Wes Bentley, ‘Yellowstone Actor, Reveals Being $400K in Debt During Struggle With Drug Addiction

Actor Wes Bentley. who is most recently known for portraying Jamie Dutton on Yellowstone, has opened up to Men’s Health in an interview, explaining how drug addiction almost ruined his life. Bentley told Men’s Health that it was actually late actor Heath Ledger who initially pushed him to turn his life around and get sober.

Bentley has played many memorable roles in countless films and TV shows, including American Beauty, Ghost Rider, P2, The Hunger Games, American Horror Story, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. He said that when he first moved to Hollywood, his troubles began, eventually leading to the upheaval of the actor’s entire life. Bentley said, “I lost everything in the fire. I had no car, I had no clothes, I had no money — I was $400,000 in debt.” 

Wes Bentley’s Long Road to Recovery

The actor continued to share the details of his long journey through drug addiction and recovery, telling Men’s Health, “I ended up going down the cocaine and heroin route. Hard drugs. Hard partying. You’re in clubs and you’re at after-parties, and there’s cocaine, and eventually it became heroin. That period was incredibly dark. I did really dangerous stuff. I went downtown. I went and hung with really shady people. That was just me: Go far. Be the guy who went the furthest.”

Bentley worked alongside legendary actor Heath Ledger in the 2002 film The Four Feathers, and revealed that he once received an email from The Dark Knight actor urging him to get sober. Bentley told Men’s Health, “Last email, he was beggin’ me. I didn’t, at first, but later, getting sober, I’d think of that email all the time. One from him and one from my dad, begging me to get sober.”

Ledger tragically died from a prescription pill overdose in 2008. Bentley revealed that he was too distraught to go to his co-star and friend’s funeral, stating, “I tried to go, but I was really messed up, and I felt like that wasn’t right. So I got out of the cab on the way to it. And that sits with me forever. That guy loved me. Outside of my family, I’ve never felt love from . . . I’d never felt love, from someone like him. And he didn’t care what I was, or what I was like, the stupid things I was doing. He just wanted me to be better. I always thought of him as a brother, and I wish I could’ve given that back.”

Bentley has now been sober for over 10 years. He is also happily married to Jacqui Swedberg, who he shares two children with.

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