Celebs 12-Step Their Way to Drew’s Rehab
When acting more like Gary Busey is something celebrities are striving to do, you know you’re in for a good season of reality TV.
Busey will be serving as a mentor for the likes of Jeff Conway (returning for his second go-round), Sean “Son of Rod” Stewart, model Amber Smith, actress Tawny Kitaen, first-season American Idol finalist Nikki McKibbin, Guns N’ Roses rocker Steven Adler and Rodney King (yes, that Rodney King) for the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
In addition to the behavior therapy and direction of Dr. Drew Pinsky, this year’s batch of wannabe sober celebs will receive mentorship from “been there, done that” star Busey.
Despite public perception (see: his Jennifer Garner-scaring red carpet travails), Busey has been clean of his cocaine addiction for the past 13 years and will work with the stars to help them on their journey to recovery.
The series will consist of eight hourlong episodes and chronicle the participants’ intensive 21-day stint through individual and group therapies, both traditional and other.
Helping their argument to prove the cable net isn’t just out to exploit the sobriety-challenged participants, following the completion of the three-week program, as always, VH1 will encourage the celebs to continue for at least three months in a treatment facility, with the cable net ready and willing to foot the bill.
The new season kicks off in October.
Idol has its claws in David Archuleta
David Archuleta is American Idol’s bitch. Like the other contestants, he signed an incredibly restrictive contract. All of his public appearances and performances are closely monitored and approved by AI managers.
That became painfully clear for Archuleta and his rabid fans in Salt Lake City this week when the runner-up was forced to cancel a ’Thank You’ concert. It was to be this Friday night and the proceeds were to go to charity. But American Idol nixed the whole thing because of Archuleta’s “contractual obligations” to the show. It was an Idol-sanctioned event. Plus, Archuleta is scheduled to begin touring with his co-contestants on Saturday.
American Idol has a notorious contract. Clay Aiken was able to get out of his, but only with the help of a tough attorney. And remember Mario Vazquez? He was Top 12, but then quit the show reportedly because of the contract that, among other things, wouldn’t let him sign any deals until at least three months after the winner was crowned.
A few years ago, a writer at Salon.com reviewed the first season contract and concluded it was so restrictive that the contestants’ careers were “literally not their own.”
Jen and "Player" Mayer: Backdating the Romance
Perhaps all our clucking about whether Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer were plunging too swiftly into the shallow end of the love pool was waaay off the mark. Because now the uncouth sleuths at the New York Post’s Page Six column are reporting that notoriously reclusive Jen and notoriously not-reclusive John had been secretly seeing each other for at least three months before their recent public splash together.
The Post’s super snooper source says, “They’d been keeping it under wraps and hiding out together on their dates. Then Jen realized it wasn’t just a fling and decided to take it public.”
We think we know what happens next: Three months from now somebody will leak the information that these two broke up three months ago because their busy schedules made it impossible for them to keep love alive. So sad, on so many levels.