In the News: An Olympian Talks About Compulsive Pornography Use

Former British Olympic diver Freddie Woodward has recently spoken publicly about his years-long struggle with compulsive pornography use. His story offers an important reminder that addiction and compulsive behavior do not always look the way we expect them to.

Woodward represented Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics, reaching the highest level of his sport while privately struggling with pornography use that he says began when he was around 12 years old.

His experience is particularly striking because of the role pornography came to play in managing difficult emotions. Woodward has described turning to it following disappointing training sessions and other difficult moments. Over time, what began as pornography use became increasingly difficult to control.

Stories like Woodward’s help challenge the assumption that professional success or outward stability means someone cannot also be struggling privately.

They also reinforce why continued research matters. There is still much we need to understand about problematic pornography use, compulsive sexual behavior, emotional regulation, risk factors, and effective intervention.

Woodward has called for education that is honest and evidence-led rather than rooted in shame. We agree. Better conversations about these issues require both the courage of people willing to share their experiences and the science necessary to understand them.

Read the BBC story:

“I was addicted to porn while training for the Olympics” — BBC

Stories like Woodward’s can help others understand that they are not alone. If you have a story of addiction, recovery, or betrayal trauma that you would like to share, we invite you to contact AFAR. Your experience can help reduce shame and bring greater understanding to issues that too often remain hidden.

You can also help move the science forward. Consider making a donation to AFAR to help us support the research needed to better understand sex addiction, problematic pornography use, and betrayal trauma—and ultimately improve the resources and treatment available to those affected.