Drew Pinsky | |
|---|---|
 Pinsky in 2009 | |
| Born | David Drew Pinsky (1958-09-04)September 4, 1958 (age 67) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (BA) University of Southern California (MD) |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Helene Stanton Morton Pinsky |
| Career | |
| Show | Loveline |
| Station(s) | KROQ-FM Various (syndicated) |
| Network | Westwood One |
| Show | Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House Dr. Drew On Call |
| Network | VH1 MTV HLN |
| Website | Official website |
David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958),[2] commonly known asDr. Drew, is an American media personality,internist, andaddiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationallysyndicatedradio talk showLoveline from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016. On television, he hosted the talk showDr. Drew On Call onHLN and the daytime seriesLifechangers onThe CW. In addition, he served as producer and starred in theVH1 showCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and its spinoffsSex Rehab with Dr. Drew,Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House. Pinsky currently hosts severalpodcasts, includingAsk Dr. Drew,[3]The Dr. Drew Podcast on the PodcastOne Network,[4] andThe Adam and Drew Show with his formerLoveline co-hostAdam Carolla. From February 2019 - December 2023, he hostedDr. Drew After Dark on theYour Mom's House network.
Pinsky is a former staff member at the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at Las Encinas Hospital inPasadena, California,[5] andHuntington Memorial Hospital. He currently maintains a private internal medicinepractice inSouth Pasadena.[6]
Pinsky was born September 4, 1958 inPasadena, California,[7] toHelene Stanton (née Eleanor Mae Stansbury; 1925–2017), a singer and actress who played a supporting part in the 1955 filmThe Big Combo, and Morton Pinsky (1926–2009), a physician whose parents immigrated to the United States fromUkraine.[8] Pinsky's father wasJewish,[9][2] while he described his mother as coming from a "highlyVictorian upper-middle-class family in Philadelphia."[8]
After graduating fromPolytechnic School in 1976, Pinsky studiedbiology atAmherst College, graduating in 1980 with aBachelor of Arts.[2][10] He then attended theUniversity of Southern California'sKeck School of Medicine, graduating in 1984 with aDoctor of Medicine degree.[11] He served hisresidency in internal medicine atUSC County Hospital and became chief resident atHuntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, and later moved into private practice.[12]
My goal was always to be part ofpop culture and relevant to young people, to interact with the people they hold in high esteem.
— Dr. Drew Pinsky,The New York Times, February 2008.[13]
AsThe New York Times described it in February 2008, Pinsky's dual career in medicine and themass media has required him to "navigat[e] a precarious balance ofprofessionalism and salaciousness."[13]
In 1984 while still a medical student, Pinsky started appearing in "Ask a Surgeon", a segment of a Sunday nightKROQ-FM show hosted byJim "Poorman" Trenton and"Swedish" Egil Aalvik.[14] "Ask the Surgeon" soon combined with "Loveline", another Sunday night segment, into a show of its own, co-hosted by Trenton and Pinsky.Loveline went national in 1995, and the television version launched onMTV the following year, hosted by Pinsky andAdam Carolla.
The exposure on both radio and television made Pinsky the "Gen-X answer toRuth Westheimer [Dr. Ruth], with anAIDS-era, pro-safe-sex message."[13] The MTV show ran for four years, while the radio show continued until April 2016 with cohostMike Catherwood.
On November 27, 2007, Pinsky beganDr. Drew Live, another nationally syndicated talk radio show where he focused on a wider range of health issues. It originated fromKGIL inLos Angeles, originally airing weekdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pmPT[15] The show was canceled in December 2008.
On January 5, 2015, Pinsky launched a new weekday program, "Dr. Drew Midday Live with Mike Catherwood", onKABC in Los Angeles.[16]Leeann Tweeden became the co-host of the show starting on January 7, 2019.[17]
On April 21, 2016, Pinsky announcedLoveline would wrap up on April 28, 2016. Adam Carolla re-joined him as co-host for the final show.[18]
Pinsky's first television appearance was as a contestant onWheel of Fortune in 1984, though he did not win.[19] He also served as "health and human relations expert" on the first season of the U.S. TV seriesBig Brother in 2000.
