Hunter Biden admits his addiction struggles 'absolutely' made dad Joe's life and health worse

WASHINGTON, DC: In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Hunter Biden admitted that his addiction problems “of course” took a toll on his father Joe Biden's life and health over the years.

During the conversation, reporter Paddy O’Connell asked Hunter if he thought his struggles made things harder for his father, pointing out that Biden must have worried deeply about losing another son. Hunter didn’t dodge the question; he owned up to the pain his “fall” brought into his father’s life.

A family shaped by loss and addiction

The former first son's struggles with addiction have long been documented, with his 2021 memoir 'Beautiful Things' going into the most detail. And in 2015, Biden's older son, Beau Biden, died at the age of 46 after a battle with brain cancer.

"Do you think you made life worse and the health worse for Joe Biden?" O'Connell asked.

"Of course I did," Hunter replied. "That's what addiction does. You know, I dig that most people would sit here and try to run from that question or be offended by it, but absolutely."

This interview happened about two years after Biden stepped out of the 2024 presidential race, just under four months before Election Day, while people worried more and more about his age and health.

Not long after he left the White House, Biden's own office revealed he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Hunter Biden on Joe Biden's approach to his addiction battle

Hunter also talked about how his father approached his addiction head-on, mixing tough love with unconditional support. That combination really shaped his own path to recovery.

“Not just to my dad, but to my mom [former first lady Jill Biden] and my aunts and uncles, to my children, to my relationships down the line. But, in particular, to my dad, who never let go, and even through that, even with the knowledge of that, he never, ever, ever let me go,” the 56-year-old shared. 

“My dad never let me off the hook, but what my dad did was always make it clear that when I was ready to come back, the door was open, and that he loved me just as much no matter what,” Hunter said. 

Hunter also disagreed with this idea that you have to “hit rock bottom” before you can get better. He’s seen things differently in his own life: “A lot of people always say that you've got to let an addict hit rock-bottom.”

“Well, the addicts that I know that hit rock-bottom are either dead or in jail, and what my dad did when I fell down this well of despair is he shined a light down and helped guide me out,” he expressed.