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Nov. 18, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Two-time NBA champ and reality TV star Lamar Odom today revealed that he has long struggled with a porn addiction that has negatively impacted his life and relationships. In an interview with the anti-porn organization Covenant Eyes, released today by LifeSiteNews, Odom reveals that it wasn’t until his now-fiancée, life coach Sabrina Parr, challenged him on his addiction, that he began to realize how much porn dominated his life.  

After Odom's initial efforts to quit porn failed, he and Parr began to look around for something that might make the process easier. That’s when they discovered Covenant Eyes, a company that has created web-filtering and accountability software that claims to have helped over a million people kick porn out of their lives.  

In an interview today with LifeSite’s Jonathon van Maren, himself a longtime anti-porn activist, Covenant Eye’s Dan Amstrong describes the backstory behind how Odom got in touch with his organization, the growing evidence of the harm that porn is causing individuals and society, and how people can follow Odom’s example and successfully quit porn.

Watch the interview here:

“I was definitely addicted to porn and drug,” Odom told Covenant Eyes in the video interview. Statistics show that the average age of exposure to pornography is now about eleven years old. According to Odom, he first saw porn when he was only 13 or 14 years old.

Eventually he got so hooked that he would watch porn while he was in bed with the women in his life. His porn use becamse so compulsive that he would leave his entire NBA team waiting on the bus while he tried to watch one more porn scene in his hotel room, a decision that would cost him a $5000 fine for being late. 

“You know, in the NBA, if you’re late, they just fine you,” he said. “And I think about all the times that I was in my hotel room, game day, and I had to get one more last scene in. So I like chose to be late for the bus just to watch a porno scene. It’s kind of crazy.” 

You “don’t really understand how it affects your intimacy,” he explained. Especially the person that you’re next to, or the person you so-called love.”  

 

Sabrina Parr, who is Odom’s fiancée as of this past week, said that she was taken aback when Odom first watched porn in her presence. “He [Odom] was reaching for his phone more than reaching for me,” she told Covenant Eyes. “And I had a problem with that because I'm like, I want to be 100 percent desired, especially if I'm laying right next to you.” 

Odom has made no secret of the fact that in the past he has lived a sexually promiscuous lifestyle. However, he says that no other women had challenged him on his porn addiction. It was as their relationship began to deepen, that he began to realize that he needed to change. “I think as I got closer and closer to Sabrina, she just brought it to my attention like, no you’re not going to be in a bed with me and watch porn,” he said.  

Odom attributes his ability to beat his porn addiction to Covenant Eyes’ proprietary software. “I have to thank Covenant Eyes for helping me beat this addiction, he said.  

Prior to discovering Covenant Eyes, Odom and Parr tried to help Odom quit porn in various ways, including having Parr keep Odom’s cell phone from him. But Parr admits that she didn't appreciate the sense that she was “punishing” him for his habit.

Finally, the couple discovered Covenant Eyes. After installing the software on Odom’s cell phone, they set it up so that Parr is his “accountability partner”. This means that she receives a regular report on Odom’s internet use, which flags any problematic browsing. Knowing that he had his girlfriend in his corner holding him accountable was what Odom needed to finally make progress in putting porn behind him. 

In his discussion with Van Maren, Armstrong notes that Odom has admitted to progressing into more extreme porn in his search for the next rush, including homosexual porn and bestiality. This kind of “escalation” is a well-known phenomenon among regular porn users. 

“There is a cocktail of chemicals that are going on in your brain, dopamine, among other things, that you feel that high when you experience pornography,” explains Armstrong. “You are setting a pattern for yourself. You are setting those grooves into the ground with those chemicals and neurons that that fire together, wire together.” 

Armstrong discusses the development of Covenant Eyes and the science behind it’s near-perfect pornography blocking ability. He also notes, however, that for most people quitting porn is a process, not something that is typically achieved overnight. 

“I would say very rarely would anyone stop cold turkey. Some have done it, but it's really rare. So relapse is part of recovery,” Armstrong tells Van Maren. 

Covenant Eyes has the only in-house designed image identification software that identifies pornography on screen. The app monitors all screen activity and with their proprietary software, it can identify porn with a 98% accuracy rate and alert the users accountability partner. 

Odom gives glory to God for his conversion and life transformation. He hopes that he hopes he will leave behind more of a legacy than just his NBA career.  

“God brought me back, hopefully for me to tell my testimony and help as many people I can. Just by sharing my story and telling them that they can overcome anything if they put God first and family first and I’m living proof of that,” Odom shares. 

If you or a loved one are struggling with pornography, visit Covenant Eyes to learn more and to get help. You can overcome this addition and be free again, just like Lamar. 

You can view the full video interview with Odom and his fiancé Sabrina Parr here.