Brave man for doing this. Known a couple of alcoholics in my time. They both drunk themselves to death. Anyone who seeks treatment deserves my upmost admiration.

Simon | April 28, 01:18 CET

Good luck and God bless, Nick.

And, what Simon said.

Chris in Virginia | April 28, 01:21 CET

I wish Nick the best in his recovery. As an addict myself (I consider myself to be in remission), although my addiction isn't to substances, it can be difficult to even realize you have a problem especially when your problem may not manifest itself in obvious ways.

I'm the sort of person that if you don't know my deepest personal issues you would have no idea that I'm an addict and addiction has a stigma in society and it's very misunderstood but it's so common especially in a culture where we are encouraged to use things to escape ourselves.

Recovery is a difficult road but it's made easier when you have the support of family and friends and I hope Nick has that strength to back him up. I'm proud he's admitted his weakness, turning it into a strength that can encourage others to do the same.

I have the strong belief that Nick can beat this thing and it shows just how couragous he is that he went public with it. Good luck to him!

electricspacegirl | April 28, 01:31 CET

I'll add to the chorus of appreciation for Nick's courage. I have the utmost admiration for people who face their demons head-on. Many people can't. Best of luck in your recovery, Nick.

phlebotinin | April 28, 01:47 CET

I wonder if the alcoholism is a recent development or something he's been dealing with for a long time. Either way, best of luck to him!

Rogue Slayer | April 28, 02:03 CET

I don't know if this is something he wanted published outside of the convention, cause he was hesitant about telling the convention when he did. I'm glad he felt strong enough to tell us that he was in rehab and that he had 2 more weeks to go. I have skirted this on purpose when posting stuff here about the convention but I figured someone would say something about it eventually. It wasreally good for him to do this and relieze he had a drinking problem but I think he is still unsure of how much he wanted to tell people. When he talked about being in rehab he would not look out at the crowd, he kept looking towards his support (someone from the rehab accompanied him to the convention) or he would be focused on the chair on the stage or the floor.

RavenU | April 28, 02:11 CET

I admire his courage in admitting he had a problem to an entire room of strangers, many of whom idolize him - and I wish him the best on the road ahead. I have many relatives struggling with the same problem, and it can be very rough going. But it sounds like he's going to make it through, and I applaud him for the determination to change.

TheJoyofZeppo | April 28, 02:14 CET

I don't know if this is something he wanted published outside of the convention, cause he was hesitant about telling the convention when he did.

Just to clarify, he and his manager are fully aware of and approved the statement on NB.com.

[ edited by J.Monique on 2004-04-28 00:20 ]

J.Monique | April 28, 02:18 CET

This is such a private and painful issue that is now public. I hope he is okay with the news getting out and I hope he is strong enough to deal with it if it wasn't. I'm glad he's seeking help and I hope he is successful. I've known many alcoholics and only a few of them have actually gotten help when most of them definitely needed it. It is a sign of his strength and integrity that he realizes he has a problem and is trying to take care of it. And Electricspacegirl good luck and best wishes to you too and that was nice of you to share and express your experiences.

Firefly Flanatic | April 28, 02:19 CET

Thanks J.Monique for confirming that he did indeed know that he was aware of the statement. It makes me feel better for him that it was his decision.

Firefly Flanatic | April 28, 02:21 CET

Thank you, J Monique for the confirmation. I figured since it was his offical site that posted it and I am glad they are the ones that did it - I was just expecting it in a few weeks when he was out. Although I'm glad for him and hope this is a permanent recovery from what will be and is a lifelong battle.

RavenU | April 28, 02:26 CET

I met Nick in the lobby of the hotel at the recent Meadowlands "Buffy"/"Angel" Creation con, and had a nice conversation with him, there and in the elevator ride up to our different floors. He was an incredibly genuine, sweet guy, very down-to-earth. Later, he even remembered me when I went to get my autograph, and when I started to walk away from the table afterwards, he told me to come back because he wanted to shake my hand. Just an awesome guy. Even though I know he won't see this, since he said he never goes on-line, I wish him all the best in the world. Having spoken publicly about his stuttering and now his current alcohol problem, I admire his bravery, and respect him a great deal. He's a great guy.

Rob | April 28, 02:33 CET

I'll be forwarding the posts left in the comments at NB.com on through the liaison to the site, if people want to give him words of encouragement.

J.Monique | April 28, 02:37 CET

good luck Nick, i wish you the best in your recovery.

AngelicSlayer | April 28, 02:46 CET

It takes alot to admit that you have a drink problem to yourself, let alone to a large room full of people you have never met. What a brave guy. I wish him good luck traveling a very hard road.

papa lazarou | April 28, 02:51 CET

All my thoughts are with you right now nick, hope you are able to get threw this.

400lb_Gorilla | April 28, 03:10 CET

Bwessels, thanks for the good luck wishes. I haven't acted out in my addiction in years now and I seem to have come through it a better person.

