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  • Artie Lange Facing An Indefinite Stay In Rehab

    Artie Lange Facing An Indefinite Stay In Rehab

    “Artie is doing well and staying sober,” a source close to Lange has stated.

    Troubled comedian Artie Lange is facing an indefinite stay in rehab, according to a report by Radar Online.

    The new report contradicts a previous one that stated Lange would only be in rehab until the end of the summer, and despite all reports that he’s been “doing well and following the rules,” a release date for Lange to actually leave rehab has not been set.

    The comedian had been in rehab for reasons connected to his May arrest where the Essex County Sheriff’s Office found him in non-compliance with the conditions of his probation. His most recent round of legal troubles began in 2017 when he was hit with possession charges, resulting in a court order to attend a six-month addiction treatment program.

    Prior Legal Troubles

    Some people close to him think the arrest was the best thing that could have happened to him at the time. At least one source told Radar Online Lange was raring to go in a “self destruct mode,” doing anything he could to dodge drug court programs and jail time.

    “He knows he won’t survive drug court,” the source said. “So he’s going to party as much as he can until he gets thrown in jail or a year-long rehab.”

    Lange has long struggled with addiction. His troubles have led him to two suicide attempts, fleeing from interventions and relapses. Eventually, his substance abuse got in the way of his 10-year-long stint on The Howard Stern Show. The titular host of the show, Howard Stern, remained silent on the matter for a long time before opening up to Rolling Stone.

    “I’m very dismayed about where he’s at. I do care, but for a whole bunch of reasons that relationship had to stop,” Stern told the magazine. “Artie was on the show for 10 years. He’s a fantastic comedian. There’s nobody who could have sat in like that.”

    Community Service

    Lange seemed to be on an upward track, doing community service through a New Jersey-based treatment facility and passing all his drug tests, until he was arrested for non-compliance with the terms of his probation in May. Though his current rehab stint doesn’t have a set end date, he’s expected to leave some time in September to be transferred to New Jersey’s Hudson County Court to face judgement on his violations.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange "Doing Well," Back In Rehab After Probation Violation

    Artie Lange "Doing Well," Back In Rehab After Probation Violation

    Lange will reportedly stay in rehab until the end of summer. 

    Comedian Artie Lange, formerly of The Howard Stern Show, is reportedly “doing well” after being arrested for violating his probation following prosecution for heroin and cocain posession.

    Officials told Radar Online that Lange is “currently doing well and following the rules” and will be staying at a rehabilitation facility in Clinton Hill, New Jersey through the end of the summer.

    Legal Troubles

    Lange was arrested in May by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, who said that he was “non-compliant” with his probation in spite of reports that the comedian was doing great. His most recent legal troubles started in 2017 with the possession charges, which resulted in him being ordered into an intensive six-month addiction treatment program in March.

    The arrests may be the best thing for him, according to individuals close to Lange who reportedly spoke to Radar Online. One “insider” said that Lange was in “self-destruct mode” and was avoiding a drug court program that could have helped him avoid prison time so that he could continue to use drugs.

    “He knows he won’t survive drug court,” the source said. “So he’s going to party as much as he can until he gets thrown in jail or a year-long rehab.”

    This isn’t the first time Lange has been arrested for drug possession and gone to a rehab program. After developing an addiction to alcohol and cocaine early in his comedy career, he attempted suicide in 1995 after running out of the stimulant and entered rehab and counseling.

    Artie’s History

    He then suffered a relapse in late 1996 and was arrested after fleeing an intervention staged by his fellow Mad TV cast members. He swore off cocaine in 1997, but continued to struggle with alcohol and opioid addiction, relapses, and mental illness, including another suicide attempt in 2010.

    Lange’s continuing struggles with addiction resulted in his leaving The Howard Stern Show after 10 years. In a Rolling Stone interview published in May, Stern finally opened up about his concern for his former co-host and friend’s health and state of mind after so many years of fighting an intense drug problem.

