Andrew Gillum said Sunday he will voluntarily enter a rehabilitation facility.
The announcement came two days after police found him “inebriated” in a Miami Beach hotel room, where officers discovered three baggies of what was believed to be crystal meth when Gillum’s male companion overdosed.
The CNN contributor and former Florida gubernatorial candidate said Sunday night he decided to seek help following what he described as a “wake-up call.”
“After conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time,” Gillum said in a statement to the media. “This has been a wake-up call for me. Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse.”
Related Story: Florida Politician Andrew Gillum Linked to Suspected Meth Overdose in Hotel
The former Tallahassee mayor went on to apologize to his family and friends, and said he would be stepping down from CNN.
“I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future,” he said. “I want to apologize to my family, friends and the people of Florida who have supported me and put their faith in me over the years. I ask that you respect my and my family’s privacy during this time.”
Police and paramedics responded to the Mondrian South Beach Friday around 1 a.m. after a 30-year-old man named Travis Dyson overdosed. Dyson was given CPR and taken to an area hospital in stable condition. Gillum was named in the police report, but was said to be too “inebriated” to speak with officers.
The report said Gillum was found vomiting in the bathroom. A third man was also in the room and described the details of what happened to police.
Once Gillum was checked out by paramedics, he was allowed to leave the hotel and was not charged. Gillum said in a previous statement that he was in Miami Beach for a wedding and did not use illegal drugs, but had too much to drink.
The married father-of-three was considered a rising star in the Democratic party after he became
Florida’s first African-American nominee for governor when he won the state’s Democratic primary in 2018. He narrowly lost the general election later that year to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Read Gillum’s Full Statement Below:
“After conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time. This has been a wake-up call for me. Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse. I witnessed my father suffer from alcoholism and I know the damaging effects it can have when untreated. I also know that alcoholism is often a symptom of deeper struggles. I am committed to doing the personal work to heal fully and show up in the world as a more complete person.
I now need to firmly focus on myself and my family. I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future. I want to apologize to my family, friends and the people of Florida who have supported me and put their faith in me over the years. I ask that you respect my and my family’s privacy during this time.”
