Zac Efron 2014 Drug Use: Actor Opens Up About Skid Row Attack, Joins Alcoholics Anonymous

Zac Efron is speaking out for the first time about his recent visit to Skid Row.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Efron spoke candidly about how he ended up in Skid Row, and how Alcoholic's Anonymous saved his life.

"I had a friend come pick me up late at night -- we were looking for a place downtown to get a bite and catch up," Efron told the magazine. "We were having trouble finding somewhere -- a lot of places were closed -- and the car ran out of gas off the 110. It was ridiculous. We had to pull over, and I called Uber."

As Efron and his companion waited for another vehicle, a homeless man reportedly tapped on the driver's-side window and Efron's friend got out of the car. Once he was out, he and the homeless man began fighting and soon after, Efron claims to have saw a knife. In his attempt at disarming the man, Efron received a blow to the face before police intervened.

Following news of the incident, many outlets reported that Efron had relapsed after a long battle with drugs and alcohol. It was also reported that the man Efron was with had a criminal record for drugs and violence.

"I was drinking a lot, way too much," Efron said of his past struggles, admitting he used drugs as well. "It's never one specific thing."

Since the Skid Row incident, which he referred to as "the most terrifying moment in my life," Efron joined Alcoholics Anonymous and began seeing a therapist.

"I just started going," he said of AA. "And I think it's changed my life. I'm much more comfortable in my own skin. Things are so much easier now."