OFF-the-wall actor Gary Busey turned out to be more of a troublemaker than a mentor for the stars who checked themselves into VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab 2” last month.
Busey, who claims 13 years of sobriety, joined the “CR2” cast to help the stars through the recovery process.
But after he was given a room at the Pasadena substance abuse facility where the show is taped, he frequently clashed with his co- stars during group therapy, a “Rehab” staffer who witnessed much of Busey’s be havior told The Post.
At some point during the 21-day program, Busey’s altercations with the rest of the cast became so intense, he and another celebrity rehabber had to be physically separated. Press materials released by VH1 have been careful to stipulate that Busey was not on the show as a patient, but as a rehabbed substance abuser there simply to help the others.
Other “Rehab” hijinks included several patients’ expletive-laden tirades leveled at the show’s anchor and chief therapist, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and a horrible physical tussle between wheelchair-bound ex-“Taxi” star Jeff Conaway and another “off-camera” patient at the rehab center.
VH1 officials have declined to comment on details of what occurred during “CR2,” since the show isn’t slated to debut until October.
Among the bold-faced names also set to appear on the second season are former stripper-turned-“American Idol“finalist Nikki McKibbin; actress Tawny Kitaen; model/actress Amber Smith; Rod Stewart’s son, Sean Stewart; and former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler. Rodney King, the man whose videotaped beating by cops sparked the 1992 LA riots, is also a patient on the show, where Pinsky (“Loveline“) tries to help celebs tame their substance abuse problems.
A handpicked selection of former patients from both seasons of “Rehab” is expected to appear on “Sober Living,” an upcoming spinoff of “Rehab.”
In that show, also anchored by Pinsky, troubled stars live together in a house, attend therapy and try to get their careers back on track.