Now-sober Renee Graziano says she was addicted to ‘power’ and men: ‘Drugs were my comfort’ 

Renee Graziano is getting real about her battle with drug abuse. 

In an exclusive interview with Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea,” the “Mob Wives” alum, 56, explains that she feels her addiction was not to illicit substances — but rather the men in her life, the power that came with fame and the mafia ties that defined her lifestyle. 

“Addiction is a dark world. I was never addicted to drugs. I was addicted to power, I was addicted to men, I was addicted to my world, my lifestyle,” she says. “Drugs were my comfort. That was what kept me [going].”

The reality star — who recently celebrated nine months of sobriety following a near-fatal fentanyl overdose in 2023 — says she once felt like drugs were a “solution” to the grief she felt from the 2019 death of her father, Anthony Graziano, and the demise of her marriage to ex-husband Hector Pagan Jr., among other heartbreaking incidents. 

Renee Graziano, pictured here with sister Jennifer Graziano at Page Six’s New York City studio, opens up about her battle with substance abuse with “Virtual Reali-Tea.” Sara Feigin/Page Six Renee says her real addiction was not to drugs but to the men in her life, reality TV fame and the power of being tied to the mafia. Getty Images

“In some strange way … I think sometimes self-medicating kept me alive,” she admits. “Because I think if I would have really had to live through it without medicating I might not have made it. That’s the truth and I don’t even like to talk that way.”

Renee’s struggles with drugs played out in the later installments of “Mob Wives,” which ran for six seasons on VH1 from 2011 until 2016. 

Her sister, Jennifer Graziano — the creator of the reality series, who also joined in on the chat with “Virtual Reali-Tea” — says the situation was concerning but not surprising as Renee had been using on and off for years at that point. 

“It’s been that way our whole lives … I was almost immune to it at that point and numb to it,” Jennifer, 52, shares. 

Renee, seen here in 2016, says she turned to drugs as a “solution” to the grief she felt from an assortment of heartbreaking incidents. Getty Images With her sibling sitting next to her for support, the star tells “Virtual Reali-Tea” that she feels “self-medicating” kept her alive during her darkest moments. Sara Feigin/Page Six

Renee asserts that no one is to blame for her drug-related woes. 

“I can’t blame anybody for my addiction. I can’t. I’d like to. I think my ex-husband has a hand in it, I think my lifestyle has a hand in it,” she says. “But ultimately, it is my responsibility to take or not to take something. I’m very clear on that part.”

Throughout it all, Renee says she made a conscious effort to give viewers a glimpse inside the darkest corners of her life — mostly for the betterment of “Mob Wives” and her sibling’s career in the unscripted space. 

“My loyalty was never to me first. So if it meant knowing my sister was going to advance in her career, that was more important to me than anything else,” she says. 

Jennifer — the creator of “Mob Wives” — says Renee’s behavior was concerning but not surprising. Sara Feigin/Page Six When Renee stopped by “Virtual Reali-Tea,” she was celebrating nine months of sobriety. Sara Feigin/Page Six

“If I would have been more loyal to myself, I wouldn’t have done the things that I did, I wouldn’t have said the things that I did, I wouldn’t have gotten high the way I did, I wouldn’t have attacked the people I attacked verbally.”

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No matter how outrageous her behavior was, Renee says she “never faked” anything for the cameras. 

“Whatever I did was really happening. I didn’t fake anything,” she says. “I didn’t hide anything. I should have [hidden] a lot more.” 

She survived a fentanyl overdose in 2023. Sara Feigin/Page Six She and Jennifer are gearing up for the launch of two new podcasts on Sept. 18. Sara Feigin/Page Six

With time, Jennifer has come to appreciate Renee for living her life out loud on “Mob Wives.” 

“She let it all out and I do agree that she did a lot of it for me,” she says. 

The sisters will be unpacking more of their experiences in reality TV and beyond on two new podcasts launching Sept. 18. 

Renee’s project is titled “Crysis Queen,” a deep dive into the trauma she’s transformed into triumphs while Jennifer’s “Straightened Out” will give “Mob Wives” fans a better understanding of the drama that went down during production. 

Renee’s “Crysis Queen” will unpack how she’s triumphed over the trauma she’s endured in life. Sara Feigin/Page Six Meanwhile, Jennifer’s “Straightened Out” will delve deep into the drama that came with producing “Mob Wives.” Piotr Sikora

“‘Crysis Queen’ is a safe place for people to talk about their trauma. I don’t want to make light of your trauma, I want to make your trauma feel lighter,” Renee says. “I want people to understand they’re not alone. I’m still healing. It’s a forever process.”

As for Jennifer, she’s ready to spill the tea on the most memorable “Mob Wives” moments. 

“’Straightened Out’ is a term that is synonymous with the mob. We’re using a play on words, but straightening out drama and telling the truth,” she teases. “We talk about other reality shows, too. We’re getting into it all.”