Sophia Bush publicly reflected on how 2023 'broke and betrayed her' after she endured a 'summer of divorce' following the end of her 13-month marriage to husband Grant Hughes in August.
'What a year. All my life I've heard the saying 'put on your own oxygen mask first' and this year I learned what it meant,” the 41-year-old One Tree Hill alumnus – who has 7.1 million social media followers – wrote on Monday.
“This past year has humbled me, broken me, built me up, betrayed me, set me free, and shown me what it means to truly live.”
Sophia felt like she left her body “a long time ago,” but now she can “feel my whole self, from the tips of my ears to the tips of my toes.”
'This year I learned to listen to myself and no one else. To let go of the expectation that hurts and seize the opportunity that sets free,” Bush wrote.
Sophia Bush publicly reflected on how 2023 'broke and betrayed her' after she endured a 'divorce summer' following the end of her 13-month marriage to husband Grant Hughes in August (pictured March 12)
The 41-year-old One Tree Hill alum wrote on Monday, “What a year. All my life I've heard the saying “put your own oxygen mask on first” and this year I learned what it meant. This past year has humbled me, broken me, built me up, betrayed me, set me free, and shown me what it means to truly live.”
“To not worry about optics and instead invest in honesty – the truest, deepest, purest kind. This year sent me in. More than I've ever been. It got me out [a] relationship with many of you, but brought me back into it [a] relationship with myself.'
The Work in Progress producer-host further revealed that she had contracted an undisclosed illness, and recovery gave her the time and space to find her voice again through daily diary entries.
'This year I took it easier; First of all because the illness forced me to do so. Secondly, because recovery required more silence,” Sophia explained.
“In this way, both illness and healing are gifts. I am so grateful for these gifts. Thank you, thank you, thank you to this life for teaching me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this year that changed everything.
'That allowed me to burn what never served me, and discover what works in the ashes. Charcoal is a purifier. Clarity comes like lightning in the dark. This is my deepest learning season yet. Thank you, a thousand times.'
Bush's girlfriend since October – Ashlyn Harris – commented on her Instagram post: '”Brightness comes like lightning in the dark”, Beautiful words and powerful!'
Tante Flow's investor rang in the new year with the 38-year-old retired football star, Who is 'grateful for a year that taught me so much' in the midst of her own divorce from wife Ali Krieger in September.
Ashlyn and the 39-year-old retired football star – who split last summer – continue to co-parent their two-year-old daughter Sloane Phillips and 16-month-old son Ocean Maeve after ending their four-year marriage.
Sophia felt like she left her body “a long time ago,” but now she can “feel my whole self, from the tips of my ears to the tips of my toes” and she has learned “not to care about optics and to invest in honesty instead'
Bush further revealed that she had an undisclosed illness, and recovery gave her the time and space to find her voice again through daily journal entries: 'In that way, both illness and healing are a gift' (photo Monday)
The Work in Progress producer-presenter concluded: “Thank you for this year that changed everything. 'That allowed me to burn what never served me, and discover what works in the ashes. Charcoal is a purifier. Clarity comes like lightning in the dark. This is my deepest learning season yet. Thank you a thousand times' (photo December 7)
Sophia's friend since October – Ashlyn Harris – commented on her Instagram post: '”Brightness comes like lightning in the dark,” Beautiful words and powerful!'
Bush rang in the new year with the 38-year-old retired football star, who is 'grateful for a year that taught me so much' amid her own divorce from wife Ali Krieger in September (pictured Monday)
Ashlyn and the 39-year-old retired football star – who split last summer – continue to co-parent their two-year-old daughter Sloane Phillips and 16-month-old son Ocean Maeve after ending their four-year marriage (pictured Dec 22)
The Aunt Flow investor (R) and Harris (M) were last pictured together at an Art Basel event in Miami on December 7, along with art dealer Michelle Tillou (L)
Sophia will next produce and star as concerned wife and mother Allison in Bryan Greenberg's (R) opioid thriller Junction, which opens in select U.S. theaters on January 26.
“Let me be clear: I have not given up on my marriage,” Harris clarified on November 18.
“I have always been faithful in my marriage, although not always completely happy.”
However, Sophia and the Florida-born athlete did speak on the same feminist panel at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Frace on June 19.
Bush and Harris were the last depicted co-attended an Art Basel event in Miami on December 7 with art dealer Michelle Tillou.
The SoCal native will next produce and star as concerned wife and mother Allison in Bryan Greenberg's opioid thriller Junction, opening in limited U.S. theaters on January 26.
The film also stars Bryan Greenberg, Griffin Dunne, Ryan Eggold, Jamie Chung and Dascha Polanco.