Alcoholics Anonymous Celebrities________________________________________________________
The following celebrities have all had alcohol problems and an association with Alcoholics Anonymous. Rick AllenIn 1995, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen plead guilty to spousal battery for assaulting his wife. Allen was sentenced to compulsory attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, to probation, and to domestic violence counseling. He also had to pay for a public service announcement in which he confessed that he is a batterer and encourages other batterers to seek counseling.
Philip CrosbyIn 1980 when he was 45 years old, Philip Crosby, one of Bing Crosby's twin sons, was arrested several times for drunken driving. In spite of the fact that he attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for 18 months, he told People magazine, "I don't drink anymore -- but I don't drink any less."
Robert Downey Jr.March 24, 2006, Robert Downey Jr. was seen and video-taped outside of a West Hollywood Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Erika EleniakWhen Playboy Playmate and actress Erika Eleniak was 18 years old (in 1987), her friend Steve Ferguson signed her up to Alcoholics Anonymous and helped her through her detoxification. Mel GibsonFriday July 28, 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence early Friday morning in Malibu, according to the booking report. According to sheriff spokesperson Steve Whitmore, Gibson, 50, was pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway because he was driving 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. Gibson, who has admitted to past problems with alcohol, ran a red light and collided with another car in 1984 while driving intoxicated. In 1991, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous.
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A number of VIPs through the years have experienced a variety of
alcohol-related problems. Those who developed a "relationship" with AA are known as "Alcoholics
Anonymous celebrities."
| “Eye-openers” are common during the third stage of alcoholism. That is, drinks that are taken whenever the person awakens. Eye-openers are normally taken to lessen a hangover, calm the nerves, or to quiet their feelings of remorse the drinker experiences after a period of time without a drink. |
Audrey Kishline
In June 2000, Audrey Kishline, the founder of Moderation Management (MM), caused an accident in Washington state in which two people were killed. Kishline plead guilty to drunk driving, after a breathalyzer test demonstrated that her blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.
Ironically, Moderation Management is an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous that promotes moderate drinking for problem drinkers. After this accident. Kishline later joined Alcoholics Anonymous.
| In the United States, roughly 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year, and approximately once every week, someone dies from this preventable condition. |
Caroline Knapp
Caroline Knapp, columnist and author, entered into an Alcoholics Anonymous rehabilitation program earlier in her life when she struggled with alcoholism.
Alcoholics Anonymous Celebrities: Conclusion
It is apparent from the above discussion that a number of well-known "stars" have experienced a variety of alcohol-related problems.
The VIPs who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are known as "Alcoholics Anonymous celebrities."
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| In simple economic terms, alcohol-related issues and problems in the United States cost society almost $200 billion per year. In human terms, the cost of the following alcohol-related issues cannot be calculated: fatalities, injuries, illnesses, broken homes, wife battering, and child abuse, failed health, and destroyed lives. |
