The past few issues of People Magazine have either celebrated highly successful people of color or tried to whitewash white celebrity criminals. Case in point: Viola Davis (LOVE her), Felicity Huffman, Tyler Perry, Oprah and now Michael Douglas’s felon drug dealing son, Cameron. Cameron Douglas ran a multi-state drug operation and was caught trying to sell a pound and a half of meth to a DEA agent. His sentence would have been much shorter if he didn’t violate his probation multiple times by being caught with drugs while on house arrest and in prison. Go here for a recap. Michael also thinks his son was made an example of because of his name. Well they’re not above using that name and his connections to score the cover of People Magazine. They’re promoting Cameron’s new book called Long Way Home. The last time we covered Cameron he failed a drug test while on probation. People’s story is focused on Cameron as a hopeless addict who has been able to beat his addiction.
“I hated the wreckage I saw in my life because of drugs, but I just couldn’t stop,” Cameron, now 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story.
Feeling all but helpless on the sidelines were Cameron’s parents, Michael, and Diandra, 63, a former model and producer, whose attempts at getting their son help over the years largely fell on deaf ears.
“There were moments when hope dwindled… and then it’s just a train out of the station,” Michael, 75, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Life became a series of crises. I thought I was going to lose him.”
For a time, Cameron shot up cocaine nearly daily and withstood drug-induced seizures.
“It’s the sneaky power, the stranglehold that addiction has when you’re in the throes of it,” he says. “When you get that far down the rabbit hole, there are a couple options: there’s prison and then there’s death.”
Cameron narrowly escaped the latter, but in 2009 a DEA sting operation landed him behind bars. He faced a five-year term for conspiracy to distribute meth and cocaine. In all, Cameron would spend nearly eight years in prison — the sentence was extended for possession while he was incarcerated — but he emerged in 2016 a changed man.
Today, Cameron is raising his beloved 22-month-old daughter Lua with longtime girlfriend Viviane Thiebes, 41, a yoga instructor, working on restarting his acting career and feeling deep gratitude that his family never gave up on him.
Determined to help other addicts “seek help – and maybe save a life,” Cameron shares his harrowing, and ultimately inspiring, journey in an upcoming memoir, Long Way Home, excerpted exclusively in this week’s issue.
As Kaiser often says, both things can be true. Cameron can be a former addict who had a serious problem AND he can be a manipulative person who used to commit crimes and is using his family name to sell his book. He has a new short on Amazon Prime too, so it’s safe to assume he also wants an acting career. I’m glad Cameron is sober and I have sympathy for addicts, but this does not rate the cover of People no matter who his dad is.
Just check out the covers of People for the past year and tell me if those look balanced at all. All the people of color are the most successful and talented then the rest are royals, celebrities, reality stars and criminals. Guess they needed another one for this week and they were running out of college scammers.
Look at this douchebag shirtless in his Eames chair. I’m so jealous, I want one of those chairs.
No…
To ALL OF THIS….
No.
Fun fact: my ex boyfriend went to boarding school with Cameron.
Is that George W Bush tattooed on his tummy?
What a bunch of BS this story is. He only got 5 years for a large quantity of meth and daddy has the nerve to say he was made an example of? How about all the poor and/or people of color still in prison for crimes like that (or lesser) that have been in prison for decades?? Michael can F right off with that BS.
^^^ this
I am shooketh by the utter absence of lips on this man’s face.
hahahah +1
🤣🤣🤣 just an occasional duck’s bill
Yeah, he looks like a d-bag, but as an alcoholic in recovery I can 100% relate to a lot of his comments. I just couldn’t stop. And I was aware of the destruction it was causing in my relationships. If I had a famous father to use as a platform to share with other addicts that recovery is possible, and you’re not alone in your feelings of guilt and shame, I most certainly would. Thank God for my loving family. And thank God I’m neither dead, nor behind bars. Because there were many, many instances where either would have been a possibility. I hope h can stay sober for not only his family, but most of all for himself.
I have no problem with Cameron telling his story or trying to sell a book. Addiction hits all families from every socio-economic level. It’s his story to tell. Maybe it might help other kids in similar circumstances that are struggling with addiction. I don’t agree with Michael Douglas’s assessment that his kid was treated more harshly than other kids by the system. In fact, probably the opposite happened. I don’t know if Cameron wants an acting career but so what if he does? I say use all the opportunities you have to get to where you want to go – legally!
People magazine whitewashes all celebrities. It always has. I don’t really expect anything different.
He tried to sell 1 1/2 pounds of meth, that is a hell of a lot of meth, add that to all his other charges. He would probably still be in jail if he was an ordinary Joe.
No doubt. He probably would still be in jail and rightfully so.
Yeah, the 1.5 pounds of meth just dropped my sympathy quota right in the toilet, and the white-boy wanna-be gang tats are not helping. Commencing barfing in incredulous disgust in 3-2-1…..
He’s just as sleazy as his dad.
