I’ve been struggling with this since I was 24,” Cullen shared. “But I just wanted to give a message to all of you to let you know that there’s hope.”

She teared up as she continued, “I’m going to be OK. I have a wonderful son and a husband who loves me very much. But I just want to say, please, if you are relapsing, stop. I had four and a half years sober. I know what sobriety is like—and it’s wonderful.”