Once the initial furor over Kanye West’s “I’m gonna let you finish” Taylor Swift VMA debacle died down, some people began whispering about Kanye’s drinking. As in, maybe Kanye has a drinking problem, and maybe the Hennessey was the one yelling “I’m gonna let you finish”. While I think the Hennessey was probably doing most of the critical decision making at the VMAs, it’s not like Kanye doesn’t have a reputation for being, in the President’s words, a jackass. Which came first, the jackass or the Hennessey?

Anyhoodle, the “Kanye might go to rehab” rumors are here to stay – and I’m starting to wonder if they may have some merit. Some sources are claiming that Kanye might check himself into rehab after his tour with Lady Gaga is done. Other sources are saying the rehab rumors have no merit:

Before Kanye West rushed the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, the singer was filmed on the awards show’s red carpet drinking Hennessey cognac straight from the bottle. Now, the next logical thing has happened: people are talking about West going to rehab.

Star Magazine and other publications are reporting that West is blaming alcohol for his breach in decorum, and that as soon as West wraps his “Fame Kills” tour with Lady Gaga this January, he’ll head to rehab.

West hasn’t blogged about it, there was no comment from his camp, and friends close to West say it’s not true, so maybe this is just the product of a game of telephone gone awry during a slow news week.

But if there’s a real reason for West to go to rehab, of course, he should go. However, if people think that a trip to rehab is just another way to say you’re sorry … in the words of Amy Winehouse, no, no, no.

Look no further than Michael Richards and Mel Gibson for evidence that headline-making slurs aren’t erased by any such stint. It just doesn’t take 30 days to learn to say, “I’m sorry, I was a complete jerk and there’s no excuse.”

[From MSNBC]

Yeah, it’s perfectly possible that Kanye’s management team are trying to convince him to go to rehab to change the story and get some kind of public sympathy. But that kind of p.r. move is so 2007, right? Ah, back in the day. In all seriousness, I think there’s a 50-50 chance that Kanye might have some kind alcohol dependence. The other side to that is that there’s an equal chance Kanye might simply be a a–hole who recreationally drinks. We’ll see.

Kanye and Amber are shown below on 9/22/09. Credit: WIC/Fame Pictures