He has also hosted several shorter educational television series, starting withStrictly Sex with Dr. Drew, which ran for 10 episodes on theDiscovery Health Channel, followed byStrictly Dr. Drew which addressed everyday health concerns. He later hosted the MTV seriesSex...with Mom and Dad (2008–2009).
In 2008, Pinsky starred inCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, areality television show which involves celebrities in adrug rehabilitation facility. The show was filmed at Pasadena Recovery Center, with Pinsky serving as the resident medical expert. The series premiered January 10, 2008 onVH-1 and was renewed for multiple seasons. A follow-up show toCelebrity Rehab with many of the same celebrities wasSober House, which began its first season in January 2009, and included celebrities from the first two seasons ofCelebrity Rehab continuing their recovery in asober living facility.[20] In November 2009, Pinsky starred in a spinoff ofCelebrity Rehab,Sex Rehab with Dr.Drew, which depicted celebrities being treated forsexual addiction over the course of three weeks at the Pasadena Recovery Center.
In a 2011 episode of Lifechangers, Dr. Drew brought on a 16 year oldCourtney Stodden and conducted an on-air ultrasound of her breasts to prove Stodden's claim she didn't have plastic surgery.[21][22] The ultrasound was conducted by Dr. John Diaz, a plastic surgeon.[23]
Pinsky makes guest appearances on various news programs where he usually gives his observations on the relationship betweencontrolled substances and high-profile individuals. He has frequently given his views on the deaths of people such asAnna Nicole Smith,Heath Ledger andMichael Jackson, arguing that their fates should set examples of the seriousness of misusing drugs.[24][25]
Pinsky has acted in several TV appearances (either portraying himself or a fictional character),Space Ghost Coast to Coast,Dawson's Creek,[26]Family Guy.[27]The Adam Carolla Project,Minoriteam,[28]Robot Chicken,[29]My Gym Partner's a Monkey,[30]Code Monkeys,[31] andThe Midnight Gospel.[32] Pinsky also appeared in the filmsNew York Minute andWild Hogs.
In early 2011, Pinsky began hosting his own show,Dr. Drew On Call onHLN that focuses on news involving health and addiction topics.[33] On August 26, 2016, HLN and Pinsky announced that the show's last episode would be September 22 of that year.[34]
On October 9, 2019, Pinsky competed inseason two ofThe Masked Singer as "Eagle".[35]
In 2023, Pinsky appeared on the reality TV seriesSpecial Forces: World's Toughest Test. He was eliminated in the first episode due to a medical problem.[36]
In 1999, Pinsky co-founded an Internet-based community and advice site for teenagers called DrDrew.com with Curtis Giesen. Among their early backers was Garage.com.[37] DrDrew.com soon ran out of funding, and the company was sold to Sherwood Partners Inc., a corporate restructuring firm, which sold the remnants to DrKoop.com in November 2000.[38] Pinsky re-acquired the site circa 2013 and began using it for general information about his books, radio and TV shows, as well as hosting his independent podcast,The Dr. Drew Podcast.[39] In September 2012, Pinsky announced onThe Adam Carolla Show that he will be doing a podcast on theCarolla Digital network.[40]
In 2003, Pinsky authoredCracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again, recounting his experiences as the medical director of the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at the Las Encinas Hospitaldrug rehabilitation clinic inPasadena, California. He also contributed to the bookWhen Painkillers Become Dangerous: What Everyone Needs to Know AboutOxyContin and Other Prescription Drugs, published in 2004.
In addition to his media appearances, Pinsky speaks at college campuses and other public venues.[41][42] When Adam Carolla and Pinsky were teamed as hosts ofLoveline, Carolla and Pinsky spoke at colleges.[43][44][45]
Pinsky was the voice of1-800-GET-THIN, advocatinglap band surgery on radio ads and in a recording played for those who called 1-800-GET-THIN.[46][47][48]
He also appeared with his dogs in aPETA ad campaign promoting thespaying and neutering of pets.[49]
Pinsky also narrated for the 2014 documentary "Divorce Corp" and "Teen Species".
In early 2019, Pinsky started an online podcast "Dr Drew after Dark". The podcast is hosted atTom Segura's studio "Studio Jeans".
Pinsky was featured in the first episode Netflix series "The Midnight Gospel".
