VIDEO: Michael Douglas Says Drug-Dealing Son Didn't Get Lenient Prison Sentence
May 3 2010, Published 1:33 p.m. ET
Actor Michael Douglas called his son’s Cameron's five-year prison sentence “adequate,” and explained how Cameron’s family history led him to the depths of drugs on The Today Show Monday .
Cameron Douglas was sentenced to five years in prison on April 20, in connection with convictions on heroin possession and conspiracy to sell crystal meth.
Watch the clip here on RadarOnline.com.
When asked his response to whispers that his son got a lenient sentence due to his celebrity, Michael Douglas responded, “I don’t think a lot of people said that, though one particular newspaper here in New York was pretty mean-spirited and vindictive about the whole process.
"I think the court recognized his drug addiction as well as the crime he committed and the five-year sentence is an adequate amount of time,” he said. “And the best part of it is he will be able to start his life afresh.”
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Douglas, the star of classics such as Wall Street and The War Of The Roses, frankly dissected how Cameron's background -- and his own performance as a father -- contributed to his son's checkered drug history.
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“I’ve taken blame about being a bad father -- if being a bad father is working your butt off trying to create a career at one time," Michael said. "I've also confessed the fact that I was in rehab 20 years ago. So we had that issue, and as far as his mother was concerned, she was a very young mother when she had Cameron, and her skills were limited to such an extent.
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"The other part, of course, is genes. I lost a brother with an overdose four years ago. I have another brother who has been on the program for years," he said. "My ex-wife’s family has alcoholism running in it, so you have that part, and then you finally end up with who you choose to hang out with. In Cameron's position, he took on a lot of lowlifes and he was a very attractive target to hang out with, and I don’t think that helped, either. I’m willing to take the hit.”