Willie Aames Sets Record Straight About His Thanksgiving Suicide Attempt

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(Jan. 8) - Actor Willie Aames admits he finally hit rock bottom last year when his wife of 22 years filed for divorce after he had declared bankruptcy. Falling into depression, he began abusing drugs and alcohol and eventually tried to commit suicide. "It got so bad, I put a knife to my throat and cut myself in six places," he said. Now Aames is opening up to Star about his wild year and how he's getting his life back on track.

Known for his roles as Tommy Bradford on 'Eight is Enough' and Buddy Lembeck on 'Charles in Charge,' Aames said his world began to fall apart last year. One month after Aames declared bankruptcy and had his car repossessed, his wife Maylo Upton left him. Aames admits he had no where to turn, so he left their home in Kansas and moved to Los Angeles, where he rented a room from a friend.

Shortly after, Aames started drinking to forget about his problems. "I stole a bottle of Jack Daniel's from the guy I was renting the room from," he said. "I'd been sober for 20 years when I took that first drink."

He began mixing the alcohol with his antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills, which made for a very bad combination.

"The police came, put me in handcuffs and whisked me away. I was completely devastated... I kept asking, 'What did I do wrong?'"

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2009-01-08 14:20:54

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