Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum says he’s entering rehab days after Miami Beach police were called to a hotel room where a man overdosed on what appeared to be crystal meth and Gillum was present.
In a statement sent Sunday, the former Democratic gubernatorial nominee said, “this has been a wake-up call for me.”
According to a police report, first revealed by conservative activist Candace Owens on twitter, a man, Aldo Mejias, arrived at a hotel room where Gillum and another man, Travis Dyson, were present. Dyson opened the door for Mejias and then collapsed on the floor. Gillum was throwing up in the bathroom. Mejias called first responders to assist Dyson who was in the midst of a suspected drug overdose. He was stabilized and transported taken to a hospital.
When police arrived, Gillum appeared inebriated and unable to communicate with officers.
When officers returned later for a welfare check, Gillum was stable in stable condition and left the room.
In a statement shortly after the incident, Gillum said he was in Miami for a wedding celebration “when first responders were called to assist one of my friends. While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines. I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”
On Sunday, Gillum issued a follow-up statement, explaining his decision to enter a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism. The former mayor and current CNN commentator says after the election he became depressed which 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.”
Gillum scored an upset in the 2018 Democratic primary by defeating former Congresswoman and presumed front runner, Gwen Graham. He came within 30,000 votes of becoming Florida's first black governor but lost the race to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gillum's name appeared on an initial list of running mates for Hilary Clinton in 2016.
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