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Season 5 Episode 11

Angelina

Age: 25
Location: New Jersey
Addiction: Heroin, Xanax
What’s memorable:  The fact that she signed a DNR so that the next time she overdosed they wound’t save her. Her seemingly paranoid accusations against her mother than turned out to be pretty much true. The way her “recovering addict” mother sits with her when she’s high and makes her talk so that she knows she’s not dying of an overdose. How much guilt her mother feels. The amazing post-treatment transformation. She looks SO MUCH BETTER. It’s funny, you don’t even know how terrible these addicts look until you see them sober.

Official Synopsis: When Angelina was eight, her family grew apart over an argument about money. Her mother turned to prescription drugs and cocaine to deal with the stress. After graduating from high school, Angelina became her younger brother’s legal guardian, but she was overwhelmed by the job of taking care of her brother and addict mother. Angelina became addicted to OxyContin and spent her trust fund of $350,000 on the drug. Then Angelina turned to cheaper drugs and heroin to support her habit.

Original Air Date: February 2009

Interventionist: Candy

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  1. Kat

    This one will always stay with me. The intervention had me bawling. The ones with close sibling relationships always get me. Angelina seemed so relieved and grateful to be getting help. Wishing her all the best.

    1. Jenna

      It’s incredible the transformation of her when she became sober both physically and personality wise. When she was an addict she really was a horrible person..making her mother strip naked over suspicion of her having 2 bags when she should have done a more thorough search for those 2 bags was really despicable and something I will always remember. When she was sober she seemed a lot more likable and looked much better.

  2. kris

    Angelina was so very fortunate for her opportunity on this show my goodness she signed a DNR and was overdosing about 3 times a week? That’s shocking! I’m glad she got the help she desperately needed and deserved because her time was running out that’s for sure!

  3. Kimberly

    Update on Angelina. Also she has recently married.

    https://youtu.be/Mq2aQQZFGVo

  4. Janice

    This was a memorable episode and it was sad to see her overdose that many times and not wanna be saved because she signed a DNR. I wasn’t surprised her mom was also still dabbling into drugs while claiming to be sober. What’s even more sad is the way her sister was so distant towards her and how she and her family decided to walk away from that situation. You can see the anger and frustration in Angelina’s voice. What her family didn’t realize was it’s one thing not to have anything to do with the addict but why leave your teen siblings in that situation? My fiance’s mom is an addict, who is currently sober but growing up his family wanted nothing to do with her but “completely forgot” that he was still living at home with her. They basically left him to clean up that mess and not once called or came over to remove him from that situation. But a lot of children of addicts are in these situations. I’m very happy to see both her and her mom got the proper help they need.

    1. Regina Jackson

      Years have passed and so maybe you won’t see this. The show never mentioned that the sister had a lawyer and was ready to fight for custody of the brother. However, ultimately the Court denied the sister. The sister was present at the hospitals after the over doses and was present at the rehabs that Angelina tried before this intervention. The sister was married to law enforcement and struggled abusive criticism at home for continuously trying to help. Even through her joyous pregnancy, the sister was the one who ultimately contacted the show and spent countless hours preparing with the show. She protected her toddler son by separating him and herself to an extent from Angelina and her mother. So please, don’t pass judgement so quickly without knowing all. The sister would do it all over again. I know this because I am her.

      1. janice

        I dont think I was passing judgement on you. But your reply confirmed what I already suspected. Your husband being in law enforcement has the obligation to report abuse of any kind when a child is present like you’re younger brother. Your sister was clearly crying out for help and everyone walked away bc of what your mom was doing. Again, its one thing to leave your mom to deal with her addictions and those consequences but your sister was too young and overwhelmed trying to go to school, have a career, be a young adult and dealing with raising a younger sibling.

      2. Grace

        You had a young family you needed to protect. Of course you needed to distance yourself from that at the time. I don’t think anyone can really pass judgement based on an hour long TV show where things need to be omitted to save time or create drama. You came back for her and got her the help she needed in the end and by the looks of it, she is thriving and happy and successful because of that help you managed to get her. You could see the love and the emotion in your family. I hope you don’t beat yourself up when you read comments on these types of forums. Hope you’re all doing well 🙋‍♀️

      3. sommer

  5. Friend

    Update – She is living the good life. She was married back in 2011, but it didn’t work out and she got divorced not too long after.

    She now has a new man in her life for the last 3-4 years and they have 2 children and live in a nice house. I’m so proud of her. She really turned her life around.

  6. Tricia B

    This episode always stuck with me. The intervention with the family had me in tears. The fact that she signed a DNR at such a young age broke my friggen heart. I am so happy and relieved to hear that she maintained her recovery and built herself an amazing life.

  7. Alice Schmid

    This is excellent news!!! I want Angelina to emerge triumphant!

    1. Gina Jackson

      She did!!! Angelina has her own ministry called “Chain Breakers”. You can find it on Facebook. She is happily married with 2 beautiful children. She has dedicated her life to service of others.

  8. Alice Schmid

    I do not get why Angelina’s sister got off the hook so cleanly. Why was Angelina appointed Bud’s guardian, when their older sister was married and had a stable home? That makes no sense.

    1. janice

      she replied to my comment asking the same question.

  9. Alice Schmid

    The more I think about that, the angrier I get. How could the sister just turn her back on her responsibilities? What happened to being FAMILY? I don’t even care if her husband was against it —— you have to step up and take care of each other. Think of the pain that could have been avoided.

    I will never understand people behaving so selfishly.