On September 10, 2020, it was announced that Dr. Drew Pinsky joined Aditx Therapeutics as Senior Advisor to AditxtScore for Scoring the Immune System.[50] In October, he first appeared on theFrenemies podcast,[51] and appeared on the podcast again in December.[52]
Asteroid4536 Drewpinsky is named in his honor.[53]
Pinsky was honored with theLarry Stewart Leadership and Inspiration Award at the 12th AnnualPRISM Awards in 2008.[54]
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Between February and March 2020, Pinsky made a series of statements concerning theCOVID-19 outbreak where he downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic, stating that it was not as bad as the flu, and suggested that it was a "press-induced panic".[55] Pinsky apologized in April 2020, and he urged people to follow the advice ofAnthony Fauci.[55][56]
Pinsky has raised concerns for several years regardinghomelessness in Los Angeles County and has been critical of how the government has handled it, stating:
For some reason, the government has taken the position that this is a housing problem, which, of course, housing is a piece of this, but for most—and by most I mean the vast majority of people on the streets—their condition makes them unwilling or unwanting to go indoors. So, even when they correct the housing problem, they're still going to have the same problem on the streets.[57]
He has also been critical of certain aspects of theLanterman–Petris–Short Act, in that it limits the ability of authorities to intervene when mentally ill persons are at risk of death due to being unable to care for their own needs.[57] Pinsky said in an interview that he had correctly predicted atyphus outbreak in 2019 that occurred in the county as a result of rodents attracted to homeless encampments.[57]
Pinsky was nominated to a local Los Angeles homeless commission byKathryn Barger, a member of theLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors in April 2021. He faced criticism from local homeless rights advocates and a Twitter campaign. While supervisor appointments to local boards are rarely controversial, more than 100 people submitted public comments asking supervisors not to approve Pinsky. The board received less than five public comments in support of his nomination.[58] Critics claimed that Pinsky had overreported the number of homeless people with mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders. Others, such as homeless advocate and charity leader Rev. Andy Bales, defended Pinsky and called the hashtag campaign and public commenting an "echo chamber".[59] Pinsky's nomination was ultimately withdrawn.[58]
Pinsky has received criticism from several sources[60][61][62][63] for alleged conflict of interest in his promotion of the drugWellbutrin.
According to an October 2011 government complaint against GlaxoSmithKline, Pinsky was the recipient in 1999 of two payments totaling $275,000 from Glaxo Wellcome (a company that would later merge into GlaxoSmithKline) to promote the company's drug Wellbutrin.[60] Among other events, Pinsky made a 1999 appearance on the radio program 'David Essel - Alive!', discussing the sexual side effects of common SSRI medications and mentioned Wellbutrin as an example of depression medications that lack these side effects,[60][61][63] (along with Serzone and Remeron, two medications from different manufacturers).[62]
A transcript of this appearance and the invoice of the payment to Pinksy were later presented publicly as evidence during the criminal and civil actions against GlaxoSmithKline in 2012.[63] In response to an inquiry from the Wall Street Journal about the case and specific physicians including Pinsky, the company declined to comment on their financial relationship with specific doctors, but acknowledged that "during the period from January 1999 to December 2003, there were some occasions on which certain GSK sales representatives, speakers, and consultants promoted its antidepressant Wellbutrin to physicians for uses which were not FDA-approved in violation of federal law."[60][61] Pinsky himself was not mentioned in the statement, and was never charged with wrongdoing by any court or medical ethics board. When asked about the topic, Pinsky stated:
In the late 90s I was hired to participate in a 2-year initiative discussing intimacy and depression which was funded by an educational grant by Glaxo Wellcome…Services for the non-branded campaign included town hall meetings, writings and multimedia activities in conjunction with the patient advocacy group the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA). My comments were consistent with my clinical experience.[60][61]
Pinsky married on July 21, 1991. He and his wife, Susan Sailer, had triplets Douglas, Jordan, and Paulina in November 1992.[64][65][66]
Pinsky lives inPasadena, California. Interested in fitness since his early teens, he goes running[67] and doesweight training regularly.[68] In addition to his hobby of traveling,[14] he also enjoys singingopera, as his mother was a professional singer. Pinsky stated on the June 24, 2009, episode ofLoveline that at one point, he was torn between practicing medicine and becoming a professional opera singer.[69] Pinsky stated that he auditioned for a celebrity singing show, but that the show passed on his appearance when he made it clear to producers that he could not sing pop songs but did perform an aria onTurn Ben Stein On.[70][71][72]
Pinsky's father, Morton, died suddenly of acerebral hemorrhage on October 27, 2009.[73] A title card at the end of the season 3 finale ofCelebrity Rehab dedicated the episode to him. Pinsky's mother, Helene, died on June 7, 2017, at age 91.[74]
Pinsky is anonobservant Jew; he admits to abandoning most Jewish practices but claims to retain a continued desire to learn about the religion. He explains that religious as well as philosophical studies affect his medical practice and his speeches, and that his background places "an indirect coloring on every answer."[75]
In September 2013, Pinsky stated that he had recovered fromprostate cancer surgery performed earlier that June and July, after which Pinsky did not require chemotherapy or radiation.[76] During episode 119 of his podcast Dr. Drew After Dark, aired on June 10, 2021, Pinsky said that his prostate cancer has recurred after it was discovered during routine bloodwork that his PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) level is elevated. He will go through Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in July 2021.
