It could have been worse. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, could have been sent to a state prison. But Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Christine Mulleneaux decided to reinstate his probation over the prosecutor’s objections, saying the rapper could be released sooner if he is accepted into a drug rehab program.
DMX has already been accepted into one such program – Pasadena Recovery Center – but his participation hinges on whether California will allow him to serve his Arizona probation in the Golden State, according to the Arizona Republic newspaper.
If the Pasadena Recovery Center sounds familiar, then chances are you’re a “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” fan, for the reality TV series is shot at the facility. However, a show staffer said DMX would not be among the VH1 program’s group of stars looking for help battling addictions. Instead, DMX could end up doing anywhere from nine months to a year of treatment in a lockdown facility.
DMX’s Arizona troubles began in 2007 when he gave a false name and Social Security number at a clinic in Phoenix. He was arrested later that year when a raid by Sheriff’s deputies discovered 12 starving dogs, three dead canines and weapons on his property, resulting DMX pleading guilty to animal cruelty, theft and two drug charges. While in jail, he was convicted of aggravated assault for throwing a food tray at a corrections officer.
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