Furlong Comes Clean on Rehab

ByABC News
December 8, 2000, 2:21 PM

December 7 -- Edward Furlong was in danger of gaining the Troubled Young Actor tag given to so many stars before him including Robert Downey Jr. But when his friends told him he was partying too much, Furlong says he agreed.

Furlong, who starred in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and more gritty fare like Steve Buscemi's Animal Factory, tells US Weekly that he recently realized he had a drinking problem and checked into a Southern California rehab center. In the magazine's Dec. 8 issue, Furlong explains, "My friends were like, 'Eddie, you're drinking too much, you're out too much, you've got to, like, slow down.'"

The 23-year-old actor emphatically denies ever having a heroin or cocaine addiction, claiming he doesn't like the latter and "never did heroin. No, no, no. If I did, I would say it."

We believe him. Last month, Mr. Showbiz asked Furlong to explain a rumor that he'd thrown up in a New York City bar during a wild night with scenester gal pal Paris Hilton. Rather than using that tired old "no comment" song and dance, Furlong unhesitantly replied, "I never puked at a bar. I've been drunk at a bar. I've been at a bar, and I've been like, 'Oh God, I'm spinning. I'm drunk and I need to go home.' But that's about it."

Those topsy-turvy nights are apparently calmer now. Furlong says he has attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since checking out of the $1,000-a-day treatment center, while spies in New York have remarked on his healthy new look.

Still, Eddie's no innocent. Furlong admits to US Weekly that he has had a few drinks since his detox. "Am I having a drink every night? No, not at all." We hope that's true.

Furlong will next be seen in Terminator 3 with T2 co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger.