MGK Spills Details of Secret Rehab Stay in ‘Lost Americana’ Song

The singer and songwriter is letting his new music tell the story.

August 8, 2025

Machine Gun Kelly is seen on August 5, 2025 in New York City.

Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images

Machine Gun Kelly spilled details of a secret rehab stay around the 2024 holiday season in the lyrics of his new album, Lost Americana.

He elaborated on his most recent stint in rehab during an interview with The New York Times’ Popcast.“Here’s the real truth. I spent Christmas and New Year’s — the whole month of December and late November — in a rehab facility. I came out, and the world was very loud about me and my personal business.”

He added that he’s used to his private business becoming public knowledge. While he tries to roll with the punches, he admits that at times, it can be tiring being a “scapegoat.”

“It’s become a pop culture thing where MGK is a scapegoat, and I just laugh because you are now the conformists. “Lost Americana” is the enemy of the conformist thinker. It’s the enemy of the ones who pick on the weak. It’s the enemy of the bro, you know?”

However, he says that one of the album’s songs, “Treading Water” is the closes he can come to speaking publicly about his rehab stay. “There’s a song called ‘Treading Water’ that’s probably the closest, maybe,” about his rehab experience. “It’s like the music speaks better than how I would be able to articulate it.”

MGK previously addressed his struggles with both mental health and alcohol abuse on a 2024 episode of Bunnie Xo's Dumb Blonde podcast. He told the host he was "completely sober from everything. I don't drink anymore. That was my first time I ever went to rehab."

At the time, he credited his former partner, Meghan Fox, for helping him get sober. MGK admitted, "I continue to embrace that this journey is gonna be hard for me, but I accept it and forgive myself.”

The musician and actor added, "I'm also really hard on myself, very self-deprecating. I’m just happy that I’m able to start to be comfortable enough to show people who I am because I kind of depended on my art to do that."

MGK recently welcomed a daughter with Fox, Saga. Although no longer romantically involved, they amicably co-parent their daughter. He also has another daughter, Cassie, from a previous relationship.