Leif garrett where is he now

His best friend Roland Winkler was in the car with him and became permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Garrett fought a long-drawn court battle with Winkler, which was eventually settled out of court. In the years since the accident, Garrett has had a few skirmishes with the law and has struggled with substance abuse over the years. In , he was arrested after he was allegedly caught trying to buy heroin from undercover cops. He was arrested for possession of cocaine in and in , when he was caught for traveling without a ticket on the Los Angeles Metro, it was discovered that he was carrying heroin.

Over the years, Garrett has been in and out of live-in rehabilitation programs. He has spoken openly about his struggle with substance abuse as a participant of the reality TV show Celebrity Rehab. Garrett offered advice to another teen idol who came several years after him, Justin Bieber. In a interview with Fox News , Garrett recalled that his producers once brought in a background singer whose voice would be so prominent that on certain songs, "if you listen carefully, it's just not me at all.

Per Biography , Leif Garrett was "on a path for self-destruction" away from the stage; he claimed to have started using drugs at the young age of 14 and was known behind the scenes as a hard-partying individual.

All that came to a head on November 3, Five days before the entertainer's 18th birthday, he and his friend Roland Winkler were involved in a serious car accident. As noted by the Los Angeles Times , both young men had allegedly consumed their share of drugs and alcohol at a party before driving off in Garrett's leased Porsche.

The car rear-ended another vehicle and flew off a freeway embankment, leaving Winkler paralyzed — an especially tragic outcome for someone who made a living as a dancer.

Garrett, who was behind the wheel, emerged relatively unscathed. Following the accident, Garrett and Winkler were involved in a messy legal battle with each other for several years. But the incident had a lasting impact on Garrett that went far beyond any financial settlements he and his family's insurers had to pay, as it left him feeling guilty over his role in the car crash that rendered his friend paraplegic.

The two estranged friends would tearfully reunite, however, on a episode of VH1's Behind the Music , posted on YouTube , when Winkler said that Garrett somehow saved his life and that he wouldn't trade places with him if he had the chance to relive the night of the accident. Sadly, Roland Winkler died on May 25, , at the age of 57, having dealt with "constant physical problems from the accident which eventually led to his passing," according to his Find a Grave page.

Given his teen-idol reputation, it's but natural to expect someone like Leif Garrett to have had his share of high-profile relationships. Two years later, he starred in the short-lived TV series Three for the Road. Garrett launched his music career in with such hit singles as "Surfin' U.

In , Garrett went public with his long battle with substance abuse on Celebrity Rehab. Born to show business parents, Garrett got into acting at an early age.

On television, Garrett landed several guest starring roles, appearing in episodes of Nanny and the Professor , Family Affair , and Gunsmoke. He starred in the adventure series Three for the Road as the son of a freelance photographer Alex Rocco who accompanied his father on his different assignments along with his brother Vincent Van Patten in Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after only a few months on the air. This disappointment did little hamper his career. He remained in demand, appearing such films as Macon County Line and Walking Tall, Part 2 around that same time.

While he was a popular young actor, Garrett also wanted to sing. He signed a deal with Atlantic Records in and released his first album that same year. Pictures of the year-old star were often featured in fan magazines, such as Tiger Beat , 16 , and Teen Beat.

Moving to the Scotti Brothers record label, Garrett went for a more contemporary sound—disco. In addition to his success as a singer, he continued to act. He also starred in Skateboard: The Movie I agree. He has been through a lot, some things he brought on himself, but not having a father was not his fault. Having unresolved childhood issues can mess you up. I know, been there. I think his book was very transparent. Your email address will not be published.

Music Journalism Pop Rock. Leif Garrett In the late s, teen idol Leif Garrett was on top of the world. Author Recent Posts. Kelley Simms.

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