Drew Pinsky
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David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality, internist, and
addiction medicine Addiction medicine is a medical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and recovery of persons with addiction, of those with substance-related and addictive disorders, and of people who show unhealthy us ...
specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated
radio talk show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
''
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pins ...
'' from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016. On television, he hosted the talk show ''
Dr. Drew On Call ''Dr. Drew On Call'', previously titled ''Dr. Drew'', was an American current affairs program hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky that aired Monday through Thursday nights on HLN. The program premiered on Monday, April 4, 2011, and aired Monday through Th ...
'' on HLN and the daytime series ''
Lifechangers ''Lifechangers'' was an American half-hour daytime show hosted by Drew Pinsky. It premiered on September 19, 2011, as part of The CW Daytime. Overview The show featured Drew Pinsky and a panel of experts including celebrities and doctors, helpin ...
'' on
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. In addition, he served as producer and starred in the VH1 show ''
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', later called simply ''Rehab with Dr. Drew'', is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of well-known people as they are treated for alco ...
'', and its spinoffs '' Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'', ''
Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House ''Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House'', or simply ''Sober House'', is a VH1 reality television show. It was a spin-off of ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', and premiered on January 15, 2009. Production ''Sober House'' is a continuation of '' ...
''. Pinsky currently hosts several podcasts, including ''The Dr. Drew Podcast'', ''This Life with Dr. Drew'', ''Dr. Drew After Dark'' on the
Your Mom's House ''Your Mom's House'' is a comedy podcast hosted by married comedians Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky. The podcast was started in 2010 and covers a wide range of topics such as ongoing events, comedy, and the daily life of the two co-hosts—int ...
network, and ''The Adam and Drew Show'' with his former ''Loveline'' co-host
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
. Pinsky is a former staff member at the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at Las Encinas Hospital in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
, and
Huntington Memorial Hospital Huntington may refer to: Places Canada * Huntington, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Huntington, New Zealand a suburb in Hamilton, New Zealand United Kingdom * Huntington, Cheshire, England * Huntington, East Lothian, Scotland * Huntington, ...
. He currently maintains a private internal medicine practice in South Pasadena.


Early life

Pinsky was born in 1958 in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
, to a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family."Drew Pinsky – Biography"
.
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. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
His father, Morton Pinsky (1926–2009), was a physician whose parents immigrated to the United States from
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.Pinsky, Drew; Pinsky Todd Gold. ''Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again: A Doctor's Story'', New York: Regan Books. 2004. p. 38 His mother, Helene Stanton (née Eleanor Mae Stansbury; 1925–2017), was a singer and actress who came from a "highly Victorian upper-middle-class family in Philadelphia". After graduating from
Polytechnic School Polytechnic School, often referred to simply as Poly, is a college preparatory private day school located in Pasadena, California with approximately 850 students enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 12. The school is a former member of the ...
in 1976, Pinsky studied
biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
at
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...
, graduating in 1980 with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
. He then attended the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
's
Keck School of Medicine The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California teaches and trains physicians, biomedical scientists and other healthcare professionals, conducts medical research, and treats patients. Founded in 1885, it is the second oldest ...
, graduating in 1984 with a
Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...
degree. He served his
residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
in internal medicine at USC County Hospital and became chief resident at
Huntington Memorial Hospital Huntington may refer to: Places Canada * Huntington, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Huntington, New Zealand a suburb in Hamilton, New Zealand United Kingdom * Huntington, Cheshire, England * Huntington, East Lothian, Scotland * Huntington, ...
in Pasadena, and later moved into private practice.


Career

As ''The New York Times'' described it in February 2008, Pinsky's dual career in medicine and the
mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information ...
has required him to "navigat a precarious balance of
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
ism and salaciousness."Jesella, Kara (February 3, 2008)
"Detox for the Camera. Doctor’s Order!"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.


