An accomplished actor, singer, and dancer, Agustín Galiana now lifts the veil on the dark areas of his past. In his book A man standing, published by Leduc, the Spanish artist sincerely retraces the trials that have marked his life: a painful parental divorce, a break-up with his mother, years of struggle and a period of cannabis addiction that almost caused him to collapse.
Far from the glitter and success, the former winner of Dance with the stars looks back on a journey strewn with obstacles. “I spent four years without work, without projects, without money… I felt useless,” he confides. That’s when he fell into addiction: “I fell into weed. I smoked all day to forget, to disappear.”
A childhood marked by the separation of his parents
Behind Agustín Galiana's sunny smile lies a childhood marked by pain and loss. The son of divorced parents, he grew up in a still-conservative Spain, where children of separated couples are often stigmatized. "I don't even remember my father at home. I wasn't given any explanation, and for a long time I believed their separation was my fault," he says emotionally.
This original wound gradually created a rift between him and his mother. After a violent argument, he cut ties with her for seven years. "I regret the way I spoke to her; I could have been gentler," he admits today. This conflict, combined with his professional difficulties, pushed him to isolate himself further.
From go-go dancers to Paris: reconstruction
At 18, Agustín left his village for Valencia, where he studied by day and danced by night as a go-go dancer. “I didn’t drink, I didn’t smoke, and I spent my nights dancing on catwalks, dressed in all sorts of clothes,” he recalls. This period, which he describes as “an outlet,” allowed him to reconnect with his love of dance, long repressed by his parents.
A few years later, he decided to leave everything for Paris, penniless and unable to speak French. "I lived in an 11 m² studio, after a large, bright apartment in Madrid. I felt like I was climbing Everest," he says. But it was there, in this foreign capital, that he rebuilt himself. Thanks to a stable job and a long course of therapy, he managed to overcome his addiction and regain his self-confidence.
A message of hope for those who doubt
Today, at 46, Agustín Galiana is experiencing a renaissance. He continues his career, combining music, comedy, and television, with the desire to bear witness and inspire. "You can fall, you can make mistakes, but you have to have the courage to get back up," he writes in his book.
A man standing is a story of hope, that of a man who, after experiencing shame, loneliness, and dependency, chose to get back on his feet. "Paris saved me," he sums up simply. A sincere, luminous message, like the one who now moves forward, upright and free.
