Child Star of "Bad News Bears," Dead Kennedy's Frontman and Surfer Brandon Jak Cruz on Studio 54, Wandering the Playboy Mansion at 8 Years Old, Shooting Acid, Smuggling Cocaine & Refuge RecoveryChild Star of "Bad News Bears," Dead Kennedy's Frontman and Surfer Brandon Jak Cruz on Studio 54, Wandering the Playboy Mansion at 8 Years Old, Shooting Acid, Smuggling Cocaine & Refuge Recovery
Chasing Heroine: Addiction Recovery Podcast
Brandon Cruz shares a staggering journey from child stardom, punk rock chaos and heroin addiction to nearly three decades sober using AA, Refuge Recovery and mindfulness. The conversation touches on harm reduction, global meetings, his recovery foundation and how he now channels a turbulent past into helping others find treatment and support.
1:57:02•24 Jun 2026
From Child Star and Punk Chaos to Buddhist Calm: Brandon Cruz’s Wild Road to Recovery
Episode Overview
- Sobriety can start from a clear, non‑negotiable boundary, like Brandon’s choice between his family and continued using.
- Relapse and even choosing a drink over suicide are discussed as part of a harm‑reduction mindset that prioritises staying alive.
- Recovery doesn’t have to be one‑size‑fits‑all; Brandon uses both AA and Refuge Recovery, plus meditation and yoga, to stay well.
- Free or low‑cost options such as county beds, Medicare/Medi‑Cal and community programmes can make treatment possible without private insurance.
- Giving back through foundations, Narcan distribution and open conversations about addiction can turn a chaotic past into meaningful service.
“If the other option is suicide, I'm going to drink first. I want people alive. I can only work with people who are alive.”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This conversation with Brandon Cruz – child star of *The Courtship of Eddie’s Father*, the slick pitcher in *Bad News Bears*, later frontman for Dead Kennedys – brings you right into a jaw‑dropping life story that starts at the Playboy Mansion and studio 54 and ends on a quiet beach in sobriety.
You’ll hear how Brandon was wandering Hollywood sets and bars by the age of eight, sipping beers people thought were “cute”, picking pills off the floor, and getting knocked off his feet by a drunk co‑star during a “dramatic” scene.
By 13 he was cashing a $36,000 cheque, buying a pound of weed and a ticket to Australia, surfing Bali, mixing with Warhol and Travolta, and smuggling cocaine out of Bali and later Hawaii – at one point carrying it on a plane in his “prison wallet”. The chat takes a raw turn as he recounts injecting LSD‑soaked Coca‑Cola for five days straight, spending Christmas strapped to a gurney in a psych ward, then sinking into a long heroin habit.
The real breaking point comes when his wife leaves a note in a Santa Barbara hotel: get sober or lose your family. Brandon decides to have “one last blow‑out” first, then calls a sober friend and walks into his first meeting – and never looks back. Now nearly 30 years alcohol‑ and drug‑free, Brandon talks about being a “12‑step guy” who also leans on Refuge Recovery, Buddhist meditation, and daily mindfulness.
He shares how meetings all over the world kept him grounded while touring with Dead Kennedys and working as an editor on *South Park*. He also speaks about starting the Brandon Cruz Foundation after losing his nephew to fentanyl, and handing out Narcan and test strips at skate parks because, as he says, he can only help people who are alive.
If you’re curious how someone goes from shooting acid and smuggling drugs to meditating, surfing and helping others into treatment, this episode might leave you asking what else is possible in your own recovery story.
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