David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality, internist, and addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016. On television, he hosted the talk show Dr. Drew On Call on HLN and the daytime series Lifechangers on The CW. In addition, he served as producer and starred in the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and its spinoffs Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House. Pinsky currently hosts several podcasts, including Ask Dr. Drew, 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, Drew; Pinsky Todd Gold. Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again: A Doctor's Story, New York: Regan Books. 2004. p. 38 Pinsky's father was Jewish, while he described his mother as coming from a "highly Victorian upper-middle-class family in Philadelphia."
After graduating from Polytechnic School in 1976, Pinsky studied biology at Amherst College, graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts. 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
As The New York Times described it in February 2008, Pinsky's dual career in medicine and the mass media has required him to "navigat[e] a precarious balance of professionalism and salaciousness."Jesella, Kara (February 3, 2008). "Detox for the Camera. Doctor's Order!". The New York Times.
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.About the Show from the Loveline website "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 MTV show ran for four years, while the radio show continued until April 2016 with cohost Mike Catherwood.
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, originally airing weekdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PT"On the radio: Dr. Drew Pinsky adds KGIL to his practice" , Orange County Register, November 22, 2007 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.Archived at Ghostarchive and the 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, 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.Liner, Elaine. "Dr. Drew, Back for Celeb Rehab 2 and Talking Sex, Drugs and the New Media Meanness" MediaBizBloggers.com; October 20, 2008 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.Shanks, Jon. The National Ledger; February 8, 2008
Pinsky has acted in several TV appearances (either portraying himself or a fictional character), Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Dawson's Creek,Dawson's Creek, Season 6, Episode 19, "Lovelines" Family Guy.Family Guy, Season 4, Episode 7, "Brian the Bachelor" The Adam Carolla Project, Minoriteam,Minoriteam, Season 1, Episode 16, "Tremendous Class" Robot Chicken,Robot Chicken, Season 2, Episode 20, "Book of Corrine". Sketches: Robot Chicken Taken Over! and Jasper, the Douchebag Ghost My Gym Partner's a Monkey,My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Season 3, Episode 39, "Butt of Jake" 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.Wang, Andy. E-Commerce News: News: "Heavyweight Investors Back Loveline's Doctor Drew"; ecommercetimes.com; October 1, 1999 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.Boulton, Clint. "Is drkoop.com Out of Sick Bay for Good?". internetnews.com. November 2, 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.Hoehn, Melanie. "'Loveline' host Dr. Drew Pinsky to speak at Southeast" Southeast Missourian; February 10, 2010Zerofsky, Elisabeth. "The Loveline Conservative" Campus Progress; July 23, 2007 When Adam Carolla and Pinsky were teamed as hosts of Loveline, Carolla and Pinsky spoke at colleges.Loveline 1999-02-14Loveline 2003-03-06: Joshua Jackson
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."Dr. Drew's PETA Campaign Advocates To Spay and Neuter Pets". The Huffington Post. 11 August 2012.
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."https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/10/2091756/0/en/Physician-and-Media-Personality-Dr-Drew-Pinsky-Dr-Drew-Joins-Aditx-Therapeutics-as-Senior-Advisor-to-AditxtScore-for-Scoring-the-Immune-System.html" GlobeNewswire 16 September 2020. In October, he first appeared on the Frenemies podcast,H3 Podcast (27 October 2020). "Couples Therapy With Dr. Drew – Frenemies #7". YouTube. and appeared on the podcast again in December.H3 Podcast (16 December 2020). "The Fate Of Frenemies With Dr. Drew – Frenemies #14". YouTube.
Honors Asteroid 4536 Drewpinsky is named in his honor."4536 Drewpinsky (1987 DA6)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA.
Pinsky was honored with the Larry Stewart Leadership and Inspiration Award at the 12th Annual PRISM Awards in 2008.Bollinger, Henri (April 24, 2008). "Television's Dr. Drew Receives Larry Stewart Leadership Award" . Entertainment Industries Council, Inc.
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. Pinsky said in an interview that he had correctly predicted a typhus outbreak in 2019 that occurred in the county as a result of rodents attracted to homeless encampments.