Former soap star and recently declared congressional candidate Antonio Sabato Jr. is facing new drug-use allegations surfacing from ongoing divorce proceedings with his estranged wife, Marie.
Documents obtained by TMZ show that not only is Marie — who filed for divorce from the 45-year-old actor and model — seeking total physical custody of the couple’s 6-year-old son Antonio Kalan, but claims that Sabato is currently abusing prescription benzodiazepines.
Sabato, who is running for California’s 26th Congressional District seat as a republican, has admitted to struggling with and overcoming dependence on drugs — including crystal meth — in the past. As well, the vocal supporter of President Donald Trump has, according to HuffPost, “pledged to make made substance abuse and the opioid endemic a central part of his political platform.” The President has also made similar pledges.
The revelation marks what could be the first setback for a candidate who already faces what could be an uphill battle for a seat that his presumed opponent — two-term representative Julia Brownley (D) — retained with 60.4 of the vote in 2016.
On top of strong competition in general round of the 2018 mid-term elections, Sabato would also face republican primary opposition and, as reaction to his announcement has proven, the suspicions of an electorate who may regard him more as a pretty face than the serious, Reaganesque figure the candidate would prefer to present.
A representative for the “Melrose Place” star and political hopeful told HuffPost that the charges in the divorce filing were “unfounded,” adding that the candidate would have no comment due to the ongoing nature of the proceedings.
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