Radio work

In 1984, while still a medical student, Pinsky started appearing in "Ask a Surgeon", a segment of a Sunday night
KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The stat ...
show hosted by Jim "Poorman" Trenton and "Swedish" Egil Aalvik.About the Show
from the ''
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pins ...
'' website
"Ask the Surgeon" soon combined with "
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pins ...
", another Sunday night segment, into a show of its own, co-hosted by Trenton and Pinsky. ''Loveline'' went national in 1995, and the television version launched on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
the following year, hosted by Pinsky and
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
. The exposure on both radio and television made Pinsky the " Gen-X answer to
Ruth Westheimer Karola Ruth Westheimer ( Siegel; born June 4, 1928), better known as Dr. Ruth, is a German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper. Westheimer was born in Germany to a Jewish fami ...
r. Ruth with an AIDS-era, pro-
safe-sex Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer se ...
message." The MTV show ran for four years, while the radio show continued until April 2016 with cohost
Mike Catherwood Michael Dwight Catherwood (born March 15, 1979), also known as Psycho Mike, is an American radio personality. He is known primarily for his work at KROQ-FM on ''Kevin and Bean'' and as the co-host of '' Loveline'' from 2010 to 2016, and ''Neon Bl ...
. On November 27, 2007, Pinsky began ''Dr. Drew Live'', another nationally syndicated talk radio show where he focused on a wider range of health issues. It originated from KGIL in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, originally airing weekdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PT The show was canceled in December 2008. On January 5, 2015, Pinsky launched a new weekday program, "Dr. Drew Midday Live with Mike Catherwood," on KABC in Los Angeles.
Leeann Tweeden Leeann Tweeden is an American radio broadcaster, model and sports commentator. She is co-host of ''Dr. Drew Midday Live'' on Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles. Early life Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia, to Bill Tweeden, a retired Air For ...
became the co-host of the show starting on January 7, 2019. On April 21, 2016, Pinsky announced ''Loveline'' would wrap up on April 28, 2016. Adam Carolla re-joined him as co-host for the final show.


Television

Pinsky's first television appearance was as a contestant on ''
Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...
'' in 1984, though he did not win.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
He also served as "health and human relations expert" on the first season of the U.S. TV series '' Big Brother'' in 2000. He has also hosted several shorter educational television series, starting with ''
Strictly Sex with Dr. Drew ''Strictly Sex with Dr. Drew'' is a television show hosted by Loveline host Drew Pinsky, Dr. Drew Pinsky. It ran for 10 episodes in all, and is still featured on the Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Health channel. Episode guide The Orgasm T ...
'', which ran for 10 episodes on the
Discovery Health Channel Discovery Health Channel was an American subscription television channel. Launched in July 1998, it was owned by Discovery Communications as a spin-off of Discovery Channel, focusing on health and wellness-oriented programming. In the beginni ...
, followed by Strictly Dr. Drew which addressed everyday health issues. He later hosted the MTV series ''Sex...with Mom and Dad'' (2008–2009). In 2008, Pinsky starred in ''
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', later called simply ''Rehab with Dr. Drew'', is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of well-known people as they are treated for alco ...
'', a
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
show which involves celebrities in a
drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general inte ...
facility. The show was filmed at Pasadena Recovery Center, with Pinsky serving as the resident medical expert. The series premiered January 10, 2008 on
VH-1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communi ...
and was renewed for multiple seasons. A follow-up show to ''Celebrity Rehab'' with many of the same celebrities was '' Sober House'', which began its first season in January 2009, and included celebrities from the first two seasons of ''Celebrity Rehab'' continuing their recovery in a
sober living Sober living houses (SLHs), also called sober homes and sober living environments, are facilities that provide safe housing and supportive, structured living conditions for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs. SLHs serve as a transitional ...
facility. In November 2009, Pinsky starred in a spinoff of ''Celebrity Rehab'', ''
Sex Rehab with Dr.Drew ''Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'' is a VH1 reality television show that documents people being treated for sexual addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. Premiering on November 1, 2009, ''Se ...
'', which depicted celebrities being treated for
sexual addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The c ...
over the course of three weeks at the Pasadena Recovery Center. In a 2011 episode of Lifechangers, Dr. Drew brought on a 16 year old Courtney Stodden and conducted an on-air ultrasound of her breasts to prove Stodden's claim they didn't have plastic surgery. The ultrasound was conducted by Dr. John Diaz,
plastic surgeon
Pinsky makes guest appearances on various news programs where he usually gives his observations on the relationship between
controlled substances A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some treaties, notably the Single ...
and high-profile individuals. He has frequently given his views on the deaths of people such as Anna Nicole Smith,
Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, arguing that their fates should set examples of the seriousness of misusing drugs. Pinsky has acted in several TV appearances (either portraying himself or a fictional character), ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animation, adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast t ...
'', ''
Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...
'', ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
''. ''
The Adam Carolla Project ''The Adam Carolla Project'' is an American reality television series featuring comedian Adam Carolla. The series aired on TLC from October to December 2005. Overview Before gaining celebrity on '' Loveline'' and ''The Man Show'', Carolla worke ...
'', ''
Minoriteam ''Minoriteam'' is an American adult animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It ran from 2005 to 2006, with a total of one season and 20 episodes. The show was not renewed for another season and wa ...
'', ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'', ''
My Gym Partner's a Monkey ''My Gym Partner's a Monkey'' is an American animated television series created by Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill for Cartoon Network. It aired from December 26, 2005, to November 27, 2008, ending with a total of four seasons and 56 episode ...
'', ''
Code Monkeys ''Code Monkeys'' is an American adult animated television program by Adam de la Peña. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision. The show ran for two seasons, from 2007 to 2008, on G4 and G4 ...
'', and ''
The Midnight Gospel ''The Midnight Gospel'' is an American adult animated streaming television series created by '' Adventure Time'' creator Pendleton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell. Released on Netflix on April 20, 2020, it is the first animated production fr ...
''. Pinsky also appeared in the films '' New York Minute'' and ''
Wild Hogs ''Wild Hogs'' is a 2007 American biker road comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007. It was the las ...
''. In early 2011, Pinsky began hosting his own show, ''
Dr. Drew On Call ''Dr. Drew On Call'', previously titled ''Dr. Drew'', was an American current affairs program hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky that aired Monday through Thursday nights on HLN. The program premiered on Monday, April 4, 2011, and aired Monday through Th ...
'' on HLN that focuses on news involving health and addiction topics. On August 26, 2016, HLN and Pinsky announced that the show's last episode would be September 22 of that year. On October 9, 2019, Pinsky competed in
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
of ''
The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' as "Eagle".


