Critics blast ‘Celebrity Rehab’ doctor

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Critics blast ‘Celebrity Rehab’ doctor

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Mindy McCready

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The apparent suicide of country singer Mindy McCready makes her the fifth troubled cast member of the “Celebrity Rehab’’ reality TV series to die since appearing on the show, stoking rumors of a curse and a debate about the show’s role.

Criticism of TV host Dr. Drew Pinsky spread on the Internet almost as quickly as news of McCready’s death.

While many noted that Drew took on difficult cases, others rendered stark judgment. Singer Richard Marx on Twitter compared Pinsky to Dr. Kevorkian, the so-called suicide doctor who is said to have assisted in voluntary euthanasia of 130 gravely ill people: “Same results.’’

Marx backed off later Monday, saying the crack went too far. But he restated his thoughts in a way that summed up much of the reaction in the 24 hours since the 37-year-old McCready’s death Sunday afternoon in Arkansas.

“It is, however, my opinion that what Dr. D does is exploitation and his TV track record is not good,’’ Marx wrote.

VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew’’ is not currently on the air. Pinsky switched his focus to noncelebrities in Season 6 last fall and changed the title to “Rehab.’’ The show spawned two spinoffs, “Sober House’’ and “Sex Rehab.’’

Season 3, shot in 2009, featured McCready, former NBA star Dennis Rodman, actors Tom Sizemore and Mackenzie Phillips, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss and a handful of lesser known celebrity types.

“My heart is breaking. Rest in peace dear friend,’’ Phillips said Monday on Twitter.

McCready was a sympathetic character on the show and appeared to be far less damaged than her fellow cast members, some of whom experienced fairly graphic symptoms of opiate withdrawal in front of the cameras. McCready suffered a seizure while on the show, further endearing her to Pinsky and the others.

Pinsky diagnosed her with “love addiction’’ during the series’ run and called her an “angel’’ in the finale. In an interview several months later, he said McCready had a good shot at recovery if she remained in treatment.

Three years later, she’s dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head. McCready walked away from treatment several days ago after her father asked a judge to intervene. Her body was found on the front porch of a home she shared with longtime boyfriend David Wilson, who appears to have killed himself in the same spot last month. AP
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