In a 2011 interview onKevin and Bean, Pinsky stated he would speak to any media outlet includingTMZ andThe National Enquirer but would not speak to theLos Angeles Times, explaining "They distort, and they mislead, and they take things out of context. I really am stunned at how shoddy their journalism is, so I stopped talking to them."[77]
Politically, Pinsky considers himself libertarian, and has espoused more traditionally conservative views in recent years, such as the 'tyranny' of governmental overreach and the need for a "Liberty Party".[78]
Pinsky toldRyan Holiday he was studying philosopherEpictetus and recommended it to him. Holiday says this sparked his interest instoic philosophy, later becoming aNew York Times best-selling author on the subject.[79]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | New York Minute | Dr. Ryan | Credited as Dr. Drew Pinsky |
| 2007 | Wild Hogs | Doctor | Credited as Dr. Drew Pinsky |
| 2020 | Final Kill | Dr. Metzger | Credited as Drew Pinsky |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–2000 | Loveline | Himself - host | |
| 1998–1999 | Hollywood Squares | Himself - panelist | 10 episodes |
| 1998 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Terminal" |
| 1999 | Hang Time | Dr. Drew Pinsky | Episode: "Shall We Dance?" |
| 2000 | Big Brother | Himself | 66 episodes |
| 2003 | Dawson's Creek | Dr. Drew Pinsky | Episode: "Lovelines" |
| 2005 | Family Guy | The Dermatologist | Episode: "Brian the Bachelor" |
| 2006 | Robot Chicken | Leader-1 / Man | Voice; Episode: "Book of Corrine" |
| 2007 | Code Monkeys | Referee | Voice; Episode: "Wrassle Mania" |
| 2007–2021 | Entertainment Tonight | Himself | 43 episodes |
| 2008–2011 | Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew | Himself - host | 50 episodes |
| 2008–2017 | The View | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2010–2016 | Teen Mom | Himself | 16 episodes |
| 2010–2021 | The Wendy Williams Show | Himself | 14 episodes |
| The Dr. Oz Show | Himself | 4 episodes | |
| 2011–2016 | Teen Mom 2 | Himself | 16 episodes |
| Dr. Drew On Call | Himself | 94 episodes | |
| 2012 | Metalocalypse | Dr. Tormindbind Mickmildididindnin | Voice; Episode: "Fanklok" |
| 2015 | Drunk History | Judge | Episode: "Inventors" |
| 2015–2018 | Rachael Ray | Himself | 7 episodes |
| 2017–2020 | The Greg Gutfeld Show | Himself | 11 episodes |
| 2018–2020 | 25 Words or Less | Himself | 6 episodes |
| 2019–2024 | Ask Dr. Drew | Himself | 400 episodes |
| 2019 | The Masked Singer | Himself / "Eagle" | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | The Simpsons | Himself | Episode: "Screenless" |
| 2020 | The Midnight Gospel | Glasses Man | Episode: "Taste of the King" |
| 2023 | Special Forces: World's Toughest Test | Himself | Episode: "Test of Character" |
Together, [Carolla and Pinsky] refined the format of the show, and capitalized on their growing popularity with speaking tours
Dr. Drew said he was correct in urging people to follow the advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