Controversies

Between February to March 2020, Pinsky made a series of statements concerning the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
outbreak where he downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic, stating that it was not as bad as the flu, and suggested that it was a "press-induced panic". Pinsky apologized in April 2020, and he urged people to follow the advice of Anthony Fauci. Pinsky has raised concerns for several years regarding
homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...
in Los Angeles County and has been critical of how the government has handled it, stating, "For some reason, the government has taken the position that this is a housing problem, which, of course, housing is a piece of this, but for most—and by most I mean the vast majority of people on the streets—their condition makes them unwilling or unwanting to go indoors. So, even when they correct the housing issue, they’re still going to have the same problem on the streets." He has also been critical of certain aspects of the
Lanterman–Petris–Short Act The Lanterman–Petris–Short (LPS) ActChapter 1667of the 1967 California Statutes, codified aCal. Welf & Inst. Code sec. 5000 et seq.) regulates involuntary civil commitment to a mental health institution in the state of California. The act set ...
, in that it limits the ability of authorities to intervene when mentally ill persons are at risk of death due to being unable to care for their own needs. Pinsky said in an interview that he had correctly predicted a
typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
outbreak in 2019 that occurred in the county as a result of rodents attracted to homeless encampments. Pinsky was nominated to a local Los Angeles homeless commission by
Kathryn Barger Kathryn Ann Barger-Leibrich is an American politician, serving as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 5th District since 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Barger served as Chair of Los Angeles County from 2019 ...
, a member of the
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their first ...
in April 2021. He faced criticism from local homeless right advocates and a Twitter campaign. While supervisor appointments to local boards are rarely controversial, more than 100 people submitted public comments asking supervisors not to approve Pinsky. The board received less than five public comments in support of his nomination. Critics claimed that Pinsky had overreported the number of homeless people with mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders. Others, such as homeless advocate and charity leader Rev. Andy Bales, defended Pinsky and called the hashtag campaign and public commenting an "
echo chamber Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technology Hamilton Mausoleum has a long-lasting unplanned echo An echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce reverberation, usually for recording purposes. For example, the producers of ...
". Pinsky's nomination was ultimately withdrawn.


Other work

In 1999, Pinsky co-founded an Internet-based community and advice site for teenagers called DrDrew.com with Curtis Giesen. Among their early backers was Garage.com. DrDrew.com soon ran out of funding, and the company was sold to Sherwood Partners Inc., a corporate restructuring firm, which sold the remnants to DrKoop.com in November 2000. Pinsky re-acquired the site circa 2013 and began using it for general information about his books, radio and TV shows, as well as hosting his independent podcast, ''The Dr. Drew Podcast''. In September 2012, Pinsky announced on '' The Adam Carolla Show'' that he will be doing a podcast on the Carolla Digital network. In 2003, Pinsky authored ''Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again,'' recounting his experiences as the medical director of the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at the Las Encinas Hospital
drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general inte ...
clinic in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
. He also contributed to the book ''When Painkillers Become Dangerous: What Everyone Needs to Know About
OxyContin Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...
and Other Prescription Drugs,'' published in 2004. In addition to his media appearances, Pinsky speaks at college campuses and other public venues. When Adam Carolla and Pinsky were teamed as hosts of ''Loveline'', Carolla and Pinsky spoke at colleges. Pinsky was the voice of 1-800-GET-THIN, advocating
lap band A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, commonly called a lap-band, A band, or LAGB, is an inflatable silicone device placed around the top portion of the stomach to treat obesity, intended to decrease food consumption. Adjustable gastric band ...
surgery on radio ads and in a recording played for those who called 1-800-GET-THIN. He also appeared with his dogs in a
PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
ad campaign promoting the
spaying and neutering Neutering, from the Latin ''neuter'' ('of neither sex'), is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. ...
of pets. Pinsky also narrated for the 2014 documentary "Divorce Corp" and "Teen Species". In early 2019, Pinsky started an online podcast "Dr Drew after Dark”. The podcast is hosted at
Tom Segura Thomas Weston Segura (born April 16, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster. Segura co-hosts the ''Your Mom's House'' podcast with his wife and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the p ...
's studio "Studio Jeans". Pinsky was featured in the first episode Netflix series "The Midnight Gospel". On September 10, 2020, it was announced that Dr. Drew Pinsky joined Aditx Therapeutics as Senior Advisor to AditxtScore for Scoring the Immune System. In October, he first appeared on the ''Frenemies'' podcast, and appeared on the podcast again in December. Dr. Drew has his own website (https://drdrew.com) and
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel.


