Whether you knew him as Tommy on “Eight is Enough,” Buddy Lembeck on “Charles in Charge,” “that guy who yelled at the cameraman” on “Celebrity Fit Club,” or even occasional alter ego Bibleman, Willie Aames has been in and out of the news for decades, and often not for the best of reasons.
Last year, Beliefnet’s Dena Ross interviewed Aames and then-wife Maylo Upton-Aames about “Grace is Enough,” the Christian-themed book they’d just published about how to keep their marriage and faith strong in the face of challenges like drug addictions and other destructive behaviors. But recently, after his wife left him, Aames spiraled out of control, according to the star in a new interview with Star magazine renting a room from a friend, from whom he stole a bottle of Jack Daniels and took his first drink in 20 years. Then it was all downhill:
“I was also taking antidepressants and antianxiety pills. It got so bad, I put a knife to my throat and cut myself in six places. The police came, put me in handcuffs and whisked me away. I was completely devastated… I kept asking, ‘What did I do wrong?'”
The interview is only partially available online, so one of our readers will have to chime in with more information about how Wilile got his life back on track and what role faith now plays in his life.
Some commenters on the Star article have noted that Aames seems like he’s just seeking attention. But Idol Chatter hopes that the interview means that Aames is coming to terms with his demons, and making his way back toward a life of meaning.