When Robert Downey Jr Broke Silence On His Drug Abuse & Arrest Scandals Confessing He Was Fortunate It All Happened “Pre-Internet”: “It’s In Its Own Weird Way The Hero’s Journey”
Robert Downey Jr once addressed his substance abuse and arrest scandals and added that he was glad it happened pre-internet.
When Robert Downey Jr Broke Silence On His Drug Abuse & Arrest Scandals Confessing He Was Fortunate It All Happened “Pre-Internet” (Photo Credit: Facebook)
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Robert Downey Jr needs no introduction. The actor is among the highest-paid stars in Hollywood and has made the best out of his acting career. Many know him for his role as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and the luxurious life that he leads. However, there was a time when the star was struggling with his mental health and drug abuse. This not only affected his personal life but also his relationships. Once, RDJ mentioned that he was glad there was no “internet” at that time.
RDJ began acting when he was five, in the 1970 movie Pound, which was written and directed by his father Robert Downey Sr. He established his acting career in the 80s and 0s as his breakthrough came with a supporting role in Tuff Turf (1985) and later with Weird Science, that came out in the same year.
While his work was praised highly till the early 90s, his substance abuse cases began coming to light. His long-term relationship with Sex and The City actress Sarah Jessica Parker also ended due to his issues with addiction. The duo dated from 1984 to 1991, as SJP thought she was taking care of a child who was, in fact, her own age.
Back in 2021, the Avengers actor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during its special Super Bowl Sunday edition and touched on some of his past scandals. For the unversed, Robert Downey Jr was arrested multiple times in the late 90s for possession of drugs like heroin. He once even revealed that he was addicted to drugs since the age of eight as his father, the celebrated director, used to share his substance with him. Since 2003, the actor has been sober as he rebuilt his life and reputation.
During the episode, the Iron Man star felt that he was fortunate enough that his misbehavior and all the scandals took place before the internet boom happened. RDJ said, “I was fortunate in that I was pre-Internet with much of my misbehavior, but I think I always had a bit of a moral psychology and I always wanted to kinda do the right thing, which doesn’t count for much, and then I kinda took it on the chin.” The Sherlock Holmes star added, “It’s a very American thing to build up and break down and come back. It is in its own weird way the hero’s journey.”
Well, it seems that Robert Downey Jr was talking about social media and not the internet, as scandals are a huge part of several platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, where people discuss them and question celebrities.
His Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Iron Man in 2008, which basically began with his movie, also played a huge part in shaping his career as he made hundreds of millions of dollars. He is now living a peaceful and happy life with his wife, Suzan Downey.
