Andy Dick says overdose left him clinically dead, with ‘holes’ in his brain

Actor and comedian Andy Dick said this week that he was clinically dead following an apparent overdose in December and that a subsequent scan showed what he described as multiple “holes” in his brain.

Mr. Dick, 60, made the disclosures during a Tuesday appearance on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast, describing how he was found unresponsive on the streets of Los Angeles and revived with Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses. He said he has no memory of the incident itself, recalling only waking up in an ambulance.

“Purple, not breathing,” Mr. Dick said of his condition, adding, “There were no bright lights.”

The “NewsRadio” actor said his heart stopped during the episode and that a subsequent CAT scan showed what he recalled doctors describing as “about five to seven holes” in his brain that have affected his memory. When host Howie Mandel suggested the word “lesions,” Mr. Dick replied that was not the term his doctors used.

Mr. Dick, who has been candid for decades about his struggles with addiction, said he previously believed he had smoked crack cocaine given to him by a stranger — the same person who later administered the Narcan — though he said he is no longer certain what the substance was.

He is currently residing at a sober living facility, where he undergoes regular drug testing. “I’m not high. I don’t take pills. I don’t do anything except coffee,” he said.

Still, Mr. Dick acknowledged he could not commit unconditionally to long-term sobriety, attributing past relapses to boredom. “I get bored easily,” he said. Mr. Mandel, who has spoken publicly about his own struggles with substance use, pushed back, telling Mr. Dick that his attitude was not protecting the career or family he had built.

Mr. Dick said that his daughter is expecting a child — his third grandchild — and that the prospect of becoming a grandfather again is a motivating factor.

“I have to, buddy. I just have to,” he told Mr. Mandel.

The podcast closed on a somber note, with Mr. Mandel telling Mr. Dick that he was running low on second chances, and Mr. Dick finishing his host’s thought: “Pull it together.”