Nick Nolte was arrested for driving under the influence of GHB in 2002, leading to the existence of a memorable celebrity mugshot, which featured Nolte in a Hawaiian shirt and his hair looking disheveled. At the time, he was so dependent on the substance that he would take it every day.
Now 83, Nolte was recently spotted out in Malibu with his graying hair looking just like it did decades ago. He wore a deep lilac shirt with some of his buttons undone and appeared absentminded as he stepped out of his black Lincoln car.
Nick Nolte reflects on his chaotic 2002 arrest
In retrospect, Nolte regrets dealing with GHB, which is a sedative-hypnotic drug used recreationally for its euphoric properties; however, it also poses risks like nausea, breathing difficulties, and, in some cases, coma. He got candid about the events leading up to the epic mugshot in his memoir, Rebel.
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Nolte took GHB, known as gamma hydroxybutyrate, before going to the gym and then made for an afternoon Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at a church after a long workout session. On his way, he felt the effects of the drug kicking in and decided to go home instead when he was intercepted by some officers.
Actor Nick Nolte, 83, evokes his notorious wild-haired 2002 mugshot as he’s spotted looking disheveled out and about in Malibu https://t.co/tiZGqCzU1p pic.twitter.com/QMrI9KcTiO
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) July 1, 2024
Nolte checked in to rehab after the mugshot
Multiple calls were made to 911, reporting that Nolte’s sedan was on the wrong side of the Pacific Coast Highway. He got booked and asked the officer who had taken the mugshot to share any proceeds he had made from the Polaroid with his colleagues. Days later, Nolte was released on bail and checked into a psychiatric institution, where he went 30 days without GHB.
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Nick Nolte at the premiere of “Gangster Squad”.
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The iconic actor recalled being named the World’s Sexiest Man a decade before the occurrence, which presented him in an unbelievable contrast to the same world that admired him back then. It was not Nolte’s first time getting in trouble as he got caught selling fake draft cards in 1961, leading to a fine of $75,000 and an imprisonment ruling that was later suspended.