Paul Sculfor was once one of the most recognizable male models of the 1990s and early 2000s, gracing campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Versace while dating Hollywood’s biggest stars.
But behind the glamorous facade, the now-54-year-old was battling private demons that nearly destroyed him.
Discovered at age 21 after his mother secretly entered him into a modeling competition, Sculfor quickly rose to fame, relocating to Los Angeles where he dated Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Lisa Snowdon.
Yet the pressures of celebrity life led him down a dangerous path of addiction. “I had it all, but I was empty inside,” he admits. His struggles culminated in a breakdown and six months at the Priory rehabilitation center, known for treating stars like Kate Moss and Robbie Williams.
Now sober and living quietly in East London with his wife, nutritionist Dr. Federica Amati, and their two young daughters, Sculfor credits fatherhood with saving his life.
“My daughters gave me purpose when I needed it most,” he shared on his podcast This is Powerful. “You can’t dwell on yourself when you have children depending on you.”
But his journey to stable parenthood wasn’t without challenges. During the pandemic, after the birth of his second daughter, Sculfor experienced a sudden wave of depression.
“I held her and actually apologized for bringing her into this world,” he recalls. “That darkness scared me. I had to pull myself together for my family.”
Today, Sculfor maintains his sobriety through therapy, martial arts, and a close group of friends he’s been in recovery with since 2004. “We’ve stayed together through everything,” he says of his support network. While he’s left his modeling days behind, Sculfor has found something more valuable – peace, purpose, and a second chance at life.