I believe that at some point I switched my focus to Buffy which has been a positive and creative obsession, as opposed to the self-destruction I was living with before.

electricspacegirl | April 28, 03:15 CET

As the child of an alcoholic father (who is now deceased) I admire Nick deeply for seeking treatment. Alcohol effects so may lives beyond the person who does the drinking. I wish him the best and I hope he knows there are a lot of people who care about him. Peace and love, Nicholas!

bloodflowers | April 28, 03:54 CET

...So. Uhm.. when he gets out of rehab, XANDER THE SERIES goes back into production then, right?

ZachsMind | April 28, 03:57 CET

I'm with you, bloodflowers. My mother was an alcoholic, and it's a disease that can definitely effect a lot of lives beyond the person who has it. I wish Nick the best of luck, and if he needs any more personal strength, I suggest we all do a 'Same Time, Same Place' and give him some of our own.

MindPieces | April 28, 04:03 CET

i wish nicki all the luck and peace of mind in the world. his courage is quite admirable.
i also wish solace for all you guys who have had to deal with alcohlism.
and ElectricSpaceGirl, i hope whedonesque and our group here helps take your mind off of your troubles, even for a little while. i hope you feel that you are among friends and that i for one would like to help if there's anything i can do.

rsfayez | April 28, 04:43 CET

You know, I was at the convention, and it was just really weird timing that he confessed that to us. Because the night before, my friends and I had been playing the Buffy Chaos Bleeds Xbox game, and we watched the interview with him on it... and he looked like someone just dragged him out of bed after a night of drinking. I kept insisting that he was drunk during the interview... and then the next day he told us about being in rehab. We had also been wondering about the guy following him around all weekend, but just assumed it was his assistant. (which was cool, because he was taking pictures and stuff for him... what a nice sponsor.)

Actually, he told us after someone asked him about what he was up to now. I was just really flattered that he came to his fans first with the news, rather than releasing a statement, or the media just finding out. I was so proud of him, and everyone did give him this great, really deserving round of applause.

I thought he handled it really well, though. I mean, he obviously took it seriously, but he wasnt above laughing over him and Kelly getting into a fist fight once when he was drunk.

I know all his fans wish him the best of luck, and I'm so happy that he decided to help himself.

Cole Searr | April 28, 05:02 CET

Electricspacegirl - Whedonesque shows are definitely good addictions so keep them up. I'm glad to hear that you are doing so well and that you look at the experience as a positive, growing part of your life.

I also want to say how great I think all of you are who went to the convention where he confessed this and not one of you posted this information to gossip about or brought it up until today. I think that is a testament to how wonderful you all are.

Firefly Flanatic | April 28, 05:29 CET

Wow, had no idea he was struggling with drinking problems! Obviously I hope all goes well for him and he kicks it. Is it possible the sudden transition after Buffy (after 7 straight years) escalated things? And things like his sitcom not getting picked up?

Maybe not, I know that's all quite normal in the business, but I always think that I would be heartbroken if you start making a show and the pilot isn't even shown. Probably a good thing I'm NOT in the business.

Best of luck to you Nick.

EdDantes | April 28, 05:44 CET

As the son of an alcohol and drug addict, I can understand the ordeal. It's good that he realized he needs help and went in of his own volition, in a day and age when we hear about celebrities getting arrested and having the courts sentence them to rehab. This shows Nicholas is a strong person. I wish him all the best in his recovery!

AlterLeo | April 28, 06:23 CET

Glad to see him getting help. I went to the NJ Buffy/Angel convention a month ago, and well, let me just put it this way. It was quite obvious Nick had a drinking problem by most who attended. I left all the incriminating evidence out of my recap I did about the event, cause I didn't want it to spread, but glad Nick came out to the fans first with the news.

[ edited by nychick on 2004-04-28 06:17 ]

nychick | April 28, 08:06 CET

I also deeply admire Nick for telling the fans, and going for help. He is one of the cast members I have never met, but would absolutely love to. He seems to be such a sweetheart with fans, and while heartbreaking to hear about his problem, it's good to know he's in treatment.

And a pondering, meant with no disrespect, but something I couldn't help but wonder. Was this a result of his lessened role in Season 7, or vice versa?

MegL42 | April 28, 08:08 CET

This could only make me admire Nick more. His courage and strength is commendable. It's so refreshing to see someone take charge of this problem and actively seek help.
All my best wishes go to him and his wife.

Flair | April 28, 08:11 CET

Fair play to him coming out with it like that - that takes balls. If he can do that, he can beat this thing. Best of luck, Nick.

Caroline | April 28, 09:48 CET

Good luck to Nick, and I agree, the news and the fact that he's so brave about it just makes me admire him more. Best wishes to him and his family.

StarFaith | April 28, 10:15 CET

One has to admire Nick for his bravery. Admitting the problem is the first step on the road to solve the problem. Best of luck to him.

pelinxf | April 29, 00:34 CET