Red Hot Chili Peppers Frontman's '90s Romance: Ione Skye Opens Up About Love, Addiction, and Healing

In her newly released memoir, "Say Everything," actress Ione Skye shares a raw and candid reflection on her tumultuous relationship with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis. The actress, now 54, describes falling for Kiedis at just 16, while he was 24 and fresh out of rehab. The romance, as she puts it, was "instantly full-blown, instantly enmeshed," but it quickly spiraled into toxicity as Kiedis battled a heroin addiction.

At the time, Skye was on the cusp of stardom, having landed her breakout role in the 1989 cult classic Say Anything. She credits the film and her friendships for helping her cope with a relationship that left her emotionally drained. "I think doing Say Anything was one of my saviors," she told Fox News Digital. Yet behind the scenes, Skye was hiding a painful reality. "I felt embarrassed that I was in this situation. I felt this instinct to not let people know how bad it was. I was just a wreck at the time."

Her memoir reveals haunting details, including lonely nights spent driving around to find Kiedis at his usual spots – from markets where he bought bleach for his needles to an apartment where his drug dealer lived with his grandmother. Skye confessed to anxiety attacks and a growing sense of helplessness. "The need to save him became an addiction in itself," she admitted, until she finally hit her breaking point. "I realized, ‘I don’t need to take care of him. It’s not my job. I’m not a nurse.’" A simple but profound epiphany that helped her begin to untangle herself from the relationship.

Her family, including her mother, model Enid Karl, and actor brother Donovan Leitch, disapproved of the relationship. Skye reflects on the tension, describing it as "thick and smoggy." Despite their concerns, Skye lived with Kiedis and, at the time, rejected their warnings. She later apologized to her mother for the worry and stress the relationship caused.

Interestingly, the relationship resurfaced on TikTok in 2021, prompting Skye to address misconceptions about her mother’s role. "I felt protective of my mom," she explained, emphasizing that her mother tried to intervene, but Skye was determined and defiant. "I wasn’t mean to my mom. I wasn’t like, ‘Screw you,’ or anything. I spoke to her nicely, but I was very determined, for some strange reason."

Though Kiedis has previously documented their relationship in his 2004 memoir Scar Tissue, Skye felt it was time to share her side of the story. She admits that Kiedis "wasn’t my great love," but she believed her love could fix him – a belief she now recognizes as misguided. By 18, Skye began pulling away from Kiedis and eventually found love with Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz, whom she married in 1992. However, their union ended in divorce in 1999, with Skye candidly admitting to being "a serial cheater."

Reflecting on her journey, Skye likens the breakup with Horovitz to a death, one that required years of processing and self-forgiveness. Writing her memoir, she says, was another step in healing. "I forgive myself, because I couldn’t stop myself at the time. Now . . . I know myself. I have more awareness and self-control."

Today, Skye is in a happier place. She has been married to Australian musician Ben Lee since 2008, and they share a 15-year-old daughter. Looking back, Skye hopes her memoir will encourage readers to be kinder to themselves. "Be less – as most people would say – hard on yourself," she advises. "Don’t put so much pressure to know everything and do everything perfectly."