Honors

Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
4536 Drewpinsky is named in his honor. Pinsky was honored with the Larry Stewart Leadership and Inspiration Award at the 12th Annual
PRISM Awards The Entertainment Industries Council is a United States non-profit organization founded in 1983 that promotes the depiction of accurate health and social issues in film, television, music, and comic books. The Council provides guidelines on the depi ...
in 2008.


Personal life

Pinsky married on July 21, 1991, and he and his wife, Susan Sailer, had triplets Douglas, Jordan, and Paulina in November 1992. Pinsky lives in
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...
. Interested in fitness since his early teens, he goes running and does
weight training Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Traini ...
regularly. In addition to his hobby of traveling, he also enjoys singing
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
, as his mother was a professional singer. Pinsky stated on the June 24, 2009, episode of ''Loveline'' that at one point, he was torn between practicing medicine and becoming a professional opera singer. Pinsky stated that he auditioned for a celebrity singing show, but that the show passed on his appearance when he made it clear to producers that he could not sing pop songs but did perform an aria on '' Turn Ben Stein On''. Pinsky's father, Morton, died suddenly of a
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
on October 27, 2009. A title card at the end of the season 3 finale of ''
Celebrity Rehab Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'' dedicated the episode to him. Pinsky's mother, Helene, died on June 7, 2017, at age 91. Pinsky is a nonobservant Jew; he admits to abandoning most Jewish practices but claims to retain a continued desire to learn about the religion. He explains that religious as well as philosophical studies affect his medical practice and his speeches, and that his background places "an indirect coloring on every answer." In September 2013, Pinsky stated that he had recovered from
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
surgery performed earlier that June and July, after which Pinsky did not require chemotherapy or radiation. During episode 119 of his podcast Dr. Drew After Dark, aired on June 10, 2021, Pinsky said that his prostate cancer has recurred after it was discovered during routine bloodwork that his PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) level is elevated. He will go through Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in July 2021. In a 2011 interview on ''
Kevin and Bean ''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock-format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...
'', Pinsky stated he would speak to any media outlet including
TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
and ''
The National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays sources for tips, a common practice in tabl ...
'' but would not speak to the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', explaining "They distort, and they mislead, and they take things out of context. I really am stunned at how shoddy their journalism is, so I stopped talking to them." Politically, Pinsky has increasingly spoken of the 'tyranny' of governmental overreach and the need for a “Liberty Party”. Pinsky told
Ryan Holiday Ryan Holiday (born June 16, 1987) is an American author, modern Stoic, public-relations strategist, owner of the Painted Porch Bookshop and host of the podcast ''The Daily Stoic.'' Prior to becoming an author, he served as the former director of ...
he was studying philosopher
Epictetus Epictetus (; grc-gre, Ἐπίκτητος, ''Epíktētos''; 50 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Pamukkale, in western Turkey) and lived in Rome until his banishment, when ...
and recommended it to him. Holiday says this sparked his interest in
stoic philosophy Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BCE. It is a philosophy of personal virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world, asserting that t ...
, later becoming a New York Times best-selling author on the subject.


Selected filmography


Film


Television


Published work


Journal publications

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Books

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References


External links

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2003 radio interview
by Barbara Bogaev on ''
Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinsky, Drew 1958 births Alcohol abuse counselors American health and wellness writers American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent American podcasters American relationships and sexuality writers American male non-fiction writers American talk radio hosts American television talk show hosts Amherst College alumni Celebrity doctors Contestants on American game shows American addiction physicians Keck School of Medicine of USC alumni Living people Participants in American reality television series People from Pasadena, California Physicians from California University of Southern California faculty CNN people