Gillum to seek treatment, withdraw from public life

Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) announced Sunday that he would withdraw from public life and seek treatment for alcohol abuse after being discovered intoxicated alongside a man suspected of overdosing on crystal meth in a Miami hotel room.

In a statement, the former 2018 candidate for Florida governor admitted to developing an alcohol addiction after losing to now-Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), and declared that he would seek treatment.

“After conversation with my family and deep reflection, I have made the decision to seek help, guidance and enter a rehabilitation facility at this time. This has been a wake-up call for me. Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse,” he said.

“I am committed to doing the personal work to heal fully and show up in the world as a more complete person,” Gillum continued. “I now need to firmly focus on myself and my family. I will be stepping down from all public facing roles for the foreseeable future.

Gillum issued a public apology on Friday after being discovered intoxicated in a Florida hotel room with others including a man who police said had suffered a “possible drug overdose.” A bag of what was suspected to be methamphetamines was also found in the room.

“While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines,” Gillum said. “I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”