Pals fear JOHNNY DEPP needs rehab after Hunter S. Thompson inspired debauched boozy bender!
No Rum Diary, no cry? That’s the last thing Johnny Depp needs – the recovering alcoholic has fallen off the wagon and frightened friends are urging him to enter rehab, say sources.
On Oct. 8, a drunken Depp crashed to the ground on Hollywood Boulevard after a rum-soaked evening with buddies at 25 Degrees, a trendy Los Angeles cafe.
Now pals fear the three-time Oscar-nominated actor could turn into a real-life Ralph Steadman illustration of his boozy, drug furled mentor gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, capsizing his career – or worse!
An eyewitness at the restaurant told The ENQUIRER that when Depp arrived at around 10 p.m., he already appeared to be “buzzed” as he sat in a booth with a group of friends.
“He had about seven or eight rum and cokes,” said a waitress. “Johnny got pretty toasted and became a little raucous, sometimes raising his voice.”
The actor stumbled as he headed for the restroom, greeting fans along the way.
By the end of the evening, the stupor-star was said to be slurring his words.
“It appears Johnny is back to his old hell-raising ways,” declared a source.
“He seemed to have things under control for many years and limited his drinking pretty much to wine. But now that he’s hitting the hard stuff again – especially rum – his family and friends are deeply concerned. They want him to go into rehab.”
Back in 2007, the 48-year-old father of two confessed that alcoholism had once nearly ended his career.
At one point, those closest to him staged an intervention. They warned him: “You’re killing yourself!”
