Coming clean on TV

A symbol of police brutality in 1991, Rodney King is appearing on TV to show he has overcome his addiction

A symbol of police brutality in 1991, Rodney King is appearing on TV to show he has overcome his addiction
On prominent display in Rodney King8217;s suburban Rialto, California, home is a framed photograph8212;a reminder of his role in one of the most incendiary chapters in Los Angeles history. The close-up of a bulky, nervous King was taken during a 1992 news conference days after violence swept across the city following the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers who were charged with violating King8217;s civil rights. King made his memorable plea for calm amid rioting that ultimately led to 54 deaths, more than 2,300 injuries and 12,000 arrests: 8220;People, I just want to say8212;Can we all get along?8221;

In the more than 16 years since, King continues to ask himself that very same question. He is again putting himself8212;and his demons8212;front and centre in VH18217;s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which launches its second season October 23. The series is billed as television8217;s first examination of the rehabilitation process and features Drew Pinsky, the low-key celebrity physician who is well known for his radio call-in show, Loveline.

King said he appeared on the show to demonstrate that he has reformed. 8220;Over the years, a lot of rappers8212;Lil8217; Wayne, Ice Cube8212;have used my name in their songs,8221; said the 43-year-old King, who had his first drink when he was 8. 8220;But they don8217;t know me as a person. Putting myself out there is a good way for me to overcome the addiction.8221;

8220;Waking up sober is a good day,8221; said King as he relaxed in the home he shares with his fiancee, Dawn Jean, whom he has been with for six years. 8220;I love being able to wake up and do positive things, to go to the gym.8221; He also works with teenagers, coaching baseball for the city8217;s recreation and parks department. He blames his alcoholism for much of his legal problems, which have included at least six arrests, including two for drunken driving and two for domestic abuse involving his former wife, his mother and one of his daughters. He has served more than 300 days in jail.

King voluteered to have his more negative side exposed for Celebrity Rehab. Last season8217;s patients included Jeff Conaway Taxi, Grease, Brigitte Nielsen Rocky IV and Daniel Baldwin The Sopranos. The show also sparked controversy about the ethics of violating the privacy of rehab patients. The participants are filmed by hidden cameras throughout the facility and camera crews 24 hours a day as they go through a 21-day programme at a Pasadena residential treatment facility.

When King is first seen, he is a man on the edge. 8220;I love alcohol, that8217;s what I do,8221; he says and pours a beer down his throat. It was an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor who referred him to the show. King8217;s first hours at the Pasadena centre were awkward. In the early episodes he is often separated from the group. Indeed, some of his fellow participants aren8217;t sure who he is8212;one thinks he8217;s an athlete, others believe he was in Boyz N the Hood.
John Irwin, an executive producer of the series, said, 8220;The first time I met Rodney, he was high as a kite. He is a different person now. He has a heart of gold.8221;
_Greg Braxton, LATWP