Us Weekly's Missing Issue Reframes Celebrity Substance Abuse Stories
the harris project is the only national non-profit in the US dedicated to co-occurring disorders -- the simultaneous presence of mental health conditions alongside substance use issues, which affects over 21 million Americans.
As part of the 'You Don’t Know the Half of It' campaign, created with Havas New York, the charity partnered with entertainment and news magazine Us Weekly to publish 'The Missing Issue', a special edition that reframed celebrity substance use stories to include discussion of co-occurring disorders (CODs).
The edition re-examined the stories of Matthew Perry, Liam Payne, Juice WRLD, Mac Miller, Aaron Carter, Demi Lovato, Cooper Noriega, Avicii, Amy Winehouse and more. The new narratives provided deeper context and insights from experts, helping link substance use issues and mental health challenges, which are often treated separately.
"Too many people struggling with both mental health challenges and substance use are misunderstood, misrepresented or overlooked entirely," said Stephanie Marquesano, founder and president of the harris project.
"'The Missing Issue' is an opportunity to change that by bringing awareness to co-occurring disorders and reshaping how these stories are told. This campaign is about education, compassion and systemic reform, shifting the narrative to one that leads to better understanding and better outcomes."
Stephanie founded the harris project after she lost her 19-year-old son, Harris, to an accidental overdose in 2013. The non-profit bearing his name is dedicated to prevention, treatment and recovery, together with system transformation to help those with, or at risk of developing, co-occurring disorders.
Through an empathetic and holistic understanding of CODs, The Missing Issue aimed to shift how the media reports on substance misuse and shed light on its larger impact.
"As a publication that has covered these stories for years, we recognise the responsibility to evolve in the way we tell them," said Dan Wakeford, editor in chief of Us Weekly.
"The Missing Issue is our commitment to reporting on substance use with more depth, honesty and awareness of co-occurring disorders. By reshaping these narratives, we hope to change not just how the media covers substance use, but how society understands it."
Working with BMG to license the track for the film, duotone audio group reimagined Third Eye Blind's 'Semi-Charmed Life' as a haunting, stripped-down version that matched the campaign's tone.
As well as the magazine and accompanying launch film, The Missing Issue campaign will be amplified through OOH in New York and LA, as well as in social content. For more information, and to read the full issue, click here.
