Drew Pinsky

David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), The Dr. Drew Podcast on the PodcastOne Network, and The Adam and Drew Show with his former Loveline co-host Adam Carolla. From February 2019 - December 2023, he hosted Dr. Drew After Dark on the Your Mom's House network.

Pinsky is a former staff member at the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California, and Huntington Memorial Hospital. He currently maintains a private internal medicine practice in South Pasadena.

Early life Pinsky was born September 4, 1958 in Pasadena, California, to Helene Stanton (née Eleanor Mae Stansbury; 1925–2017), a singer and actress who played a supporting part in the 1955 film The Big Combo, and Morton Pinsky (1926–2009), a physician whose parents immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. Pinsky's father was Jewish, while he described his mother as coming from a "highly Victorian upper-middle-class family in Philadelphia." He then attended the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, graduating in 1984 with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He served his residency in internal medicine at USC County Hospital and became chief resident at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, and later moved into private practice.

Career My goal was always to be part of pop culture and relevant to young people, to interact with the people they hold in high esteem.|Dr. Drew Pinsky|The New York Times, February 2008.

Radio work

In 1984 while still a medical student, Pinsky started appearing in "Ask a Surgeon", a segment of a Sunday night KROQ-FM show hosted by Jim "Poorman" Trenton and "Swedish" Egil Aalvik. "Ask the Surgeon" soon combined with "Loveline", 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 the following year, hosted by Pinsky and Adam Carolla.

The exposure on both radio and television made Pinsky the "Gen-X answer to Ruth Westheimer [Dr. Ruth], with an AIDS-era, pro-safe-sex message." 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 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 in 1984, though he did not win. 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, which ran for 10 episodes on the Discovery Health Channel, followed by Strictly Dr. Drew which addressed everyday health concerns. He later hosted the MTV series Sex...with Mom and Dad (2008–2009).

In 2008, Pinsky starred in Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, a reality television show which involves celebrities in a drug rehabilitation 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 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 facility. In November 2009, Pinsky starred in a spinoff of Celebrity Rehab, Sex Rehab with Dr.Drew, which depicted celebrities being treated for sexual addiction 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 she didn't have plastic surgery. The ultrasound was conducted by Dr. John Diaz, a plastic surgeon.

Pinsky makes guest appearances on various news programs where he usually gives his observations on the relationship between controlled substances and high-profile individuals. He has frequently given his views on the deaths of people such as Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson, 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, Dawson's Creek, Family Guy. The Adam Carolla Project, Minoriteam, Robot Chicken, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Code Monkeys, and The Midnight Gospel. Pinsky also appeared in the films New York Minute and Wild Hogs.

In early 2011, Pinsky began hosting his own show, Dr. Drew On Call 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 of The Masked Singer as "Eagle".

In 2023, Pinsky appeared on the reality TV series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. He was eliminated in the first episode due to a medical problem.

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 clinic in Pasadena, California. He also contributed to the book When Painkillers Become Dangerous: What Everyone Needs to Know About OxyContin 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 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 ad campaign promoting the spaying and neutering 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'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.

Honors Asteroid 4536 Drewpinsky is named in his honor.

Pinsky was honored with the Larry Stewart Leadership and Inspiration Award at the 12th Annual PRISM Awards in 2008.

Controversies

COVID-19

Between February and March 2020, Pinsky made a series of statements concerning the COVID-19 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.

L.A. County homeless commission

Pinsky has raised concerns for several years regarding homelessness in Los Angeles County and has been critical of how the government has handled it, stating: He has also been critical of certain aspects of the Lanterman–Petris–Short Act, 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. 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". Pinsky's nomination was ultimately withdrawn. for alleged conflict of interest in his promotion of the drug Wellbutrin.

According to an October 2011 government complaint against GlaxoSmithKline, Pinsky was the recipient in 1999 of two payments totaling $275,000 from Glaxo Wellcome (a company that would later merge into GlaxoSmithKline) to promote the company's drug Wellbutrin.

Pinsky lives in Pasadena, California. Interested in fitness since his early teens, he goes running and does weight training regularly. In addition to his hobby of traveling, 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 on October 27, 2009. A title card at the end of the season 3 finale of Celebrity Rehab 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 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, Pinsky stated he would speak to any media outlet including TMZ and The National Enquirer but would not speak to the Los Angeles Times, 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 considers himself libertarian, and has espoused more traditionally conservative views in recent years, such as the 'tyranny' of governmental overreach and the need for a "Liberty Party".

Pinsky told Ryan Holiday he was studying philosopher Epictetus and recommended it to him. Holiday says this sparked his interest in stoic philosophy, later becoming a New York Times best-selling author on the subject.

Selected filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes2004New York MinuteDr. RyanCredited as Dr. Drew Pinsky 2007Wild HogsDoctorCredited as Dr. Drew Pinsky 2020 Final Kill Dr. Metzger Credited as Drew Pinsky

Television Year Title Role Notes 1996–2000 Loveline Himself - host 1998–1999 Hollywood Squares Himself - panelist 10 episodes 1998 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Episode: "Terminal" 1999 Hang Time Dr. Drew Pinsky Episode: "Shall We Dance?" 2000 Big Brother Himself 66 episodes 2003 Dawson's Creek Dr. Drew Pinsky Episode: "Lovelines" 2005 Family Guy The Dermatologist Episode: "Brian the Bachelor" 2006 Robot Chicken Leader-1 / Man Voice; Episode: "Book of Corrine" 2007 Code Monkeys Referee Voice; Episode: "Wrassle Mania" 2007–2021 Entertainment Tonight Himself 43 episodes 2008–2011 Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Himself - host 50 episodes 2008–2017 The View Himself 4 episodes 2010–2016 Teen Mom Himself 16 episodes 2010–2021 The Wendy Williams Show Himself 14 episodes The Dr. Oz Show Himself 4 episodes 2011–2016 Teen Mom 2 Himself 16 episodes Dr. Drew On Call Himself 94 episodes 2012 Metalocalypse Dr. Tormindbind Mickmildididindnin Voice; Episode: "Fanklok" 2015 Drunk History Judge Episode: "Inventors" 2015–2018 Rachael Ray Himself 7 episodes 2017–18 How It Really Happened Himself 5 episodes 2017–2020 The Greg Gutfeld Show Himself 11 episodes 2018–2020 25 Words or Less Himself 6 episodes 2019–Present Ask Dr. Drew Himself 500 episodes2019The Masked SingerHimself / "Eagle"4 episodes 2020 The Simpsons Himself Episode: "Screenless"2020The Midnight GospelGlasses ManEpisode: "Taste of the King" 2023 Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Himself Episode: "Test of Character"

Published work Journal publications

Books