Comedian Artie Lange Charged with Drunk Driving
On July 10, comedian and “Howard Stern Show” regular Artie Lange was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Toms River, New Jersey. Lange was driving a 2009 Nissan Sentra when he rear-ended at 2004 Pontiac Grand Am around 1:30 pm. Neither vehicle was seriously damaged and no one was injured, but Lange was charged with DUI and careless driving. The police issued Lange, whose alcohol and drug use has often been discussed on Stern’s radio show, to appear in court on Thursday.
Lange, 41, was an original member of the sketch comedy show “MADtv.” Lange stated that his lowest point of cocaine abuse occurred during filming a “MADtv” sketch called “Babewatch,” a parody of the movie “Babe” and the TV show “Baywatch,” in which Artie played Babe the pig as a lifeguard. Lange said he started snorting cocaine in his car in full pig make-up during a break in the filming. Upon returning from the shoot, he passed out in his hotel room and awoke to find that he had defecated in his bed.
After a cocaine binge, cast and crew members of the show attempted to stage an intervention for him. Lange fled the studio with his co-workers chasing after him, and the chase ended in a supermarket where Lange attempted to punch a police officer. He was sentenced to time served and probation and began psychiatric counseling and inpatient drug rehabilitation. However, the producers decided not to renew his “MADtv” contract for a third season.
Lange later replaced Jackie Marling on “The Howard Stern Show” in October of 2001. In early June 2005, Lange missed four days of work, prompting concerns of a possible relapse. In September of 2006, Lange admitted that he had regularly snorted heroin and cited this as he reason for missing work. He discussed his past experience with heroin, beginning when he was a stand-up comedian and continuing until the movie “Beer League”, in which he played Laurie Metcalf’s mother, was set to begin shooting.
Lange told of his painful withdrawal from heroin, which included aching, cold sweats, shaking, and vomiting. He also recalled taking his phone off the hook to avoid talking to his mother, who ultimately intervened to help him recover. He was threatened with legal action by the “Beer League” producers if he failed to show up for the first day of shooting, which led Lange to secure a home visit from a doctor who prescribed buprenorphine, a medication that helps stop withdrawal symptoms and makes it impossible to get high from opiates such as heroin.
Lange’s first book, “Too Fat to Fish,” was released in November 2008, and debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
