A close call for actor Gerard Butler at Mavericks may have played a factor in a prescription drug problem for the actor. TMZ reports Butler is leaving the Betty Ford Center today after a three-week-long rehab stint. A source tells TMZ Butler needed help with painkillers before he developed a full-blown addiction.
The source said Butler started using prescription painkillers during the filming of the movie “300” in 2006. Butler said during a 2007 interview he was injured everyday on the set of the action film.
In December, Butler was injured while filming “Of Men and Mavericks” at the famous surf break near Half Moon Bay. Butler and crew members were surprised by a set of 10 to 12 foot waves. Witnesses said at least two waves held Butler underwater. An ambulance took him to Stanford Medical Center for observation.
The TMZ report says Butler also developed issues with cocaine, but the prescription painkillers were the real issue.
