Over the past year, we reported that Creed’s Scott Stapp allegedly threatened President Obama and government officials, according to his estranged wife Jaclyn Stapp. Now, the frontman has opened up about his mental health and drug addiction in an interview with People Magazine.
Stapp says he has officially been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a disease characterized by extreme emotional highs and lows. He says his bipolar disorder caused him to hallucinate that he and his family were under attack.
Initially, the singer posted a video of himself on a social media account, saying he was broke and homeless. That quickly escalated to reports of threatening behavior by Stapp, who was allegedly placed in a 72-hour psychiatric hold by police.
Meanwhile, his wife requested another pysch hold for the singer after she discovered disturbing messages in which he allegedly threatened to kill President Obama. The Secret Service got involved in the investigation, while Stapp denied involvement. He called the reports “vicious attacks” against his character.
In his latest interview, he explains:
“I had a psychotic break that was brought on by alcohol and drug abuse. I was hallucinating. I drove around the United States for a month, following an angel that I saw on the hood of my car. In my delusional thinking, I thought my family was involved in ISIS, and that millions of dollars had been taken from me to support terrorism. All of it was nonsense. I was out of my mind.”
Stapp says he is lucky to be alive after his ordeal, and that he is in intensive therapy to treat his bipolar disorder. He is also in a 12-step alcohol and drug abuse program to kick his habit. He claims that he is now completely sober, taking medication for his mental disorder and meeting with a sponsor to stay on track.
So far, charges have not been pressed against him by his wife or government officials. His wife claims that she is supporting him through his therapy, and that Stapp’s diagnosis “made sense.”