Richie Sambora Checks Out of Rehab

By: Shannon Gossage

A rep for Sambora’s band, Bon Jovi, said, "Richie Sambora has completed a program at the UCLA Medical Center. He is doing well and continues to receive outside support." It was announced last week that Sambora had entered a treatment facility in Los Angeles, but it was not disclosed what he was seeking treatment for. A source close to the guitarist said that the 47-year old was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse, not drugs.

A friend of Sambora’s said, "Richie has had a terrible year. I think this was a culmination of all these things and finally he realized he needed to take care of himself. He’d put off everything for so long, taking care of everyone else, it was just time to stop and deal with his issues." Sambora’s divorce from Heather Locklear was finalized in April and his father died of lung cancer around the same month. His year long romance with Denise Richards ended a few months before that. She was by his side at his father’s funeral to lend some support.

Hopefully, his stint at the treatment center helped to get him back on the right path. Bon Jovi is set to play some summer shows kicking off on June 24 in London. Their latest album Lost Highway is set to drop on June 19 and the band is scheduled to appear on The Today Show the same day. They are also scheduled to appear and perform on The View the next day. The band is also gearing up for a worldwide tour kicking off sometime in 2008.