Actress Tatum O'Neal Sober agrees fallen U.S. political Anthony Weiner, comparing their "obligation" to engage in sexually explicit chats with an addiction.
Weiner resigned as a congressman from New York on Thursday (16Jun11) after it emerged he had lied about sending a photo spicy himself to a student through Twitter. He also confessed to having intimate phone conversations over the Internet with at least six women outside his marriage.
O'Neal, who has a history of drug abuse and has been clean for a year, has compared the performance of Weiner's an addict.
She tells Cnn host Piers Morgan, "It is really sad, because he was a really ambitious, up-and-coming congressman, who wanted to be mayor. So the idea that he self-sabotaged this hugely speaks to a definite addiction.
"Whether... he knew it was an addiction or not, I don't know. It is a complete sabotage of everything... It is almost like he had to do it, in a way, even though he's married to one of the most beautiful women in the world...
"This compulsion speaks very highly to addiction... I can imagine that the fact that he did that so recently after his marriage speaks to an incredible compulsion... That no matter what happens, he had to do it."
A spokesperson has confirmed Weiner is checking into a rehabilitation centre "to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person", but the type of treatment has not been divulged.
