Andrew Gillum Addresses Depression, Alcoholism

Andrew Gillum Addresses Depression, Alcoholism

By The News Service of Florida

Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum emerged Monday from self-imposed political exile with a social media post addressing depression and alcoholism after a March incident involving a man who reportedly overdosed in a South Beach hotel room.

According to a police report, Gillum, who was in the room where suspected crystal meth was found, was “unable to communicate with officers due to his inebriated state.” After the March 12 episode, Gillum announced that he was going to a rehabilitation facility to deal with alcohol abuse.

In an 11-minute video posted Monday on Instagram, Gillum — once viewed as a rising star on the national political scene — spoke about the impact of losing the 2018 governor’s race to Republican Ron DeSantis.

“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had had on my life, and on the way that those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life,” Gillum, the father of three children, said. “It was a constant reminder of failure and my own personal failures. … It was a reminder that I had let so many people down.”

After narrowly losing the race, Gillum went on to work as a political analyst for CNN. But he said in Monday’s video that depression “became far too much for me to keep down.” Gillum noted that his father also suffered from alcoholism and died of complications related to “that deadly addiction.”

State campaign finance records show that the political committee associated with Gillum’s gubernatorial run has spent about $1 million on legal services since the November 2018 election.

In Monday’s video, Gillum urged other people struggling with alcoholism or depression to seek help. Gillum, who will turn 41 on Saturday, did not elaborate on his plans for the future. But he told his Instagram followers to stay tuned. “I hope that I’ll be able to share more layers that I’m developing and enveloping. I’m doing a lot of writing these days. I’m trying to put on paper a lot of what I’m experiencing right now,” Gillum said, adding that he hoped his writing would not just be cathartic for him but would also “help to serve as healing for others.”

The former Tallahassee mayor also praised his wife, R. Jai, calling her “a woman who knows everything that I am, and everything that I am not, and she chooses to love me.”

30 Responses to "Andrew Gillum Addresses Depression, Alcoholism"

  1. He is still a congenital liar and fraud. I feel for Jai, she is living with a terrible person. Gillum, you need to address your well known vices, nobody cares if you are bi-sexual, but drug use and lying along with major ethical lapses are inexcusable. You are most likely still in the cross hairs of a federal investigation and using your non profit to pay your legal fees. Two and possibly 3 of your co-conspirators have flipped, you should be worried. An apology tour will only be good enough for CNN, but not your legal and moral dilemma. Hire Chuck Hobbs, he is cheap and lousy. Whoops he is suspended again, this time for 91 days and must appear before the court to convince them as to why he should ever practice law again.

  2. We’ve all seen the stains on the bed, and everything else. This swine has
    no morals, no scruples, just perversions, his hatred for our country, and his adherence to Communism

  3. Andrew Gillum turns 41 today(7/26/2020) and has yet to hold a real job. Think about that.

    Meanwhile, his wife collects $74K a year at a “nonprofit” for doing what?

  4. Mr. Gillum…I have suffered many losses in life and have never turned to drugs, alcohol and male strippers to help mask the pain.

  5. Speaking of things that make one VOMIT, see this piece of self-puffery yet Hope?
    https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2020/07/22/newsman-bob-gabordi-looks-back-colorful-career-new-book/5485272002/
    One wonders if he wrote about:
    • All the staffs he decimated at all the papers he destroyed
    •.What he and his “walking buddy” – a convicted felon – REALLY talked about
    • The employee pay cuts he made while doubling and tripling workloads
    • Spiking part of a staff story on the Heart Walk – a fundraiser he was in charge of – because he’d bragged that he’d raised more money than they ever had, when the reporter researched it and learned if was A LIE.
    • His TOTAL FAILURE to thoroughly investigate TPD’s ball-dropping of rape charges against Jameis Winston, while a NY Times reporter swooped in from 800 miles away to do a Pulitzer Prize Finalist writeup of the sad saga
    • Not to forget the party newsroom staffers threw in Asheville when they heard he was leaving to infect Tallahassee
    No, I suspect those sordid TRUTHS and countless others probably didn’t make the final draft.

