Comedian John Mulaney has checked into rehab, Vulture has confirmed. As previously reported by “Page Six†and People, the stand-up comedian recently checked into a rehab facility in Pennsylvania to seek treatment for his struggles with alcohol and cocaine, which he has been open about in interviews and his stand-up. According to the “Page Six†report, an anonymous source said Mulaney is “onboard with his recovery†and “not fighting against rehab†and that his “friends and family are happy that he’s finally getting some help and focusing on his health.â€
Speaking to Esquire in 2019, Mulaney got candid about his struggles with addiction, which began with drinking in his early teenage years and progressed to cocaine in his early 20s. “I drank for attention,†he said. “I was really outgoing, and then at twelve, I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to act. And then I was drinking, and I was hilarious again … I never liked smoking pot. Then I tried cocaine, and I loved it. I wasn’t a good athlete, so maybe it was some young male thing of This is the physical feat I can do. Three Vicodin and a tequila and I’m still standing. Who’s the athlete now?†By 23, Mulaney got sober. “I was like, You’re fucking out of control,†he told Esquire while looking back on the experience. “And I thought to myself, I don’t like this guy anymore. I’m not rooting for him.â€
Mulaney most recently hosted Saturday Night Live in November, just before the election. Soon after, he surprised us all with an unexpected new comedy gig: working as a writer-performer on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers. Speaking with Jimmy Kimmel about his Late Night appearances in early December, Mulaney explained that it was all inspired by his psychiatrist telling him that he needed structure. “I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for the job,†Mulaney told Kimmel at the time. “Rather than [Seth Meyers] saying to me, ‘John, you’re clearly going through something, but your jokes are terrible,’ he’s given me a couple segments to come on and do what I wrote, and those have been really, really fun.â€
Here’s hoping Mulaney is getting the help he needs.