Life is hard sometimes… and sometimes we’re the ones who make it hard on ourselves. We all do it from time to time. What separates the men from the boys is how we deal with stuff once it becomes an issue.
Joaquin Phoenix (as had been rumoured for a while now) had gotten himself into a drinking problem, and after watching his brother, River Phoenix die from his addiction problems, Joaquin has decided to take control and do something about it. The good folks over at CNN give us this:
Actor Joaquin Phoenix has checked into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility for treatment of alcoholism, his publicist said on Tuesday.
“He was uncomfortable with the way that he was living his life and found the courage to deal with the disease,” said a statement from publicist Susan Patricola. Phoenix checked himself into rehab two weeks ago.
Good for him. All you have to do is look at a situation like Tom Siezmore to realize how out of control things can get.
Those of us who talk about movies and celebrities often focus on the scandals… I thought I’d just draw attention to a guy who quietly made a good decision for himself. Good on ya Joaquin… and good luck.
You know something, “Fan,” and “KillMeNow,” you shouldn’t be opposed to sobriety. I nearly did not answer your slander. Get sober. You are offending me. Sizemore should be more responsible and delete your obnoxious remarks, borne of intoxication, most likely. What else could it be? Your actions are only indicative of the foul and corrupt societ we live in, which hopefully will change, due to people “like me.” I want only good things for the people River left behind. I want them all sober. I’m innocent. You are not. I cannot believe how many people “like” you have harassed me, illegally, probably, because I’m sober and you, most likely, are not. What do you have against sobriety? It’s a good thing. It’s powerful for Joaquin. I can’t stand this harassment, anymore, frankly. Stop it. If Sizemore won’t say that, I will. I get tired of “battling” insults like this, “constantly.” Get educated. Read a book on Riv, if you care so deeply Depp is drug-dependent. We all know that.
Fan: Ditto on the sentiment.
Oh crap. Vivian Tube is posting her poison here, too.
I am a HUGE Joaquin Phoenix fan. I’m very glad that he had the courage to accept the fact that he had a problem, and dealt with it. The problem with this world is that people never think of themselves as having a problem until they actually see something, or someone with the same thing happening to them. I think Joaquin was right in thinking that by checking himself in others will realise their problems. I hope he pulls out of all this alright. Like I said, I’m a HUGE Joaquin Phoenix fan, and i will be for the rest of my life. Love Ruelle.
Just saw ‘My own private Idaho’. River was such a handsome guy and an incredible actor. This world isn’t fair. Keanu grows old and River dies young. So unfair. Joaquin is cool, but his brother was something really special, but alas, time fades things.
Dear Tara,
No, he didn’t, but I don’t know if I’d tell you if he did. I think he likes his privacy. :) You and others can, however, contact him at the above address. I didn’t even need a street address or zip code, so the postmasters in Montezuma are “very nice!” :)
The reason it took me so long to “figure it out” about River and me is because I’ve had PTSD for many years. I just began a soul retrieval process about the time Joaquin decided to go into a rehab, in fact. I didn’t know this until a few weeks ago, when he’d already entered it. Someone in sobriety told me, one day, “by chance.”
It’s a long story. A tiny article on Johnny Depp last year “reminded” me River OD’ed in 1993. I needed “reminding.” I keep a diary, so this is how I’ve known of the exact date I got into sobriety, November 15, 1993. As soon as I was “reminded,” I “knew” November 15th would come up in River’s history. It is the day they finally let his mother, Arlyn Phoenix, see the body, after two weeks, too–at the Gainesville Airport, near the family ranch in Micanopy. I tried to reach her there, but the postmasters were unkind and sent everything I wrote back, since I had no street address! Like they don’t know where Camp Phoenix is!
November 15th, it turns out, was also my grandmother’s, Leopoldina Janacek Taube’s, Name Day, as she was indirectly named for Saint Leopold, who had a vision of the Virgin Mary, near where they say he found his wife Agnes’ wedding veil intact nine years after it blew off her face. He had a monastery, the Stift Klosterneuburg, built to Her, there, outside Vienna, Austria, near where I started drinking, at age 12, on my last visit there with my parents in 1973. It’s the Founder’s Day at the monastery, as that is the day he died in 1136.
It took me years to “piece” all this together, really. That the spirits “convened” for me, November 15, 1993. I’ve been in sobriety, no matter what–despite PTSD, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (during which time I was stuck abroad in Vienna, and revisited the monastery, and that’s when I found out the “coincidence” that wasn’t any!). My Mom got breast cancer, about three years ago, and that shook my faith, completely! I’ve been kicked out, discriminated against, “broke,” “homeless,” abandoned, abused, betrayed–you name it; but I’m in sobriety, no matter what! And I quit smoking the previous year, 1992, “on my own.”
Johnny Depp, after I wrote him of this, gave his share of The Viper Room, which he owned 51 percent of, to Amanda Fox, Anthony Fox’s daughter, last year, in September, when I was revisiting Plum Village, on retreat. He’d “disappeared mysteriously,” near Christmas of 2001, after suing Depp for money, and he was survived by his teenage daughter, whom Depp apparently wanted “to do right by.” A judge was trying to shut down The Viper Room, too, as was Arlyn Phoenix, no doubt.
