Australian swimming world champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Grant Hackett has denied reports lead by his father Neville that he arrived in the States overnight for admittance to a rehabilitation facility, seeking treatment for an alleged prescription medication addiction.
Hackett’s reported admission comes at the nadir of “two years of hell” that have resulted in the breakdown of his marriage to Candice Alley, the publicised trashing of the apartment they shared in 2011 and, last Friday, his disoriented roaming of the foyer at the Crown Casino in nought but a singlet wrapped around his waist as he looked for his lost four-year-old son, Jagger.
Hackett’s father has this morning given an interview to Triple M to contradict his son’s public statements, asserting Grant is “a little bit in denial and he wouldn’t be quite sure” and is definitely entering rehab for an addiction problem “suspected” to be caused by the nefarious sleeping tablet Stilnox, a problem for which the family “very, very recently” staged an intervention: “We sought expert advice and we had a meeting with these experts and some of his friends and we decided to take the action with Grant without him knowing. But as a result of Friday night that action was brought forward by two days.”
Upon arriving at LAX, Hackett told assembled Australian media that “Everything will be fine, [I’m] just looking forward to a bit of a break… Having a bit of a retreat and getting away for a little time to myself.”
Responding to allegations he’d be entering rehab, Hackett replied “No, no that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I’m not discussing any detail. Later on I’ll be making a statement. I’m not calling this rehab. This is just a retreat that I’ve been planning for some time.”
Hackett’s manager Chris White last night told the Herald Sun that “Grant is currently [seeking] treatment for a dependency to Stilnox medication.”
via SMH
Photo: Robert Prezioso via Getty
