Why Kelly Osbourne Says Rehab Is Like Learning “How to Be a Better Drug Addict”
Kelly Osbourne isn’t holding back.
The 39-year-old recently issued a scathingly honest review of her experiences with rehab as part of TMZ’s new documentary TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring.
“First rehab I went to was like university on how to be a better drug addict,” Osbourne, who has been to rehab seven times for what time, told TMZ founder Harvey Levin in a preview clip of the doc. “I learned so many tricks, so many things that I never even thought of from my fellow addicts that were in there.”
She continued, “I’d also seen people threaten to leave until they got given what they wanted. Whether it be Ambien for sleep, or Valium for nerves, they would somehow end up getting it.”
Or as Levin put it, “So the rehab is faced with, ‘Give me the drugs, or I’m gonna leave and you’re gonna lose your $100,000.”
It’s an ultimatum Osbourne claimed works, with rehabs then giving their attendees “whatever they ask for.”
The reality TV alum also spoke to a larger issue, which she claimed is an alleged network put in place to send people continuously back to rehab.
“Body brokers,” Osbourne explained. “They’ll sit outside of AA meetings looking for weak and vulnerable people that they encourage to go and relapse so that they can then pick you up again.”
She added, “I swear on everything that it’s true.”
Osborne’s comments in TMZ’s documentary come amid the investigation into Matthew Perry’s Oct. 2023 death, which was ruled an accidental drowning due to the “acute effects of ketamine.”
In the months since his death, five individuals have been charged in connection to his passing, as announced in an Aug. 15 press conference.
At the time, the Department of Justice accused Dr. Mark Chavez, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Jasveen Sangha (a.k.a "The Ketamine Queen") and Eric Fleming of "profiting off" the actor’s longtime struggle with drug addiction and announced they’d been charged for their alleged involvement in his passing.
According to Department of Justice documents reviewed by E! News, Prosecutors alleged that Plasencia worked with Iwamasa to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to Perry between September and October 2023 in exchange for $55,000 cash.
The DOJ also accused Placensia—who pled not guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine—of texting with Chavez to determine how much money they could get the actor to spend on the drug, with Plasencia allegedly writing at one time, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
Most recently, Chavez has agreed to a plea deal during an Aug. 30 hearing, according to NBC News. He was arraigned on one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and, per the outlet, is set to plead guilty at a later date.
Following Chavez's hearing, lawyer Matthew Binninger told reporters outside the courthouse that his client was "incredibly remorseful."
Binninger explained that his client agreed to the plea deal because federal investigators "did an excellent job in their investigation," and added that his client "wants to do the right thing. He'll be cooperating going forward."
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