Dr. Drew Pinsky Booted From L.A. Homeless Commission Nomination

Los Angeles CA

20 April, 2021

3:48 PM

Description

LOS ANGELES, CA — Dr. David Drew Pinsky's past statements on solutions to homelessness in Los Angeles County have recently come under fire. In response, the celebrity doctor lost his nomination for a local commission on homelessness Monday. Pinsky, better known as "Dr. Drew," was pulled from consideration for the 10-member Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Monday by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, but only due to the distraction from the issue that the community uproar caused, she said. Barger made it clear that she still supports Pinsky. Pinsky, an Independent, was lambasted on Twitter this week with a #DumpDrDrew trend that accused the TV show host of supporting policies that criminalize those experiencing homelessness. Barger said she had nominated the MTV and VH1 star because of his decades of experience in mental health care and substance abuse treatment. "Unfortunately, the proposed appointment took away from these important conversations about care for people experiencing homelessness," she said in a statement. Barger said she was "dismayed" that the public questioned the appointment of Pinsky, stating that he has a passion for addressing these issues during a time when a "new voice is clearly needed." "I hope we can move past pettiness and instead focus our time and energy working to solve the hard problems, rather than looking for excuses to place blame," Barger continued. The 5th district representative said she would continue to work with Pinsky in other capacities and continue to work on the county's homelessness crisis. "We need to face the sad reality of homelessness in Los Angeles: individuals are dying on our streets from preventable causes due to mental illness and substance abuse," Barger said. Pinsky was trying for a spot on the commission and previously said that his expertise in addiction treatment could help make a difference in L.A.'s approach to helping those experiencing housing insecurity. Pinsky had previously stated that mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction were major factors driving up the county's homeless population. These statements ignited outrage and prompted more than 100 people to take to Twitter and levy criticism against his proposed nomination. "The nomination of a talk show celebrity to a LAHSA panel at a time when the homelessness crisis here is spiraling out of control, was simply offensive," said Michael Weinstein, president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in a statement issued by the group and its housing advocacy arm, Housing Is A Human Right. "This is the governing body of homeless services, including housing for the homeless, in the county. Millions of struggling Angelenos are looking to LAHSA for leadership, and this was the best they had to offer? It was the right move to pull the nomination." The celebrity doctor also recently experienced backlash after he downplayed the coronavirus. He later apologized and fell ill with the virus himself. Pinsky rose to fame in the 1990s with the radio show "Loveline," which was later converted to a television show for MTV. He is also known for his work as producer and star of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" on VH1. The City News Service contributed to this report. Dr. Drew would help us address mental health and substance abuse as driving factors in the ongoing homelessness crisis. Unfortunately, the proposed appointment took away from these important conversations about care for people experiencing homelessness. pic.twitter.com/VZ9u0hEeMf— Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@kathrynbarger) April 20, 2021