Among the well-known faces who appeared on the first season of VH1's heartbreaking reality series 'Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew,' one looked especially familiar. But his body, formerly so agile, resembled that of a hunched-over (albeit youngish-looking) old man. It was the once-vibrant 'Taxi' actor Jeff Conaway, who looked like he's had a rough time of it since his glory days. Sadly, his first season on the show was torturous, and he returned forseason 2 to combat drug addiction once again after a number of surgeries.
For three seasons now, doctor-to-the-stars Drew Pinsky has helped everyone from former wrestlers to adult film stars kick their destructive drug habits, some attempts more successful than others. Conaway's is just one of many ongoing recovery stories resulting from the show.
Last January, Jeff broke his hip in a fall and was so ill he requested a Viking funeral. His ever-present girlfriend Vikki Lizzi said his prognosis looked grim and that Jeff wanted to die at home. But in mid-March, Jeff, in a better frame of mind after recuperating from yet another surgery, gave an exclusive interview to E! News. "I'm not gonna be really happy until I'm drug free," he said. "You can't imagine how badly I want this. I spent a good part of my life on substances -- alcohol, pot, cocaine -- [and] I've just had it. I don't want to live in a fantasy world."
The VH1-viewing public first met beauty queen Kari Ann Peniche on 'Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew', only to see her later appear on both 'Celebrity Rehab' and 'Sober House'. After watching her hate her way through the cast, medical staff and crew, it was shocking to learn that Peniche actually bonded enough with castmate Mindy McCready that she let the country star stay at her house. Apparently their relationship wasn't so great after all, however, because Peniche alleged that McCready paid her back by releasing a Hollywood sex tape of Biblical proportions that was kept on Peniche's hard drive. Peniche has since aired her feelings about rehab and the show in a blog posted on her MySpace page.
McCready's recent May 25th hospital visit stirred up a possible overdose or suicide attempt in the headlines, only to later be denied as an adverse reaction to a painkiller. McCready claimed the entire episode might have been a plot by her mother to bolster allegations that she is an unfit mother in an ongoing custody battle over her son. On a positive note, in March, Mindy released her first album in eight years, 'I'm Still Here', to rave reviews.
The MVP for all-around best comeback goes to season 2's Steven Adler, formerly of 'Guns N' Roses.' What a difference between his first appearance on 'Celebrity Rehab' and his subsequent stay at 'Sober House with Dr. Drew' -- once full of anger and on the fence about his sobriety, even getting kicked out of the titular sober house, Adler appeared on the second season finale of 'Sober House' in much better shape. During the 'School of Rock' concert, helmed by three-year-sober ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, Adler breezed in, shoulders back, chest out, with an air of confidence. He was once again ready to take the stage. Not only is Adler back on the road touring this summer with his band 'Adler's Appetite;' his tell-all biography, 'My Appetite For Destruction: Sex, Drugs & Guns N' Roses,' was released Tuesday through Harper Collins.
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