Mary Bonnet is ushering in a new alcohol-free era.
The “Selling Sunset” star told Page Six’s “Virtual Real-Tea” that he recently made the choice to quit drinking immediately after filming a highly emotional season nine.
It was a stressful season, with clashes with Chelsea Razkani and Chrishell Stause, and dealing with a traumatic home invasion.
Bonet, 45, explains that while alcohol used to help her cope with the pressures of reality TV, high-stakes real estate and personal turmoil, it eventually stopped working.
“It used to help me. When something was stressful…it just relieved the tension,” she explains. “And living this life, well, there’s something crazy and dramatic happening every day. And I started to feel like that was causing even more anxiety.”
As the season intensified on and off-screen, Bonnett began to re-evaluate his habits. She stressed that although she never felt her drinking was “problematic,” she couldn’t ignore patterns that didn’t sit well with her.
“Nothing was wrong. Nothing bad happened,” she said, noting that she always felt self-conscious. “I was watching it and I thought, ‘I can’t remember a day in the last few months where I didn’t have at least one drink.'” “That’s not cool,” I thought. So I thought, “Let’s take a break here.”
She says the decision wasn’t prompted by a dramatic moment or outside pressure. Instead, it was about prioritizing her well-being. This became especially important when filming scenes fueled by tension and vulnerability.
“Nothing bad happened and no one noticed. I didn’t drop the ball on anything,” she says. “But for me, for my health, for my mental health, I thought, ‘Let’s take a break.’ And I did. And it was easy. I feel good, I feel great.”
These days, Bonnet says she feels more refreshed, calmer and more grounded than ever before. And while she doesn’t rule out the occasional celebratory drink, she simply doesn’t want alcohol anymore.
“If I want to toast someone or something right now, I’ll do it,” she said. “But I really don’t want to drink. I don’t want to do anything. I just don’t think alcohol helps me the way it used to.”
She added that one of the biggest benefits is emotional control. This was clearly brought into focus as he and his castmates worked through difficult moments.
“I’m more in control of my emotions,” she says. “I’m not overreacting, my mind is clear, I’m not worried about what’s going to happen, I’m in a calm state of mind.”
Even though he has cut back on his drinking, Bonnet said he has always been a responsible drinker.
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“I’m good at drinking,” she insists with a laugh. “I’m always happy and I always know what I’m doing…I never get drunk. I’ve decided to take a step back in all aspects of my life, just for my health.”
And she’s not sacrificing any fun in the process.
“I drink mocktails all the time now, and it’s the same thing for me,” she said, sharing that she’s recently been enjoying chips, salsa, wok, and virgin margaritas. “For me, it’s the same thing…I don’t need the alcohol in. My head is still very clear afterwards.”
Clear-headed, calm, and with a new order of his favorite drink, Bonnet is enjoying his sobriety and feeling better than ever.
“Selling Sunset” is available to stream on Netflix.
