Rehab Rehashes Death Of Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley

We all love to indulge in our reality trash tv which includes a vast array of mindlessness, but this week’s episode of Celebrity Rehab on VH1 was especially touching for Alice In Chains fans.

The current season was filmed in ’09 and features Mike Starr, the former bassist for Alice In Chains, who was also the best friend of Alice In Chains lead singer Layne Staley.  Starr was the last person to see Layne Staley alive before he overdosed on heroin and cocaine in 2002 and evidently harbors guilt for ”not calling 9-1-1 that day”.

Click MORE for Mike Starr’s last moments with Layne Staley…

Starr tells the story of how Layne was complaining of being sick (drug sick), but wouldn’t let Mike call 9-1-1 saying he’d never speak to Mike again if he called.  They argued and Mike ended up leaving Layne sitting there in his drug-induced state as Layne asked Mike not to leave… “not like this, don’t leave like this”.  Mike, high himself, left that day and that was the last time anyone ever saw Layne alive.

Nancy McCallum, Layne Staley’s mother, also made a guest appearance on the show with a tearful and moving speech.

Interestingly, Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has come out publicly slamming Celebrity Rehab, stating that the show “is a real travesty. (It’s a) shame to put people in a really vulnerable situation like that and make it entertainment for people to see.”

If you want to see the episode, grab a hanky and click here.