John Mulaney delves right into his time in rehab in his new Netflix special Baby J, released today (25 April) on Netflix.
“The past couple of years I’ve done a lot of work on myself,” he says. “I’ve realized that I’ll be fine as long as I get constant attention.”
Last year, the comedian and SNL alum was hit by a wave of media attention as it was revealed that he had entered rehab after relapsing with cocaine, alcohol and prescription pills.
In the special, Mulaney describes being surprised by a “star-studded”, 12-person intervention in December 2020 led by late-night talk show host Seth Meyers.
The comedian explained that he was invited over to his friend’s house for dinner in New York, however, when he got there, he was greeted by a “very good lineup” of comedy stars who were there to discuss his drug addiction. Fred Armisen and Nick Kroll were among the guests who had also hired an interventionist to help.
Mulaney said he arrived at the intervention two hours late after buying drugs from his dealer with cash because he had “maxed out” his Venmo.
Ultimately, Mulaney agreed to get help. “I leave for rehab, I have on my person a full baggie of 30mg of Adderall, a full baggie of Xanax, 3 grams of cocaine and $2,000 in cash,” he recalled. “I had other plans that weekend.”
Despite calling the group “rats” in jest, he conceded that they had helped save his life.
“Getting to do this show and standing here – listen, I am grateful to everyone at my intervention,” he said. “They intervened, they confronted me, and they totally saved my life.”
Baby J is out now on Netflix.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
