Tracy Morgan knew he had to turn life around when wife left

WENN, Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 5:32pm (PST)

Comedian Tracy Morgan got the wake-up call he needed to kick his alcohol addiction when his wife walked out on him.

The "30 Rock" star struggled to control his love for booze as he rose to fame during the late 1990s and early 2000s, but it was only when he lost the love of his life, high school sweetheart Sabina, that he realized he needed to change his ways.

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He tells Vibe.com, "What made me stop is when I woke up and my wife who I was with for 21 years, Sabina Morgan, left me. She wanted off the roller coaster. And that was it. I thought I was winning because I was on TV, I had money. But I lost."

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Their divorce was finalized in 2009, although they had already been separated for eight years, but Morgan says they still share a very close relationship and they say, "I love you" to one another.

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"I love her, she's still my best friend. Nothing's changed," he adds. "We still say I love you. Sabina still gets on my nerves sometimes, but that's my girl, that's my baby. So having gone through all of this - it's made me a better man, rather than just a funny man. I've always wanted to be a good man, a better man."