Brief
Orville Peck discusses forced rehab and sobriety on Nightline
The masked artist says he was pressured into rehab and is now navigating sobriety and anxiety.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Country artist Orville Peck spoke to ABC News correspondent Jaclyn Lee on Tuesday night’s Nightline, describing how an ultimatum about his career led him to enter rehab.
What happened
Peck, who performed at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27, said he cancelled touring, checked into rehab and lost a relationship after a near‑fatal overdose. The interview was taped backstage before his September 18 Hollywood Bowl concert.
What the reports add
Billboard notes that Peck does not consider his rehab decision voluntary; he says he did it “for other people because I was so frightened of people leaving me.” He also observes that his anxiety feels worse now that he is no longer numbing it.
What was said
“I think the hardest thing for any human is to have radical self‑acceptance,” Peck told Nightline, adding that the mask he wears was originally “armor to be vulnerable in my songwriting.”
How it came about
Peck’s new album Mule, produced by Jay Joyce, debuted at No. 19 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart after its September 18 release, and his The Man Turned Mule Tour runs through November 22, with a portion of ticket sales supporting the Trevor Project.
Key facts
- Orville Peck entered rehab after an ultimatum about his career (billboard.com)
- He cancelled touring and lost a relationship following a near‑fatal overdose (billboard.com)
- Peck says his anxiety feels worse now that he is sober (billboard.com)
- His album Mule debuted at No. 19 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (billboard.com)
- The Man Turned Mule Tour runs through Nov. 22, donating $1 per ticket to the Trevor Project (billboard.com)
Sources
- [1] billboard.com — originally reported as “Watch Orville Peck Talk About Sobriety & How He Was ‘Basically Given an Ultimatum’ to Check Into Rehab”
