By Mike Cohen

Former NBA Star Lamar Odom of Keeping Up with the Kardashians fame will open up about his drug and sex addiction at Chabad Lifeline’s “soiree on sex addiction” on Thursday, October 24 (7 pm) at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts  (1379-A Sherbrooke St O) as part of the Au Contraire Film Festival.

The evening will focus on the effects of porn and sex addiction on the family, particularly spouses. Eli Nash, CEO of JEG & Sons, will also speak about his addiction to pornography, which included a period of time when he was studying at an Hasidic Yehiva in Montreal. His wife Fraidy will talk about her experience as the spouse of a sex addict.

Additionally, the Canadian premiere of the short film “Being Here” will be screened. The evening is coordinated by and benefits Chabad Lifeline, a non-sectarian agency dedicated to helping everyone affected by addiction.

“Addiction is stigmatized and filled with misconceptions,” said Chabad Lifeline Director Rabbi Benyamin Bresinger. “Lamar, Eli, and Fraidy are very brave individuals and their discussions will hopefully help others affected by addiction begin the path to recovery.”

Odom won two NBA Titles, an Olympic bronze medal, a gold medal at the FIBA World Championship, and the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He also starred in “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and his own reality series “Khloe & Lamar.” In 2015, he fell into a coma after using cocaine and was placed on life support. After recovering, Odom opened up about his cocaine and sex addiction. He has since been an advocate for recovery  “I’ll be 40 on November 6 and I’m just trying to put out the best me, right now,” said Odom. “My life is a blessing.”

With JEG & Sons, Nash took a startup to a company now making over $200 million in revenue annually. He is also the co-founder of MicDrop. Eli held the details of his own abuse and porn addiction for many years, until using his voice to be an agent of change and empower others with an incredible TED Talk you  can see here. He will once again be sharing his story, this time more in depth on October 24. For the first time, his wife Fraidy will detail her experiences as the partner of a sex addict live at this powerful evening.

“There’s no question that the hardest thing I’ve ever done is to live a life free from compulsive and addictive behavior,” added Eli Nash. “The best way I know to continue staying sober, is to reach out and share my story with others.”

As for the movie  “Being Here” follows the life of Charlie, a young woman in her late 20s, as her three months in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility are coming to a close. In fear of leaving her newfound safety bubble, Charlie resists moving on from rehab — defaulting to all of her unhealthy coping mechanisms that brought here there in the first place. This short film won Best Student Film at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival, and this will mark its Canadian Premiere.

Chabad Lifeline is a non-sectarian agency dedicated to helping everyone affected by addiction, and where people suffering from substance and behavioural addictions and their family members are guided through the process of healing and recovery. Chabad Lifeline offers a full range of recovery options as well as comprehensive youth-at-risk programs. Their services are immediate and no one is turned away due to financial circumstance.