Yep. His grand pappy was a sleaze too. The Douglass family are trash.
Peak white male privilege. He so smug looking
His mother was incredibly beautiful. Shame about his face.
He’s not as attractive as he thinks he is. And how many reformed addicts would love the opportunities he’s had / continues to get. Instead of finding himself homeless after getting out or in any number of tricky situations he appears living the life whilst having done precisely nothing to earn it. I despise this. My sister is the same, thinks the world owes her a living.
Also my seven year old son is called Cameron so this just pisses me off even more.
On a positive note, Michael has a lovely head of hair.
Lol- the smugness is too much. I mean what has this dude ever accomplished? He and Scott Eastwood should be friends.
Yeah, that story and those smug photos aren’t going to gain him any fans.
If memory serves me correctly. I vaguely remember he had an girlfriend smuggle drugs for him while he was incarcerated. While I am glad that he is sober, maybe he should open a rehab and continue on his road to recovery. I do think that access to money makes it harder for rich kids to kick their habits. I always think of Farrah Fawcett’s son Redmond who just cant stop albeit his father is enabler who I feel is trying to kill him with drugs to get his hands on Farrah’s estate
Imo, Ryan O’Neal is a horrible father. His older son was piloting a boat while high as a kite, crashed it, and killed FF Coppola’s son. Tatum had problems and was estranged from Ryan. Now his youngest son is in and out of jail on drug charges. Terrible father.
Ugly tattoos
between this and catherine pushing their daughter as a model, i’m a big fan of their son dylan who made the smart move of going to college and isn’t pursuing a nepotism career in hollywood, at least yet.
Yeah, I was wondering if they are pushing Dylan into anything, given that there appears to be a concerted effort to get careers arranged for Cameron and Carys before Daddy Michael kicks the bucket.
Nope, nope, nope. If that isn’t privilige wrapped up in some ugly tattoos, I don’t know what is.
If he was ANYONE but a very, very rich and famous white guy’s son, he’d be in jail for 25+ years — especially smuggling drugs in while he was in prison? Come on, 8 years is a BS sentence.
He looks like one of those non-Alec Baldwins.
Wow…addiction affects all people regardless of race or socioeconomic status. I’m sad to read the post and the comments. I am a recovering addict and the fact my family stayed in my corner is one of the reasons I have been successful so far. Obviously many of you haven’t been in this situation before because maybe you would show a bit of compassion. Who cares if he wants to help people with his story? Who cares if he wants to be an actor? Who cares if he has douchy tattoos (whatever those are)?
The point of this is a celebration of a human recovering from an addiction and lifestyle that nearly killed him. The fact he comes from a famous family shows they are not immune from these issues. If he wants to use his families fame to help others, I don’t get the hate being directed at him for that.
Maybe because this isn’t about you. It’s about a fake ass actor with a problematic family and history.
Empathy is a gift. /s
@Metislady – I agree with your comments, because addiction is a curse that nobody asks for – not the addict, not their families or their friends. It is something you live with every. day. of. your. life. no matter to whom you are related. I hope Cameron realizes just how fortunate he is compared to 99% of other addicts out there and he’ll focus on helping those who struggle.
I am happy you have the support of your family and have come out the other end. Many do not. I know people in recovery who have 30+ years(!) under their belt and others who have not yet realized that from now until dead, this is NOT how they want to live. The struggle to stay clean is a continuous challenge an addict faces forever. I applaud your attitude, your strength, and your determination.
I think I have an answer for you as to why the sympathy is limited. He was a dealer, not just a user. I know a lot of users turn to dealing but not everyone makes that leap. When you deal, you become responsible for new addicts and for people dying of their addiction. When you act like a jerk, you can’t always blame it on the addiction.
I’ll be more sympathetic if he keeps clean and does no harm for several years.
Ugh what a douchey look he has about him. Combine that with his backstory and no thanks. I wish him the best with his recovery but no one owes him any attention or career.
A friend of mine worked at the prison he was in.
i wish him the best in his recovery.
Those photos are…an odd way to sell a book about sobriety.
Wow, between the drug habit, the yoga wife and the nepotistic sense of entitlement, this kid is the Hunter Biden of the Douglas family.
One glance and you can tell he’s arrogant and annoying. The only nice thing I have to say is good for him and his family if he’s off drugs, but I don’t care to hear about him or see his smug face.
Looks like he is doing his best Michael Douglas imitation in most of the pictures… and the tats… what a prize.
Ugh I thought the thumbnail for this article was just a bad picture but thats how he looks in all these pictures, that sleazy smile ugh.
…now THAT…is a bad man if I ever did see one.
Bad boy. Somehow I doubt he’ll ever be a man.
He’s wants to act? LA is filled with wannabe actors, writers, and directors. He may have the famous last name; but if doesn’t have the acting chops, he won’t get work except for those awful reality shows. Oh, and the tattoos, big turn off in Hollywood. Very few parts, if at all, require tattoos. Well, he wrote a book. That’s something. More power to him.