The Woman Who Became a Porn Addict: Kirby Kelly Tells Her Story of Keeping Secrets and the Key to Breaking Free (Episode 25)

October 29, 2025
00:00 01:10:54
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Sin doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve seen—it’s coming for all of us.

That theme runs through Kirby Kelly’s story. See, she's part of a group of women you don't often hear about: females that struggle (or have struggled) with pornography addiction. Kirby's story is heartbreaking: She was exposed to pornography at four years old, again at seven, and then again at ten. Each time the exposure happened it left a deeper imprint of secrecy and shame. Even after coming to Christ, she carried the hidden struggle for years, convinced she had to fix it alone. In college, a simple exercise called "stand for your sister" opened the door to confession, community, and real healing.

But Kirby's exposure to addiction goes beyond her own. She also happens to be the child of two parents who died of complications related to alcoholism.

In this episode, Kirby talks candidly about growing up as the daughter of two alcoholics, why isolation kept her stuck, and how confession—to God and within community—helped her find freedom. She also shares how abiding in Christ moved from discipline to desire, why boundaries are not buzzkills but protection, and the hope-filled message she wants every struggling parent to hear.

We explore:

— Early exposure, shame, and why secrecy fuels addiction
— Confession vs. concealment and how healing begins in honest community
— Sanctification: messy, daily, real
— Escapism, control, and chasing dopamine
— Abiding in Christ as the path to peace and freedom
— Practical boundaries for media and triggers
— What she tells parents wrestling with addiction and their kids

Website: kirby-kelly.com

Instagram: @kirbyisaboss

Book: You Can Be Free

Podcast: Bought & Beloved

Follow Jon: @jonseidl

Order Jon's new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic.

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Meet Your Host
Jon Seidl writes and speaks all across the country on the power of storytelling, radical vulnerability, faith, mental health, and addiction. He’s the author of the upcoming book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic, a radically vulnerable story of being the Christian who became an alcoholic, his climb out of addiction, and how others can break free from life’s entanglements. His previous book on anxiety—Finding Rest—instantly became a national bestseller. He currently runs the popular daily devotional website The Veritas Daily, where he writes on faith, culture, and addiction while also pursuing his master's in theological studies from Southwestern Seminary (SWBTS).

Follow and find more from Jon at jonseidl.com.
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