KJ Apa was "forced to get sober" after becoming a dad

Speaking to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show Radio Andy, KJ said: "It forced me to chill. It also forced me to get sober.

"A lot of things that I realised I had to button up, I buttoned up. Yes, and I realised that there's no other way for me to do it."

AJ admitted he got "lost" in the trappings of fame when his show Riverdale became successful and spent a lot of time partying until his son came along and "saved" him.

He said: "Sasha being a gift that saved my life. I truly believe having Sasha saved my life.

"You know you have a kid and then suddenly you understand the idea of murder, you know that, like you can empathise with why someone would kill someone...

"Because you love someone so much. And that's the same feeling that I go, 'I love you so much more than me.' I have to sacrifice all these things for you. And that's what a good parent does."

KJ also reflected on becoming a dad at the age of 24, noting many of his friends are not yet at that stage in their lives.

He said: "It comes with its pros and cons."

The actor was first romantically linked to Clara in 2019 but in May 2024, she confirmed they were no longer together and "everything is better".

She explained on a Q+A on social media: "I think it's better to have parents, who are separated, who are happy and who can be the best version of themselves, than staying together in a situation that it not working."

However, although Clara noted things were "going well" in co-parenting with KJ, she also admitted it wasn't always an easy situation to deal with.

She said: "I am not with my son 50 percent of the time and therefore won't know 50 percent of his life. That is something that is hard to accept."