Rain Phoenix finally spoke on the Criterion Collection DVD edition of “My Own Private Idaho,” nearly 11 years after River’s OD. But she did not mention the drugs done to do the sex scenes, by cast and crew alike, and this led indirectly to River’s OD, about two years later, outside The Viper Room.
The story goes that he took a speedball of heroin and cocaine, some time in the evening, and went to the club with his sister and brother, Rain and Joaquin, and his girlfriend, Samantha Mathis. They met Flea there. River threw up and was taken into the men’s room to “clean up,” where he was given Valium, and it was the combination, in a relatively minute quantity, that ultimately killed River Phoenix. Depp, who was playing onstage with Flea, at the time, had River taken outside to die, basically, between Samantha and Joaquin, with Rain at his side, the entire time! Joaquin called emergency from there, as River lay convulsing on the sidewalk, without his shirt or jacket, which were taken off in the men’s room, I believe! An ambulance came and took him to Cedars-Sinai, where he died in emergency at 1:51AM Halloween morning. The highest number on the oft-misquoted autopsy was 100.8 mg of cocaine, which is about a tenth of a gram. There was a homicide investigation often overlooked in the press, too, as is the fact River got the diazepam, or Valium in the men’s room at The Viper Room. I will go now. I’m on-line at the library.
Sincerely,
Vivian Taube :)
P.S. Look me up, some time, will you? I write of this often. I wrote 23 (?) volumes of poetry called, “Phoenix Rising,” for River, last year, during the spring, when his nephew, Indiana August Affleck was being born in Amsterdam, where Casey was busy filming “Ocean’s Twelve.” Cast and crew went to Dampkring, a strip club there, and that is the kind of thing that led to his brother “breaking up” his second engagement to Jennifer Lopez the previous year! Ben went with Christian Slater, whose wife, Ryan Hadden, slashed his face, after that, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, where John Entwistle died of a heart attack, brought on by cocaine in bed with “another woman,” on the eve of The Who’s reunion tour, in 2002! Casey hasn’t married Summer Phoenix, yet, either, and he proposed 3 months after she got pregnant–for Christmas, 2003!
Dear Tara,
No, he didn’t, but I don’t know if I’d tell you if he did. I think he likes his privacy. :) You and others can, however, contact him at the above address. I didn’t even need a street address or zip code, so the postmasters in Montezuma are “very nice!” :)
vivian did he ever call! I with all of you I wish him really well :O)
I love Joaquin. He is my “brother” in sobriety. I have 11 years’, as of November 15th, 1993. That is the very day they signed River’s autopsy, actually. I have written of this many times, on -line. Perhaps you’d like to do a search on me. I have seen most of River’s movies, by now, and I’m impressed. I feel like his spirit has “saved” me more than once. More power to Joaquin, since I agree that he is a good “role model” for the rest, now. He can call me, too, any time–he knows that, and I sent him my numbers, via his parents at the B&B-type deal his father runs in Montezuma, Costa Rica, called Juan’s Restaurant and Cabins. :)
Sincerely,
Vivian Taube :)
I don’t want Joaquin to kick the bucket like his brother did before him. He’s my idol and my mother, my friends including Alley and Sandy love him. We hop he gets better real soon. Joaquin here’s a message for you: Don’t be like your brother, River. Don’t do what he did or be like him Just be yourself. I know you can do it. You’ll thank me for it even though I’m eight years younger than you. I hope you find your true love or It will break your heart. But she must be 4,5,6 or 7 years younger or you’ll be sorry. She’s out there somewhere and that girl is not me. Anyway, my name is Emily Larson and I live in Charlotte, NC.
I don’t want Joaquin to kick the bucket like his brother did before him. He’s my idol and my mother, my friends including Alley and Sandy love him. We hop he gets better real soon. Joaquin here’s a message for you: Don’t be like your brother, River. Don’t do what he did or be like him Just be yourself. I know you can do it. You’ll thank me for it even though I’m eight years younger than you. I hope you find your true love or It will break your heart.
good for him! get all the help you need angel!
he’s the best! and i just want hime to do whatever he needs to do to get better!
love this man! waaay 2 much! ;-)
He has also become one of my favorite actors, mostly from his character in Signs then having watched several of his other films. He seems like a genuine guy and I’m proud of him for taking this step. I feel horrible for anyone with an addiction problem, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. It just matters what you do about it, and thankfully he is taking a step. I hope he does well with it.
Arethusa I’m with you, when I heard he was playing Cash I about flipped out. I’m a HUGE fan of Cash and I can’t wait to see the movie. If anyone here hasn’t read his autobio CASH, go get it. It’s an amazing read.
I wish him all the best as well, he’s one of my favourite actors. I’m looking forward to that Johnny Cash biopic.
He was good in the villange, but the movie was so BORING AND SUCKY…..LADDER 49 was ok… but I want to see another Phoenix movie with the greatness of Gladiator,which I know will be hard to do….
I think my fave Joaquin Phoenix film is “The Village”.
he was definitely fab in “Gladiator”.
He was amazing in Buffalo Soldiers.
Hope he gets things straightend out soon. He’s become one of my favorite actors over the last few years. Loved him in Gladiator, he wasn’t just the “bad guy”. He really made you hate his character.
Well said John. I’m not one for celebrity gossip so I like to stay away from these kind of things, but you said it perfectly.
Good wishes to a great actor.