Richie Sambora Enters Rehab

By: Shannon Gossage

The rep released a statement that read, "Richie Sambora has entered an undisclosed treatment facility in Los Angeles. He asks that you respect his and his family’s privacy at this time." His rep did not disclose what 47-year old Sambora was seeking treatment for, but a source close to the rocker insists it is for alcohol, not drugs. Said the source, "It is not a typical 30-day rehab. This is just a treatment center to get his problem under control." The source also said that Sambora was not drunk at the MTV taping of Unplugged earlier this week even though it had been widely reported that he was "wasted." The source defended him saying, "They had to do a few songs over, which is typical in any taping, but he was not wasted and that report is completely overblown."

It was also reported that Sambora will still perform with Bon Jovi on June 19. Lost Highway, their latest album is due for release the same day. The band is set to play a few tour dates, kicking off in London on June 24. No word on how Sambora’s treatment will affect their schedule, but they are set for a much larger tour kicking off sometime in 2008.

As for Sambora, a friend said, "Richie has had a terrible year." Richie and wife, Heather Locklear, were officially divorced in April after 11-years of marriage. That same month, his father passed away after a battle with lung cancer. And to top it all off he and his girlfriend, Denise Richards, called it quits after a year of dating. The source continued, "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."