Edward Begley’ Jr.’s Daughter Says She’s Been Sober for 10 Years After Her Dad Caught Her Drinking at 15

Edward Begley Jr.’s daughter Hayden Begley is opening about her sobriety journey.

Hayden, 25, shared a TikTok clip explaining her decision to maintain a sober lifestyle. In the video posted on April 2, she said, “I am now 25 and in honor of my 10 years, I will tell you the reason why I got sober despite not being the worst addict that I knew.”

She continued, “It was spring break, sophomore year of high school. I was in the car with my girlfriends after going on an all-night bender for many days, and my dad was taking me and my friends to breakfast. I assumed he had no idea what I was doing last night, that I was just out with my friends. I had acted irresponsibly days leading up to this, so I hadn’t really remembered it. And when I got into the car, my stomach dropped because I looked in the rear view mirror and I saw a look on my dad’s face that terrified me.”

She then revealed the life-changing conversation with her father. “I tried asking him about it, and he said, ‘We’ll talk about it later.’ I didn’t want to make things tense for my friends, so when we got to the restaurant, I let them go inside, and I got in the front seat next to him, and I said, ‘What’s going on?’ And he looked at me, scratching his face, and he said, ‘Are you drinking?’ ”

Hayden revealed that addiction ran in her family and was the cause of her father’s concern for her drinking habits at a young age. “I had no intention of seeking help. I did not think I needed help. Yes, I turned to substances when I was depressed or to deal with negative emotions, but I did not think I needed help,” Hayden said.

“Something else spoke through me that day, and moved my mouth and said yes. And I don’t know if it was the fear of disappointing my father or if it was some other greater entity, but it changed my life for the better, and from that day, I began on a whole new trajectory that would give me the life that I have today, and I am incredibly grateful for it.”

TikTok users showed support for Hayden’s sobriety in the comments, with some sharing their own experiences. One user wrote, “I got sober at 15 too I turn 21 soon I’ve never heard of someone getting sober at our age I hope this is the road we both stay one :).”

Another praised Edward’s parenting, writing, “ ‘Do you need help?’ Is… wow. What an amazing dad.”

Hayden, who is now an actress and musician, has built a TikTok following for sharing glimpses into her family’s lives. Edward, known for his roles in St. Elsewhere, She-Devil, and more, is a longtime environmental activist. He went viral with Hayden in 2024 for taking the Los Angeles Metro to the Oscars instead of driving.