John Mulaney’s ‘Relapse Got Ugly’ Before He Finally Decided To Go To Rehab

Dec 23, 2020

John Mulaney’s family can breathe a sigh of relief now that he’s checked himself into rehab.

As we reported, the 38-year-old is seeking treatment for cocaine and alcohol abuse at a 60-day program in Pennsylvania after relapsing, reportedly due to the stress and excessive downtime from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The comedian had been sober for 15 years, but according to an Us Weekly source, his recent relapse was “ugly,” and the actor’s choice to seek treatment ultimately “saved his life.” So naturally, John’s family is happy to see him take this brave step — particularly his wife, Annamarie Tendler. The source explained:

“It was a relief to his wife and family that he checked in. It was John’s decision. Plain and simple, John had too much downtime. He had too much time in his own head…”

Sounds awful. And far too common this year! Thankfully Mulaney realized things were out of control — but not before it got bad. The insider says:

“John has always been engaged in his sobriety. The relapse got ugly, but it was his choice to go to rehab, which saved his life.”

Wow!

Sounds like Mulaney got caught in a spiral despite his best efforts to stay productive during the COVID-19 crisis. One month before going to rehab, the former Saturday Night Live writer revealed he got so restless at home that he joined the writing staff at Late Night With Seth Meyers, explaining during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!:

“I really needed a job. One, I like having a boss, I like having assignments to do. When I’m in charge of something, [it’s] not so much the best thing. I wanted to have a boss and I wanted to have structure. Because my psychiatrist, who knows me well, said, ‘Without external structure, I don’t have confidence in you thriving.’”

Sadly, that external structure apparently wasn’t enough to keep the Big Mouth star from relapsing.

While John has yet to speak out about his recent relapse, he has been open about his drug use in the past. In 2019, the Chicago native told Esquire that he started drinking and using drugs as a teenager before quitting cold turkey at age 23, sharing:

“I drank for attention. I was really outgoing, and then at 12, I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to act. And then I was drinking, and I was hilarious again.”

Mulaney said he decided to stop using cocaine after going on a “bender” in mid-2005, sharing:

“It was just crazy. A weekend that was… there were… I’m never going to tell you. That’s mine. I didn’t kill anyone or assault anyone. But yeah, I was like, ‘You’re f**king out of control.’ And I thought to myself, ‘I don’t like this guy anymore. I’m not rooting for him.’”

Last year, Mulaney publicly encouraged fellow comedian Pete Davidson to pursue a sober lifestyle after the younger standup dealt with substance abuse issues of his own. During a January 2019 Weekend Update segment on SNL, he told the 27-year-old that “you can have a life in comedy that is not insane.”

We hope John takes his own advice and works toward a better, healthier lifestyle.

[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]

Addiction