Dr. Drew Pinsky Responds to Withdrawal of His Nomination to L.A. Commission on Homelessness

Lifelong Pasadenan Dr. Drew Pinsky, better known as media celebrity “Dr. Drew,” responded in a Newsweek interview Tuesday to the withdrawal of his nomination to Los Angeles’ commission on homelessness by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger earlier this week.

Pinsky grew up in Pasadena, attended local schools and resides in West Pasadena.

Barger announced Monday night that she had withdrawn her nomination of Pinsky for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a 10-member commission that is a joint-powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles. It is the lead agency coordinating housing and services for the L.A. County continuum of care for unhoused people.

Opposition to Pinsky’s nomination began to crescendo after a coalition of progressive groups launched a #DumpDrDrew Twitter campaign, accusing him of criminalizing homelessness.

“I am categorically opposed to criminality of homelessness or drug use,” Pinsky told Newsweek, calling the accusation a “complete and utter falsity.”

“I went in with an open heart and mind and to see if I had something to offer to help them,” he said.

“For everyone who is fighting to maintain the status quo, what is the body count before you open it up to other considerations?” Pinsky asked, according to Newsweek.

Barger said the controversy about Pinsky’s nomination had become a distraction obscuring the issues surrounding ameliorating the County’s homeless situation.

“As my proposed appointee to the LAHSA Commission, I brought forward Dr. Drew Pinsky — a respected medical doctor who offers decades of experience in mental health care and substance abuse treatment,” Barger said. “I knew that Dr. Drew would bring a new, forward-thinking approach and would help us address mental health and substance abuse as driving factors in the ongoing homelessness crisis.”

“Unfortunately, the proposed appointment took away from these important conversations about care for people experiencing homelessness,” Barger said.

Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Los Angeles’ Union Rescue Mission, told Newsweek he was very disappointed by the dismissal of Pinsky’s nomination.

“Recovery is a key component and that is why I was very disappointed that the cancel culture and the echo chamber of people who are so entrenched in the housing first and harm reduction model that they won’t even allow another voice in addressing addiction and mental health,” said Bales. 

Pinsky gained fame in the 1990s with the syndicated radio show “Loveline,” which was later turned into a television show for MTV, and as producer and star of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” on VH1.