    “I’m very dismayed about where he’s at. I do care, but for a whole bunch of reasons that relationship had to stop,” Stern said. “Artie was on the show for 10 years. He’s a fantastic comedian. There’s nobody who could have sat in like that.”

    After his 2017 arrest, Lange often posted happy videos of himself doing his court-ordered community service work, giving the impression that all was well. However, Radar Online sources have said that the comedian’s health has been in decline due to his diabetes.

    “He’s had to have medical assistance several times already for his diabetes,” a source reported.

    Hopefully, the latest reports that he’s doing well will prove to be true.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Howard Stern "Very Sad" About Former Sidekick Artie Lange

    Howard Stern "Very Sad" About Former Sidekick Artie Lange

    The shock jock wishes the best for Lange, who is doing community service following a 2018 drug conviction.

    Radio host Howard Stern is sad about what’s happening with Artie Lange, according to the New York Times Magazine. On what has been a rocky journey between drug abuse and recovery, Lange is doing community service for a 2018 heroin possession charge.

    “I choose my words about Artie carefully, because I love him,” said Stern. “What’s happening with Artie makes me very sad.”

    Lange has long struggled with substance abuse, evident in his deviated septum that was a result of years of cocaine and heroin abuse.

    In 2009, Lange was asked to leave The Howard Stern Show over his excessive drug use. The next year, Lange attempted to commit suicide by drinking bleach and repeatedly stabbing himself in the stomach.

    “We’ve lost touch, and that’s my doing. I got my fingers crossed for the guy. And it wasn’t a clean break. It was many years of wanting Artie to get help.”

    Eventually, the split between Lange and the show was made permanent.

    “I know that a lot of fans want me to talk about Artie and feel it’s a cop-out for me not to,” commented Stern. “I’ll take that. I don’t want to do anything that would rock his boat. I get sad talking about Artie. He was a tremendous contributor. But we had to move on.”

    Lange’s fellow comedians urged him to get help as he struggled.

    “Artie, this is my 1000th request over decades to beg you to surrender to your addictions,” tweeted Richard Lewis. “We had the most laughs sober. I love you. You’re beloved and a magnificent comedian cursed with self loathing and fear. Give it up and live.”

    Comedian Jackie Martling also said his piece.

    “coming up to 18 years [sober] in May. in early 2001 I’d have laughed at the idea of not drinking for 18 *days.* Art, I know you know the laughs are just as hearty on this side. I love you and am of course 100% in your very crowded corner,” he tweeted.

    As for Lange, he passed a message to his fans through his Twitter team.

    “It’s true i’m working to satisfy my drug court program. I work with great people. Nothing wrong with a little hard work. Love you all and can’t wait to be back on stage,” Lange said, according to the tweet.

    A representative for Lange confirmed that “this is work Artie is doing as part of his [New Jersey] drug court case. He is working with a refuse company daily as he continues treatment.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange "Doing Well" In Recovery, Working On Court-Ordered Community Service

    Artie Lange "Doing Well" In Recovery, Working On Court-Ordered Community Service

    One of Lange’s close friends released a video of the comedian participating in his court-ordered community service.

    Artie Lange appears to be making positive progress in early recovery after being taken into custody in January, when he tested positive for both morphine and cocaine. 

    Lange, a 51-year-old actor and comedian known for his roles on the Howard Stern Show and Mad TV, has long struggled with substance use disorder. At the time of his arrest, he was ordered to take part in mandatory drug rehab, Consequence of Sound reports.  

    A few days ago, Russ Meneve, a friend of Lange’s, tweeted a video of the actor cleaning up garbage as part of his community service and treatment. 

    “Just spoke to one of my greatest friends, Artie Lange, who’s doin’ great in recovery and asked me to share this vid of him “on the job” !!” his tweet read. “He looks great and will be back soon. Stay tuned and keep rootin’ for a truly great human being…we love ya, Art.”

    In the shared video, Lange says to Meneve, “You’re going to keep this quiet, right, I’m sure.” 

