'Golden Voice' Ted Williams Moves to Sober House, Wants to Repay Those Who Helped Him

By Rebecca Macatee Posted Feb 9th 2011 07:03PM

We love a good rags to riches story, but "Golden Voice" Ted Williams is living proof that it's difficult to go from homelessness to Hollywood stardom overnight without some encountering some difficulties along the way.

Thanks to a YouTube video gone viral, Williams went from an obscure man begging for money on the streets of Columbus, Ohio to a sought-after commercial voiceover talent. He did the morning TV show circuit, and was even reunited with his mother for the first time in 10 years. But as many predicted, Williams wasn't ready for his sudden fame.

Upon Dr. Phil McGraw's suggestion, Williams checked into a rehab treatment center for his drug and alcohol addictions only a week after coming into the public eye. Then, after only two weeks in treatment and against the advice of his doctors, Williams ditched the program.

Now, according to 10 TV News, Williams has checked into a sober house in Los Angeles and is "hoping to repay those who have helped him." He's well aware that a lot of people are skeptical of his ability to rebuild his career and relationships with his family, but says he's going to take full advantage of this second chance.

"My reason for leaving treatment was because it gave me a sense of it being scripted," he said. "I was doing live telephone call-ins with Dr. Phil and my girlfriend and my ex-wife and all my kids. It became somewhat of a scripted circus and a form of anonymity was lost."

Williams went on to say he appreciated Dr. Phil's concern for his wellbeing, but didn't really realize what he was signing up for when he agreed to do the psychologist's show. "If I could have held on to some sobriety early enough to have accepted this in a different manner, I would have definitely changed my way of living," he said.

The 53-year-old says there are "a lot of people in recovery in the voice-over community and Screen Actors Guild" and reiterates that he is "around a lot of good people."

"This is truly a second chance, and I'm going to make the best of it," he said. "That's the best I can say... I'm not going to forget my responsibilities and some of the loyalties I have to Columbus, Ohio and to the various organizations and social networks I've been through. I want to give back."

Tags: Ted Williams

Comments

(38)

Wednesday 09 February

By IDontBelieveYou

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Excuses, excuses, typical addict. it will never change-its too late for Ted, hes already ruined his second chance...we dont wanna hear anymore of your excuses>Next!

By Slash

I don't want this guy wasting some kids oxygen. He a weed that won't die.

By DJ

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I totally agree with you. It is sad, but some addicts cannot change, and the sad part is, they usually wind up dead :(

By cc

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once a loser he is always a loser williams, too many excuses, you are finished, go away loser...
anyone who cant see thru you is an idiot and deserves to be taken., You are a con artist...

By Steve

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Sobriety and/or recovery is a one day at a time process. I hope Ted is successful, and can begin to unravel the pain and destruction of his past to rebuild a brighter future.

Good luck Ted!

Thursday 10 February

By Bella

Steve, you are obviously familiar with addiction. Thank you for being positive instead of kicking him when he is fighting for his life! I have a family member who is an alcoholic. It truly is one day at a time.
To those of you who are kicking this man while he is down you have most likely never been around an alcoholic/addict??? Well,,,I hope you never have to be, it is truly devastating.
PS,,,OF COURSE THERE MOST CERTAINLY IS HOPE! HOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU OFFERING UP A LITTLE HOPE FOR THIS MAN AND THEN WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS? DO YOU HONESTLY THINK A PERSON CAN STOP THEIR ADDICTION AND PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF YEARS AGO??? HE NEEDS HELP AND THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL HE BE ABLE TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE.

By Sue

I guess you are perfect and will never ever need a second chance. Maybe you should be locked in that room.

By goatcars2

If this blowhard were actually sincere why doesn't he start with the family he deserted 10 years ago !!!!!!! He will be back on the street drunk and stealing ....it's just a matter of time!!

By Don

You guys are just the support he needs. Be sure and kick him while he down. Oh, don't forget to cast the first stone.

By Pixie

He's smart to try to stay low profile. Making his recovery into a TV event is not a good idea. It's like the people on "Celebrity Rehab," only at least most of them are used to being in the public eye. But he makes a very good point about the link to the Dr. Phil making the whole situation contrived. Good luck to him.

By tammy moses

I'll br praying for you Mr. Williams

By Raphael

I agree with Ted williams . That Dr. Phil program was just exploiting Ted Williams as well. Being out of the spotlight is what Ted Williams needs. I believe a good job & routine is the way to start this. Spending your time around a bunch of people with addictions is depressing . I know , I tried it . Once I had the structure back in my life of Job , eating ,exercise & Prayer. I moved forward just fine. I was ready, it's a choice every one has to make for themselves . A doctor did'nt make the choice for me to start my addition so I did'nt need one to tell me when to stop either . I did both by the Grace of God.

By Barbara Sanders

Ted, sorry.......you can't stay sober doing it "on your own", or you would not have!! been on the streets HOMELESS! The stats are against you.......people struggle for a lifetime to stay sober, but you can't do it alone.!! I would hope you get your second chance, but not without getting and STAYING sober, which is not an easy thing to do, as you SHOULD ALREADY know

By LittleMo

I think Dr. Phil is sincere in his desire to help people and very often he does. Remember the young man named Brandon who was a hard-core addict? Dr. Phil helped him and his family and now Brandon and his mother are intervention specialists who help get other addicts clean. They've been guests on Dr. Phil's show numerous times since Brandon got clean and this is only one example. However, doing things in the public eye like that is not for everyone so Ted Williams has a point, too. It sounds like he knows Dr. Phil was offering to help but he also figured out a recovery in public wasn't for him. He did figure out to go back into a program so maybe this time he gets it.

By Heather

I'm not being negative but he will never make it. He could have done the rehab program without being exploited any further. Unfortunately the next thing we will hear from him is him being arrested or dead.

By forkuu

i agree this guy is full of it . if he makes it good but i think its pretty clear that long before he was out on street he was a selfish dude..doing whatever he wanted..

By disky42

Dr Phil and Ted should be running on empty. Thier 15 minutes of fame should have ended a long time ago... NEXT....

Hey Sue I got my second chance and I'm using it .He's a piece of crap.

By norm

It always amazes me how people can pull themselves out of the depths of alcoholism or drug addiction and give all the credit to a non-existant fantasy, when fact is, they did it all themselves just by deciding to do it.

he already was drunk-he lied about being sober for two years-he met up with his ex wife and kids on the dr. phil show and they confessed he got drunk every day-he even had a physical altercation with his daughter-he is a con man-and a real good con man-he uses his voice as thee distraction-and so admitted in on the dr. phil show..it is a liar and pathetic-if you enjoy listening to a liar-then listen to ted-because he is all lies.when he went back home for a couple days-he did drugs too, hes a liar and a loser..

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