Former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum is leaving political life and entering an alcohol rehab facility following his romp with a naked male escort who overdosed in a Miami Beach hotel.
In a statement Sunday night, Gillum said he had “fallen into a depression that led to alcohol abuse” after losing his bid for governor in 2018.
He said he decided to seek help for his alcoholism after conversations with his family and “deep reflection.” He called the decision “a wake-up call for me.”
According to a Miami Beach police report, Gillum, 40, was found “inebriated” and wearing a tank top and boxer’s shorts in a South Beach hotel room with a male escort who was treated for a suspected meth overdose early Friday.
Travis Dyson, 30, advertised his homosexual male escort services on the website RentMen.com, Florida’s Local10 reported on Friday.
In his profile on the website, Dyson identified himself as “a pornstar performer” who offers services such as a “gay massage”, a type of deep tissue massage that doesn’t involve using his hands.
Police responded to room 1107 at the upscale Mondrian South Beach Hotel around 1 a.m. Friday, and found Gillum vomiting in a bathroom and a naked Dyson being treated by medics for a suspected drug overdose.
Officers found three clear plastic baggies containing “suspected crystal meth” on the bed and on the floor.
Police were unable to communicate with Gillum due to his “inebriated state,” the New York Times reported.
Police body cams captured bed sheets soiled with “blood and feces,” according to Candace Owens’ police source. Owens added that the footage will be released to the public.
Dyson was rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he was treated and released Friday. Medics returned to room 1107 to check on Gillum, who was by that time alert and oriented with normal vital signs.
Gillum was escorted a short distance home by Miami Beach police officers “without incident.”
Another man in the room, Aldo Mejias, 56, said he called police when he arrived to the room around 11 p.m. Thursday and found both males “under the influence” of an unknown substance.
Mejias told police he gave Dyson his credit card info to rent a room. The room was booked at 4 p.m. Thursday. Dyson and Gillum arrived to the room around 6 p.m. for what police are calling a “sex/drug party.”
Mejias said Dyson opened the door for him and then walked over to the bed and collapsed. He said Gillum, whom he did not know, was passed out on the floor, vomiting.
“No arrests were made and none are expected,” said Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez. He said police impounded the drugs.
Rodriguez explained why no arrests were made, despite obvious evidence of illegal activity.
“We responded as a medical call,” he said. “Though there were narcotics in plain view, no one was in physical possession of those narcotics.”
Asked if his officers typically don’t make arrests when illegal drugs are found, the police spokesman said it depends on the situation.
“Officers are not going to make an arrest every time they go into a house and drugs are found. Every situation is different,” he said.
After the embarrassing incident, Gillum released a statement on Friday, claiming he attended a wedding in Miami and was helping his “friend” who needed medical assistance.
He thanked “the incredible Miami Beach EMS team for their efforts” and he said he plans to spend the next few weeks with his wife of 11 years, R. Jai Gillum, and their three children, 5-year-old twins Caroline and Jackson and 2-year-old Davis. He also asked for privacy for his family.
Gillum, a Democratic candidate for Florida governor, was narrowly defeated by Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018. Gillum was hired by CNN as a political contributor in 2019.
CNN provided low-key coverage of the scandal involving another of their high-profile Democratic contributors who fell from grace.