    Meneve responds, “Absolutely. No one will ever know, ” to which Lange replies “I love you!” and “Take care.”

    The video was also shared on Lange’s Twitter account, which read “We heard from Artie this morning, HA!” then added this snipped from Lange: “It’s true i’m working to satisfy my drug court program. I work with great people. Nothing wrong with a little hard work. Love you all and can’t wait to be back on stage.”

    According to Page Six, Lange’s rep has verified that “this is work Artie is doing as part of his [New Jersey] drug court case. He is working with a refuse company daily as he continues treatment.”

    This was not the actor’s first run-in with drug-related trouble. Last June, Lange was given four years of probation, 50 hours of community service and was instructed to attend outpatient treatment. Despite the charges, he was not given any jail time.

    “The judge and Prosecutor were unbelievably compassionate,” Lange tweeted at the time. “I’m not high. So I see it clearly now. They wanna save my life. 10 days ago when I left rehab I had to touch the flame. I used Cocaine.”

    Lange has been fairly open about his struggles. In December last year, he posted a photo of his nose on Instagram and called it “hideously deformed.” The reason for that, Fox News reported at the time, was accidentally snorting broken glass that had been mixed with Oxycontin. 

    At the time, some of Lange’s friends reached out on Twitter. 

    “Artie, this is my 1000th request over decades to beg you to surrender to your addictions,” Richard Lewis tweeted. “We had the most laughs sober. I love you. You’re beloved and a magnificent comedian cursed with self loathing and fear. Give it up and live.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange Living in New Jersey Sober House

    Artie Lange Living in New Jersey Sober House

    The comic has been living in the halfway house for the past two months, according to a New Jersey prosecutor. 

    Reports have surfaced that comedian Artie Lange has spent the last two months at a sober house in New Jersey while he awaits a scheduled court appearance.

    Radar Online posted an item that stated the 51-year-old comedian was ordered to the facility after being sent to jail in January 2019 for testing positive for cocaine and morphine.

    At the time of the arrest, Lange’s legal counsel hoped that he could be moved to an inpatient drug treatment program after his case was reevaluated on February 6. The Radar report quoted an “insider” who said that Lange “looked good” when he was spotted at the wake for a high school friend this month.

    As reported by numerous media sources, Lange was booked into the Essex County Jail after testing positive for cocaine and morphine, which he was using to treat opioid dependence. Lange had previously tested positive for cocaine and other substances during a court visit for probation violation in December 2018.

    According to a now-deleted post by “Team Lange” on the comedian’s Twitter feed, Lange was booked into Essex County to “sober up before transferring to a long term treatment facility.”

    Lange’s lawyer, Frank Arleo, was quoted as saying that his client “knows he shouldn’t have tested dirty, but he did,” and added that the primary concern after the February 6 evaluation was “finding a bed at an inpatient facility.”

    According to Radar, Lange is expected to stay at the sober house until his next court appearance, which is yet to be scheduled. But the entertainment news site quoted an unnamed “insider” who reported seeing Lange at a wake in Union City, New Jersey for a high school friend.

    “Artie looked good. He looked healthy,” said the insider, who also noted that the deceased friend had also struggled with substance dependency.

    Lange was in and out of court and rehab facilities for the better part of 2018, including a June hearing where he received four years’ probation for a 2017 arrest on drug charges.

    He returned to court in December for violating that sentence, and tested positive for cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and Suboxone, but avoided jail time when the presiding judge recommended Lange for drug court and community service. He tested positive again in January 2019.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange Sobering Up In Jail Before Entering Long-Term Treatment

    Artie Lange Sobering Up In Jail Before Entering Long-Term Treatment

    The comedian reportedly tested positive for cocaine and morphine prior to entering the correctional facility. 

    Comedian Artie Lange was booked into a New Jersey jail after testing positive for cocaine, and is expected to enter a long-term treatment program, according to his legal representative.