    1. I remain banned from the Tallahassee Democrat Facebook page. My transgression was that I asked why Gabordi was not covering the apparent corruption at city hall and why he was so chummy with Scott Maddox.

      I can buy their content, but cannot comment. I am in Gabordi lifetime ban jail. Maybe if I claimed to be trans, I could comment again.

      1. Consider it a badge of honor, Thomas! Gabordi is the MOST EVIL person I ever encountered in journalism. He destroyed every newsroom he ran.
        Too bad he didn’t publish his narcissistic book three months ago when there was a TP shortage – it would be on the Best Seller List now!

        1. You are absolutely correct News Maven! The biggest mistake the Tallahassee Democrat ever made was not having you as the publisher or editor.

      2. I asked Gabordi the same thing about Scott Maddox and he said there was nothing there.

        I could feel the vibe that he was protecting Maddox and didn’t want to go there.

        Wear your Tallahassee Democrat ban as a badge of honor.

  6. Is he depressed because he thinks his fellow Democrats (or wife & kids) won’t accept his gender-driven fetish? Does he then drink to deal with that, or is it more party-drinking when chasing studs around?

  7. The 90 day rehab program and “I’m cured”. It’s sad – not for his narcissistic self but his family, who obviously are struggling to understand where the Bread Winner will land to provide for them. He has no real life work experience.

    He is far from even being on ANY road to recovery by saying or even putting any blame on his father. Andrew! Take ownership of your faults! Admit you are powerless! Nothing to do with dad, mom or whoever else.

  8. If this was his reaction to gaining national attention by losing a political campaign, and nailing a 6-figure media gig as a result… one has only to wonder how he would have handled the political and media exploitation and manufactured hysteria, associated with the China virus.

    1. THAT’s the photo that should be above this story on this “Victi-crat.”
      Just GO AWAY, Andrew GUILTY!
      Have a happy and gay life.
      (At least until the Feds cuff you.)

  9. Contrived vulnerability! Book deal in works, stand by your man athemn plays softly while another disastrous tower moment fast approaching. At his Karma Cafe no food is served only justice!

  10. By doing this PR thing….its obvious Gillum thinks he can take the remaining $2M left over from his unspent campaign funds, and make a political comeback…because nothing has been his fault. His “self imposed ” rehab has failed, as he hasnt learned to take responsibilty for his own actions.

    How can any reasonable person think he can still hold public trust of any kind, after admission of drug abuse, alcoholism, and depression…not to mention a sexual deviant.

    If he goes off the deep end just because he cant mentally handle losing an election, then we can just thank our lucky stars his true personna has been made public.

    1. His political and CNN fake news careers are over.

      He is writhing in self-pity and blaming his father. He has a long way to go as he needs to be accountable for himself and himself only.

      He attempted to blame his brother regarding the Hamilton fiasco.

      Even having a press conference at this stage shows that he is self-absorbed and only interested in a publicity stunt. He needs to put his family and health first and he has a lot of work to do

      May he be healed and find himself on the true path to righteousness.

  11. I only hope the voters of Florida don’t fall for this $52,000 dollar PR show. The best hope is he won’t be able to stay away from the drugs, men and parties.

  12. Imagine, if you can, the political fire storm the “Fake News” would have pounded and pounded on Mr. Gillum, his wife, and even his precious childern had Mr. Gillum been a Republican under the exact same circumstances.

  13. This article in News Service of Florida was obviously sanitized. gillum has way more baggage than this ‘alcohol’ issue. Still no reason why he was not arrested with him in a room full of illegal drugs and the Police were called to the scene.

    1. Because the corrupt mayor of Miami Beach was a big contributor to Andrew GUILTY’S run for governor of the People’s Republik of Florida.

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