LaTavia Roberson’s Story of Transformation

Former Destiny’s Child member LaTavia Roberson opens up to Addiction Talk’s Joy Sutton about her inspiring journey from navigating life’s challenges after Destiny’s Child to finding healing in recovery.

Prodigy to Pop Star

LaTavia Roberson’s career began long before becoming one of the founding members of Destiny’s Child. At the tender age of six, she was modeling and performing. By the time she was 15, she was a nationally recognized superstar. Eventually, LaTavia would part ways with the iconic group— a circumstance she said felt like a divorce. “It’s like working on a marriage, and then all of a sudden everything you worked for, due to irreconcilable differences or what have you, is over. The marriage ended.”

From Sisterhood to Loneliness: LaTavia’s Emotional Crossroads

The end of her time in Destiny’s Child left LaTavia anchorless, trying to cope with a profound loneliness. The group members were not just bandmates but friends she had grown up with. Said LaTavia, “I grew up with them. They were the only friends I had. At such a young age, I wasn’t out there going to proms. We were on the road. We were touring. Then it’s stripped away. It’s a hard thing to deal with, especially being a child.”

To try to get through this emotionally tumultuous time, LaTavia turned to alcohol to attempt to ease the loneliness and loss of purpose. “I was young. I didn’t know how to process it. The only thing I had at the time were my four walls, the thoughts in my head, me feeling so alone. [Alcohol] made me feel like I was filling a void, to try to numb the pain,” said LaTavia.

LaTavia’s Turning Point

LaTavia said emotions were at the root of her use of alcohol but that she wasn’t a daily drinker. However, drinking eventually led LaTavia to find herself facing serious legal problems. These consequences, including a DUI and probation, prompted her to attend addiction recovery support meetings.

While LaTavia had a passing familiarity with the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al-Anon (her grandfather was a member of Al-Anon), it was when a condition of probation forced LaTavia to start attending meetings. “I had to do 99 meetings in 101 days,” she said.

Reclaiming Her Sense of Self Through Recovery

At first, LaTavia went to the meetings because she had to and wasn’t interested in participating. But as she continued, she opened up to the power of recovery. “As I went more and started hearing the stories and started to talk, the more comfortable I got. I saw the possibility of change,” she said. Eventually, she looked forward to going. “I wanted to stay,” said LaTavia. “I found family. I could speak without being judged. People accepted me for me.”

LaTavia got a sponsor and started working the steps. By working a recovery program, not only was she free from alcohol, but she found herself again. “I discovered that I am enough. I didn’t need approval from the outside world. I learned to embrace and love myself,” LaTavia said.

Hope and Faith: Looking Toward a Bright Future

LaTavia hopes her story will inspire people to reach out and get help. There’s no quick fix, she points out, because “the hardest thing to change is your mind.” Rebuilding her life took a long time, and she faced some hard truths. However, her faith in God and a solid relationship with her family and her AA family helped her get through some of the more challenging points in her journey. “I used to let fear control my life,” LaTavia said. “Now I’ve learned to do things afraid.”