    According to posts from “Team Lange” on his Twitter account, Lange entered the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark on January 30 after testing positive for both cocaine and morphine; the incident comes less than two months after he tested positive for cocaine and other substances during a court visit for probation violation in December 2018.

    Lange’s lawyer, Frank Arleo, said that the Crashing actor could be at Essex County through February 6, and expected that Lange would be moved to an inpatient drug treatment program soon after.

    The first post on January 30 from “Team Lange” read that Lange would be undergoing a long-term treatment program “starting today,” and promised updates before capping the post with the words, “It’s time.”

    Lange had been booked into, but not sentenced, at Essex County Jail that same day, and remanded to state Superior Court in Newark, where he was given a drug test. Team Lange’s next post on January 31 noted that “the comments made by Artie’s lawyer have been taken out of context”—meaning that he had not been arrested or sent to jail, but had been booked for “a few days to sober up before transferring him to a long term treatment facility.”

    The post concluded with the statement, “Artie needs us to be with him, not against him.”

    Arleo said that his client “knows he shouldn’t have tested dirty, but he did. He knew what was going to happen.” Arleo added that Lange’s case is due to be evaluated on February 6, and going forward, the primary concern will be “finding a bed at an inpatient facility” for Lange.

    Lange tested positive for cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and Suboxone during a December 14, 2018 court appearance for a 2017 probation violation. At the time, Arleo said that Lange had prescriptions for the amphetamines and benzodiazepines, and was using Suboxone to treat his opioid dependency. Lange avoided jail time when the presiding judge recommended that Arleo apply for Lange’s admission to drug court and complete community service in addition to the four years of probation for the 2017 violation.

    In December 2017, Lange tweeted, “I feel now I can also stop Cocaine [sic]. But that’s arrogance and addiction. I’m accepting help. If I fail now I will go to jail. Jail is not for addicts. But I’d be giving them no choice. When I use illegal drugs I have to score them. That’s breaking the law.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange Admits To Using Cocaine Post-Rehab

    Artie Lange Admits To Using Cocaine Post-Rehab

    After being tested in court, Artie Lange revealed that he has relapsed but is currently 10 days clean.

    Troubled comedian Artie Lange has had a well-known and lengthy history with substance abuse. Lange has been very open about his struggles throughout his life, and while he celebrated “18 days clean” on social media last month, he’s now confessing that he’s used cocaine since leaving rehab.

    A year ago, Lange pleaded guilty to possessing 81 bags of heroin, and he received four years probation. (After sentencing, Lange tweeted, “4 yrs [sic] probation is a long time.”)

    On December 14, Lange tweeted, “Today in court they drug tested me. For the last decade or more they’d have found both Heroin and Cocaine. With the help of in my eyes a miracle legal medication called Suboxen [sic] I tested negative for Heroin. I haven’t used Heroin in 41 days. . . . That’s a prison that for now I’m out of. It’s also the reason I’m not in jail.” Yet he added, “10 days ago when I left rehab I had to touch the flame. I used Cocaine. . . .”

    Lange added that the cocaine “should’ve left my system. But a higher power wouldn’t let [it]. I’m a bad addict. I had to see if I could get high. It was awful.”

    While Lange tweeted that “the judge and prosecutor were unbelievably compassionate,” and “they wanna save my life,” he said they are also making him “apply for a very strict rehab type program called Drug Court.”

    As he’s realized before, Lange knows he’s got a long road ahead of him. “I have work to do. I feel now I can also stop Cocaine. But that’s arrogance and addiction. I’m accepting help. If I fail now I will go to jail. Jail is not for addicts. But I’d be giving them no choice. When I use illegal drugs I have to score them. That’s breaking the law.”

    As his tweetstorm started winding down, Lange grew even more serious and asked his fans to “pray for me. So no lies. I have 10 days clean . . . But know that though I made progress & got rid of Heroin I still have not hit a homerun. But guys I got on base. I moved ahead. I wanna help ppl . . . Hopefully I survive to help others . . . But I’m working on me too. It’s the only thing worth while now.”

     

    View the original article at thefix.com