Artie Lange Sparks Concern Among Fans Following Cryptic Tweet

Comedian Artie Lange asked for a hug from fans after admitting he “f—ed up again,” just hours after he was in court for a probation violation on Friday and tested positive for drugs.

“[Come on] guys It’s Artie. Come give me a hug. I f—ed up again. But I’m a f— up,” Lange, 51, tweeted, alongside a photo of himself at a New York street light. “It’s what we do. But I’m never gonna give up. Don’t u give up on me’. U fans. [You’re] all I got. And I’m lucky. [You’re] the best. Now get over here! Hug me [Goodnight]. 143. PeAce. Out.”

The tweet earned several supportive messages from Lange’s fanbase, many of whom were worried about his welfare.

“You’re the man Artie, and you have always had a big heart man,” one person wrote. “Wish I could come to a show, miss hearing you on the radio. The biggest laughs I ever got from radio, came from you. Hands down the best years of Stern were the Artie years. You’ll always be a legend.”

“Oh Artie, you are breaking my heart. I wish for you health, peace and comfort,” added another.

“Art, enough is enough. It’s not funny or endearing to see a man destroy himself. Get serious, and check into an intensive rehab program,” another fan wrote. “You’re a big hearted, talented, lovable guy. It’s time to choose recovery over this exhausting and never ending self-destruction.”

Others urged him to go to rehab longterm.

“Been watching this since Stern show days. We love you, but you take this all as a joke and don’t take full responsibility. You can do this, but you have to put in 100%. Seek real help, not attention,” one fan wrote.

“Go to rehab stop doing shows and acting and go to long term rehab — only way you will get clean and go to rehab in like FL out of Jersey.

On Friday, Lange was in New Jersey Superior Court in Newark for a probation violation, reports NJ.com. Judge Nancy Sivilli did not give him jail time, but he tested positive for cocaine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines and Suboxone. His lawyer, Frank Arlo, said Lange had prescriptions for the benzodiazepines and amphetamine.

Assistant Prosecutor Tony Gutierrez told the judge that Lange must have used cocaine within the last two days to test positive for the drug.

“I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to come in here after using cocaine for two days,” Lange said in court. “It’s in my system and it shouldn’t be. Heroin is out of my life.”

Lange, who has struggled with addiction for decades, was sentenced to four years of probation after he pleaded guilty to heroin possession in June for a May 2017 arrest. He completed a 25-day rehab stint earlier this month.

After Friday’s hearing, Lange sent a statement to his fans on Twitter, broken into several messages. In the tweets, he claimed he has not used heroin in 41 days and praised the judge and prosecutor for being “unbelievably compassionate.” He blamed Suboxone, a drug used to fight opioid addictions, for the positive drug test.

“I’m not high. So I see it clearly now. They wanna save my life. 10 days ago when I left rehab I had to touch the flame. I used Cocaine… It should’ve left my system. But a higher power wouldn’t let. E get away with that. I’m a bad addict. I had to see if I could get high. It was awful. If ur on Suboxen don’t try it. So they are making me apply for a very strict rehab type program called Drug Court,” Lange wrote. “I have work to do. I feel now I can also stop Cocaine. But that’s arrogance and addiction. I’m accepting help. If I fail now I will go to jail. Jail is not for addicts. But I’d be giving them no choice. When I use illegal drugs I have to score them. That’s breaking the law.”

Lange then asked fans to “pray for me” and pointed out that others who are not celebrities are not as lucky as he is to afford a lawyer. He said he plans to help those less fortunate through charity work.

“Hopefully I survive to help others. And to my angel Ali and my amazing amazing wonderful sister [thanks] for saving my life again,” Lange continued. “It’s u mom and me sis. We are still here. Can’t keep the Langes down! Ok guys. Talk soon. It’s Artie. I ain’t goin nowhere. Peace. Love u all!!”

Lange felt well enough to perform at the Comedy Cellar in New York Friday night, and sent several tweets before and after his gig.

Lange has been open about his struggle with addiction and suicide throughout his career. According to NJ.com, he needed surgery for his nose because of his years of snorting cocaine.

“Woke up clean! My nose is f—ed. Gotta accept it,” he wrote on Dec. 8.

In his 2013 memoir, Lange wrote about an attempt at suicide after leaving The Howard Stern Show. He stabbed himself in the stomach and slit his wrists. His mother found him and he was rushed to the hospital.

“People say to me, ‘You think you hit rock bottom?’ And I’m like, ‘I hope so,’” Lange said in a 2013 Rolling Stone interview. “I don’t know what’s worse . . . At the time I did that, there was a part of me that just wanted to get that heroin feeling or that opiate feeling or whatever. My logic was, “If I get bloody, I’ll get queasy, and I’ll go to sleep.” When you’re on the road a lot, you’re in perpetual search of a good night’s sleep. I thought it would help me get a solid eight hours. But I don’t know what I thought was gonna happen when I got up. Put on a red shirt and hope no one notices?”

Photo credit: Bobby Bank/Getty Images