    1. Brooke

      i agree, the sister is a piece of work!!! she completely ditches her two innocent younger siblings. she took off and let her barely an adult sister have custody and raise their minor brother WTH! i can understand putting boundaries in place with the mother, but how is having your two innocent siblings that desperately need you in your life bad? and if the husband doesn’t like it – TOUGH! she just had a baby but is managing having them in her life now but now almost everyone is addicted. unbelievable!

  10. Liss

    Can’t believe that no one has commented on that terribly awful & awkward scene of the fight between mom and daughter. Made her mother strip completely in front of cameramen and a “friend” of hers! One of thee most sickening scenes ever

    1. zor

      good lord there are NOT enough comments on here ab this scene. i just hit pause & i think for the first time i’m not gonna finish watching an episode of this show. i’m glad to see she’s doing well, & trust me i’m extremely familiar w/what/who drugs turn you into, but i cannot imagine the ptsd that mother was experiencing in that moment. i can’t even fathom it. like i said i’m glad she seems to be doing much better, everyone deserves recovery, but that was terrible.

  11. Anonymous

    I’m always surprised this episode doesn’t generate more comments. To me, it was ghastly. I’m glad everyone came out of it okay, it it was one of the most shocking, for sure.

  12. Chris

    She was so sick with this disease. I honestly think that death was impending. Glad she is recovering well, one day at a time. She had that insane urgency to shoot the drugs that I have seen too often: licking blood, little sterility, bruises. Much love to her.

  13. God’s girl Harlem

    oh im mid episode and im so happy to hear this

  14. Michaela

    Na this episode was absolutely horrible.. that scene fighting with her mom was one of the worst situations I’ve watched on this show. Just shows how much the drugs take over you, the lengths you will go to for that high. Awful awful awful. Plus I know money isn’t everything but wow the amount she had, her drive and how clever she was she really could of gone far. She looked amazing at the end, I hope she’s doing much better now.

  15. Mark Rice

    I liked Angelina. I was also on dope for 13 years, and I can tell you that world is full of phoneys, always playing an angle or trying to elicit sympathy in order to get their fix. I don’t see that with Angelina, she is straight down the line. Of all the episodes I’ve seen I find her the least self pitying. She’s in a hard spot but I don’t hear her whining or trying to manipulate anyone. Yes she made her mom strip but not for any other reason than she thought she had her dope, which we now know was a major possibility. I like this girl, hope she is doing ok.

  16. Angie Rolland

    I found this video of Angelina today after watching her Intervention episode on Netflix, in case anyone is interested.
    https://youtu.be/lSqJop-hnDU

    1. Pang

      Boo- A& E lawyers blocked the video from showing on US servers

    2. Kara Bishop

      I was able to watch it and I am in the US… I really liked the video of it was nice to see how Angelina has truly changed her life around and you can tell she’s just full of love, peace, motivation, inspiration , and God!

  17. Marie-Claire Pinet

    so glad she’s doing well. I hope her mother too. I always get teary when Candy starts crying. No wonder how she’s the favorite. I love her very much too.

    1. Kara Bishop

      Me too!

  18. perry

    as someone who also left family for a few years… it’s easy to judge but also remember, the sister wasn’t to blame for everything that happened. it shouldn’t have fallen on either child. no child should parent their siblings and parents. addiction is a family disease. thankfully this family found their way.

  19. John

    For everyone calling out the sister, the sister was the catalyst that ultimately saved Angelina’s life…

    1. Gins

      Thank you, John. It’s now 2022 and still hard to look back at these comments. The show never showed that I got a lawyer and fought for custody of our brother. I was denied over a legal technicality. I was there. I only denied both my sister and mother in my home as they were in full blown addiction and I had a young child. I was also married to an narcotics officer and lived in my own type of fear for them with him. Yes, I did contact the show but, I did not save her. She saved herself. I just helped give her the tools. She is still sober and runs a and owns a sobriety ministry called Chain Breakers. They are live on Facebook every Thursday.

      1. Kij

        Don’t read into the negative comments. No one can know the whole story from an hour of a heavily edited glimpse into a very complicated life. Your love and pain came through and you weren’t left unscathed. I pray for your whole family from mom to babies and everyone in between. God bless you and f*ck the haters. Weird to use God and f in same sentence! But all that matters is you’re all healthy and happy.

  20. Gina

    I wish Intervention would see this as my sister has been trying to get in touch with the show! Angelina is still sober. She owns/runs a sobriety ministry in Gloucester, NJ, called “Chain Breakers”. Chain Breakers is live every Thursday . She would love a special interview/episode with the show! If this reaches Intervention, my email is [email protected].

    1. Aspen

      Wow! Congrats to her. This episode really showcases addiction like no other. The fact that she has survived all of this is nothing short of remarkable.

    2. Kara Bishop

      I hate how people make judgments based off an hour show… Thank you Gina so much for clarifying I’m hoping that these people read your comments… I hope you don’t let their comments bother you… You saved her life and I commend you for all you did for your sister and your family! God bless you and I’m sending you lots of love and A blessed life! ❤️

      1. Kij

        👆🏻this 100%

    3. Kij

      There’s a Reddit thread started by a cameraman from Intervention. I believe your brother commented on it and that might be a good place to post this info to get to someone from the show.

  21. J

    just saw this ep and WOW, she looked so poised and beautiful post-treatment! Angelina is definitely one of the more likeable addicts – despite some of her behavior there was just something i liked about her. so happy to hear she’s still doing well.