Robert Downey Jr. appeared to be one of the Hollywood greats lost too soon to drug addiction, but he turned things around. Robert Downey Jr. has never shied away from discussing his rocky past with drug use. The regularity with which he used illegal narcotics had reached the point where Downey Jr.’s career was on the risk of being destroyed. His wife had abandoned him, and being arrested had become the norm for the Chaplin icon. By 1996, Downey Jr. had reached rock bottom and had to choose between getting clean and surrendering his life to addiction. Downey Jr. had grown up in a drug-infested environment. Robert Downey Sr., with whom the Oppenheimer actor had a troubled connection, was a drug user who introduced his son to marijuana when he was just six years old. Given the young age at which Downey Jr. began experimenting with illegal narcotics, it is remarkable that he was able to remain so clean until maturity. Despite numerous attempts at sobriety through rehab and even a spell in prison, nothing seemed to stick. It wasn’t until Downey Jr. had a revelation at a Burger King that he was finally able to put substance abuse behind him, a point in time for which he will be eternally thankful to the fast food business. For 5 years, Robert Downey Jr. was heavily addicted to drugs. While Downey Jr.
had been using drugs for years by the time he relocated from New York to Hollywood, he was never unable to perform professionally. When the Ironman star got his stride and became highly popular on the big screen in 1996, his drug addiction spiraled out of hand. Downey Jr. became hooked to many narcotics, including heroin, in 1996. His wife left him because of his increased substance consumption, and he was denied contact to his son. Downey Jr. had lost his home and was bouncing from rehab to rehab, with little effect on him. Downey Jr. was arrested for the first time in June 1996 for speeding. Officers pulled him over and discovered cocaine, heroin, and an unloaded pistol in the passenger seat. A month later, he was arrested again after being discovered passed out in his son’s bed at a neighbor’s house. Downey Jr. was ordered to go to “live-in rehab,” attend NA meetings at least five times per week, and submit to drug testing as a result of his offenses. Downey Jr. was arrested for the first time after failing a drug test, and he spent almost 100 days in jail. After being released in 1998, Downey Jr. promptly returned to his old habits, failing drug tests once more. He was sentenced to three years in prison this time. However, Downey Jr. was fired after only one year and returned to work in 2000, this time on Ally McBeal.
Unfortunately, that was short-lived, as Downey Jr. was detained again for driving under the influence on Thanksgiving that year, according to I Am Sober. He was arrested in April 2001 after strolling the streets barefoot under the influence, at which point he was abruptly sacked from Ally McBeal. He was sentenced to three years on probation, and it was during this time that Downey Jr. realized for the first time that he needed to make a difference. Burger King Assists Robert Downey Jr. in Kicking His Drug Addiction Downey Jr. was reverting to old behaviors and using often in 2003. It wasn’t until he decided to stop at Burger King for some dinner that he realized he needed to stop using, and he needed to stop using immediately. Downey Jr. pulled into the drive-through with “tons of…dope” in the car. He was also high at the time he placed his order. “It was such a disgusting burger I ordered,” Downey Jr. explained. “I had that, and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen.” While there was no reason for the sense of dread, it was enough that instead of using the illicit substances in the car, Downey Jr. went to the seashore and got rid of all of his narcotics, making the decision to remain sober and stay clean from then on. Robert Downey Jr.
Honors Burger King The film ‘Iron Man’ Tony Stark is taken captive by the Ten Rings for three months in Iron Man. He eventually makes it to safety, but not before recognizing the foolishness of his ways with which he has lived his life up to that moment. Stark is asked what he wants while riding in a limo, and he responds with an old-fashioned American cheeseburger and a press conference. Stark is spotted eating a cheeseburger from Burger King at the news conference. This is Downey Jr.’s ode to the fast food company, with the cheeseburger representing a turning point in his life. It also signaled a turning point in Stark’s life. Both the actor and the character made the decision to be on the “road to recovery” rather than continue doing things that were harmful to their lives. As a result, they not only became more successful professionally, but also personally. Downey Jr. appeared to be one of the talented actors of his time who lost his life to addiction when he was in the grip of addiction. Downey not only overcome addiction with the support of his now-wife, Susan Downey, and Burger King, but he also became more successful in other parts of his life as a result.
