CNN Contributor Andrew Gillum announced that he will be entering rehab for alcohol addiction after being found incoherently drunk in a Miami hotel room where crystal meth was also found. The 40-year-old Democrat called the incident 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 on Sunday.
In 2018, Andrew Gillum became one of the central figures for African-Americans in politics when he ran for Governor of Florida against Ron Desantis.
Despite a campaign that had the attention of the nation, Gillum lost a close election to his Republican opponent which the former Mayor says led to depression and an addiction to alcohol.
After his narrow loss in the Gubernatorial race, Gillum was hired by CNN as a political contributor and was often on panels alongside Angela Rye, Journalist April Ryan and former South Carolina Representative Bakari Sellers.
While in rehab, Gillum says that he will step away from politics to focus on a full recovery.