The Weeknd reveals he quit hard drugs amid hopes of becoming a dad: ‘Drugs were a crutch’

The Weeknd opened up about his hopes for the future (Picture: Getty/Daniel Jackson)

The Weeknd says he has kicked his drug habit because he is planning on becoming a dad.

The Save Your Tears chart-topper, who has been sighted on multiple outings with Angelina Jolie in recent weeks, shared his parenting plans after cleaning up his act.

‘Drugs were a crutch,’ he admitted. ‘It was me thinking that I needed it. And not doing the work to figure out how not to need it.

‘And I’ve spent the last few years realising that and thanking God that I don’t need it.

‘Because for a lot of people, it’s hard to shake it. But I knew I didn’t want it.’

The 31-year-old Canadian says part of his motivation to sort himself out was the idea of becoming a parent.

The singer opened up in a candid interview (Picture: GQ/Daniel Jackson)

The Weeknd previously dated Bella Hadid (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

‘I eventually want a family. I know I say I don’t, but I know I do. I want children,’ he confessed. As for Ms Right, despite his ‘dates’ with mum-of-six A-lister Jolie and past romances with Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez, The Weeknd prefers to date someone who is not in showbiz.

‘I just love being in normal situations, man,’ he told GQ.

‘It’s such a great feeling. To be able to just like go on a walk and not be in a f***ing SUV.’

Meanwhile, he has been teasing new music this week on Twitter, saying that despite his pained lyrics he is a happy chappie.

‘I am not dark. My art is dark and I’ve gone through dark times,’ he added. ‘I’ve used those dark times as inspiration for my art.

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‘But I feel like because I’m not dark, I was able to channel it and put it into my music and into my art.’

Read the full interview in the September issue of GQ, out on Friday.