EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: Rodney King Went On Celebrity Rehab "For The Money," Continued To Smoke Crack After The Show, Says Ex-Girlfriend
Apr. 22 2010, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
Following a successful stint on Celebrity Rehab 2, Rodney King appeared to be recovering, even returning for a Season 3 cameo to tout the glory of sobriety to the new cast.
But contrary to his public image, King had actually returned to his crack cocaine habit shortly after leaving the show, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.
King’s ex-girlfriend, Dawn Jean, tells RadarOnline.com in a video interview that King began using again just two weeks after wrapping VH1’s Sober House.
“When he got out of Sober House, I’d say it was two weeks before he was high again,” Jean, who left King just a week ago, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview. “We were in the backyard cleaning the pool and everything, and he reached up and I’m like 'what are you doing?’ and he just reached up and pulled this stuff down and I was like oh no. Oh Lord, here we go again.'”
Dawn, who was engaged to King and dated him for six years, said that while he did stay sober on Celebrity Rehab, his motives weren’t about getting clean.
“I think he really, truly wanted the money,” she said. “That was it...that was it. Only when he would get low on money...that’s when he would stop. But as soon as some more money would come around, it was on again. He always said to me he’s been doing this forever...he ain’t gonna stop. That’s him and his life. That’s what he wants.”
King is best known for being the subject of a brutal police beating in 1991, hit repeatedly with batons by LAPD officers who were unaware they were being taped. Those officers were tried and acquitted. The ruling sparked 1992's LA riots.
In December, King was asked to return to Celebrity Rehab with other former cast members maintaining their sobriety for a taped cameo appearance on the new season. King was supposed to give a pep talk to new castmate Dennis Rodman about the power of staying sober. Jean claims though that King taped the cameo high on crack cocaine.
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“They paid him for that one day...I was right there because I took him and he was not sober. As a matter of fact, he pulled an all-nighter the day before and he had to take a nap the day of the taping before the driver came and got him," Dawn said.
Dawn tells RadarOnline.com she’s tired of people thinking of King as a positive role model.
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“That’s his image that he tries to carry...that he’s still sober, that he’s trying to be this positive person. But he fools everybody, the way he fooled me at the beginning. I just was stupid enough to stay with him. But he’s not sober. It’s all bull. It’s just a bunch of bull. That’s all.”