Alexandra “Lexi” Jones, daughter of David Bowie and Iman, reveals how a forced stay in the troubled teen industry kept her from her father’s side during his final moments in 2016. Now 25, Lexi shares her story on Instagram, describing her battles with depression, substance abuse, and an eating disorder that led to intervention at age 14.
Lexi’s Spiral After Father’s Diagnosis
Following David Bowie’s liver cancer diagnosis in 2014, Lexi began drinking excessively and spiraling out of control. “For me, it wasn’t about fun,” she explains. “I wasn’t experimenting, I was escaping. Escaping from my complicated mind, my complicated family, my complicated school. When the party ended for everyone else, I kept going. And I drank and got high alone.”
She admits becoming someone who lashed out and treated others cruelly if they did not meet her expectations.
The Traumatic Removal from Home
David Bowie read Lexi a letter outlining the decision to send her to treatment. Soon after, two men entered her home, struggled with her, and pulled her into a black SUV. “I felt stripped of any right to stay in my own life,” Lexi recalls. “By the time the door shut, my parents were already gone.”
91 Days in Wilderness, Then Long-Term Rehab
Lexi endured 91 days in a wilderness therapy program, living outdoors and learning survival skills. She then transferred to a Utah rehabilitation center, staying over a year. Bowie passed away during this period. She spoke to him two days before his birthday. “I told him I loved him and he said it back, and we both knew,” she shares.
The death announcement noted Bowie died surrounded by family, including son Duncan Jones from his marriage to Angie Bowie and wife Iman. “Yeah, the whole family was there. Except for me,” Lexi laments.
Relapse and Lingering Trauma
Upon returning home, Lexi fell back into old patterns and faced another removal. “The mental and emotional manipulation I experienced is something I will not forget. I won’t pretend it didn’t happen because that is abuse too,” she states.
Spotlight on the Troubled Teen Industry
The troubled teen industry encompasses youth programs for struggling adolescents, but these often underregulated facilities face criticism. Paris Hilton has described her experiences at 1990s facilities, alleging force-fed medications, violent restraints, being dragged through hallways, and solitary confinement. She testified that these programs promised healing but restricted basic freedoms like speaking, moving, or looking out a window for two years.
