Ah, summer; a time to kick off your shoes, relax your feet, and…enter a rehab center?!
Apparently that’s the case in the entertainment biz as three high wattage stars admitted themselves in for treatment in posh rehab centers. The trend started on July 9th when Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Nick Carter appeared on Total Request Live to announce that groupmate AJ McLean, 23, had checked into an undisclosed 30-day rehabilitation program for what Richardson called McLean’s “depression, anxiety, and his excessive consumption of alcohol.”
News of the distressed celeb didn’t come without warning, however. AJ McLean, one of the BSB’s three lead vocalists and its resident rebel, had a counselor on tour with him since early June, at the urging of the other Backstreet Boys and their managers. His groupmates became worried about him when they saw him continue partying when they would go home at night, miss meetings and call times. A statement from the group added that a “key factor causing his depression” was the April death of his grandmother, who helped his mother raise him in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Coincidentally, word of McLean’s announcement comes just as the group is hitting a slump with the ADD-afflicted teen audience. While main competitors ‘N Sync have been flying high with the record-setting No Strings Attached, the just released Celebrity, and a successful stadium tour, BSB’s most recent album Black ‘ Blue has sold half of what its predecessor (Millennium) sold and has fallen out of the top 100 Billboard album chart. Moreover, the guys, who postponed more North American tour dates for a second time, bypassed the stadiums they’d played last summer for smaller arenas-and still failed to sell out most of their dates.
Even worse, the internal BSB’s woes have fueled speculation that the group might call it quits after the current tour although Carter told the TRL audience, “I don’t think there is an end to this group until one of us dies.”
Weeks later on July 26 news broke that pop diva Mariah Carey, 31, had checked into an unnamed New York-area hospital for “extreme exhaustion.” Just one day earlier, Carey had left cryptic audio messages posted on her official website rambling “I’m gonna take like a minute off” and yet assuring fans that “nothing’s wrong.”
For an artist whose multi-octave voice has propelled her to 15 No. 1 hits since her 1990 debut, the forced break comes at an inopportune time: She’s coping with a recent split from singer Luis Miguel, 31. Reactions to trailers from Carey’s new movie Glitter have drawn snickers from filmgoers. Pressure from the first disc in her reported $23.5 million-per-album deal with Virgin couldn’t have helped matters either. Reaction (both critically and commercially) to “Loverboy,” the advance single from the Glitter soundtrack, was downright pitiful. In fact, when Virgin released the song as a single they decided to slash prices to as low as 49 cents in some chains to boost sales (CD singles tend to retail around $3.99).
The trend continued on Aug. 3 when Ben Affleck, 29, voluntarily began treatment for alcohol abuse at Promises Malibu, a California facility. Affleck (whose father, Tim, is a recovering alcoholic and drug rehab counselor) isn’t in lockdown at the facility, however. He is allowed to leave the complex as long as a staff member accompanies him. Showing progress, Affleck even made an appearance at the August 12th taping of the Teen Choice Awards.
How will all of this affect each artist? The Backstreet Boys certainly have to fear for an aging fan base. Further postponement will likely hurt them more as interest in the group continues to wane. Optimistically, McLean’s rehab stint takes away the “boy band” gloss and shine they have tried to shed. Perhaps, the boys will actually find songs with meaning from this experience as material for their next album.
Mariah Carey has nothing to worry…yet. Her huge fan base is always there for her through thick and thin. Despite some aforementioned discounts nearing 88 percent, her avid fan base rushed out to support the “Loverboy” single and sent the song skyrocketing from No. 60 to No. 2 in just one week. The sympathy she’s drawn from the highly publicized bout of rehab may actually help the Sept. 11 release of Glitter, the soundtrack (which is also doubling as her next studio album), and the Sep. 21 release of the movie of the same name. Additionally, many in her camp dismiss speculation that she’s battling an addiction, which is always the toughest demon to conquer.
Ben Affleck may have a tougher time recovering. Despite having a full slate of film roles, Affleck has stated that he ends up getting into trouble when he’s not busy.
Other low profile celebs have also admitted themselves in clinics: After her arrest for lewd conduct and child endangerment (charges that she denies), comedian Paula Poundstone, 41, announced she was seeking treatment for alcoholism. Metallica delayed the recording of their next album so frontman James Hetfield, 38, could tackle his alcoholism.
One question lingers: should we feel bad for these stars? A handful of stars work through sleepless days (Carey reportedly sleeps a mere three hours a night), and drugs and alcohol are the substances that fill a hurtful void, especially when a star’s every move is followed day in and day out.
Still, the fortune of some of these celebs never allows them to hit rock bottom-which is an integral part to a full recovery. Celeb rehab centers, some of which charge $1,000 or more a day, are in the financial range of top celebrities and offer plush accommodations replete with perks. Furthermore, Hollywood always gives stars a second chance-only to find a short-lived recovery. So maybe the best solution to the growing problem is refusing stars a second chance.
