Dr. Drew Apologizes After Tom Cruise’s Lawyer Calls His Comments On Actor ‘Ridiculous
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FIRST PUBLISHED: June 12, 2008 5:39 PM EDT
LAST UPDATED: June 12, 2008 11:06 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
“Celebrity Rehab’s” Dr. Drew Pinsky has apologized to film star Tom Cruise over comments he made in the July issue of Playboy.
Bert Fields, Cruise’s attorney, claimed Dr. Drew, a board certified specialist in addiction medicine, should be “ashamed of himself” for statements the doctor made in the Q&A section of the magazine related to the star.
“No competent professional would ever pretend to diagnose anyone he’s never met,” Fields said in a statement. “[Pinsky’s] opinions are ridiculous. He’s out to use names of celebs to attract attention to his television show. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Pinsky, who for over two decades has served as the medical expert on the radio show “Loveline,” was asked by Playboy interviewer David Hochman how people end up “screwed up” in adulthood. After suggesting such things occur based on abuse in childhood, Pinsky brought up Cruise.
“A lot of people in the public eye who behave strangely have mental illness we can learn from, and much of it is based on childhood trauma, without a doubt. Take a guy like Tom Cruise. Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology?” Dr. Drew said. “To me, that’s a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood – maybe some abuse but mostly neglect. If you feel completely empty and suddenly you find a family that fills you in a deep and spiritual way, you will go in that direction.”
Pinsky went on to suggest Cruise’s promotion of Scientology was worrisome.
“His taking that narrow base of expertise and using it to influence so many people is a dangerous combination,” Pinsky told Playboy. “But he is just gratifying his emptiness.”
Following Fields’ statement slamming Pinsky’s comments, the doctor released a statement of his own through a rep, apologizing for his remarks, if they caused offense.
“Dr. Drew meant no harm to Mr. Cruise and apologizes if his comments were hurtful,” the statement read. “Although [Mr. Fields’] intent is clearly to slander and discredit Dr. Drew, under no circumstances is Dr. Drew making a blanket diagnosis about Scientology nor Mr. Cruise whom he does not know. Dr. Drew was simply using Mr. Cruise as an example of someone who is recognizable to help the public understand. Again, Dr. Drew meant him no harm.”
Copyright 2009 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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