Andy Dick is opening up about an apparent overdose he suffered in December.
Key Points
Dick revealed on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast that his heart stopped during the ordeal, that he was "not breathing," and a CAT scan showed he has "5 to 7 holes" in his brain.
The comedian was eventually admitted to rehab after video of the apparent overdose that troubled fans showed him slumped over and unresponsive on a Los Angeles sidewalk.
Andy Dickis opening up about anapparent overdosehe suffered in December.
The comedian andNewsRadiostar has not spoken much about the incident, which was captured on video originally published byTMZ. That video showed Dick slumped over and unresponsive in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Dec. 9 with his glasses fallen from his face, while others at the scene called an ambulance and attempted to help him gain consciousness.
Dick appeared on theHowie Mandel Does Stuffpodcast on Tuesday, where Mandel pressed him for more details on what happened, how it happened, and what his health looks like now.
"You were dead. Were you dead?" theAmerica's Got Talentjudge asked. "Yeah," Dick responded, but before he could elaborate, Mandel wanted to know more.
"Did your heart stop, like legitimately, clinically dead?" Mandel insisted. Dick responded that his heart did stop, saying he went "purple" and was "not breathing."
"As everyone knows, Andy has been battling his addictions for years. There was an incident this past December, but I am happy to report that Andy is healthy, sober and doing great!" a representative for Dick toldEntertainment Weeklyon Tuesday.
On the podcast, Dick said he has no memory of the experience.
"There were no bright lights — I wish, I'd go back," he joked. His first recollection of the day came when he was "waking up in the ambulance."
He explained that the man who can be seen in the video helping him sit up and calling emergency services is Adam Carbone, the director of a documentary chronicling his rocky journey to sobriety. Though Dick said he didn't know who gave him the drug that caused such an intense reaction, nor does he know what the drug is, Carbone, who also joined Dick in Mandel's studio, explained that "the guy who he got the drug from had NARCAN."
NARCAN is an over-the-counter nasal spray designed to counteract the onset of an opioid overdose.
Advertisement
Dick now resides in a sober living community, he revealed, where you're "not allowed to" use substances, and where "they drug test you."
Still, Mandel asked him if he was high because he seemed "out of it a little." Dick explained that both his energy levels and his memory have been impacted by years of substance use: "They did a CAT scan thing, or whatever they call it in your brain, and I have all these — there's about five to seven holes."
In his statement toEntertainment Weekly, Dick's representative clarified, "The issue with his brain is from the 2019 attack that almost killed Andy when an unprovoked attacker cold cocked Andy while he was outside of the club he and Paris Dylan had just performed. We are assured that his brain will heal."
A separate representative for Dick used the same language to describe the incident to NBC New Orleans affiliateKPLC 7in 2019, that Dick was standing in front of French Quarter club One Eyed Jack's after a show "when the guy cold cocked him while he was talking to someone... Andy's head fell into the wall, then fell into the motorcycle, then cracked on the cement."
Footagecapturing the incident was eventually released and a suspect was apprehended, but thecase was eventually dropped.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.
When repeatedly pushed to answer why he turns to substances like drugs and alcohol, Dick said, "Boredom. I get bored easily, and and it sounds dumb and it's just an excuse... But it's a problem."
A representative for Dicktold PEOPLEin late January that the comedian was "out of rehab," "sober," and has a lot to look forward to. Dick's daughter Meg with ex Lena Sved is pregnant, which means he's expecting his first grandchild.
Watch Dick's full appearance onHowie Mandel Does Stuffabove.
Updated: This article has been edited to include a statement from Dick's representative and information on injuries Dick sustained from a 2019 attack.
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly