‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Star Enters Rehab

Former Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has entered rehab for depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse problems, according to his manager Andrea Albin, who shared the news over the actor's official Facebook page. Brendon, who played the lovable goofball Xander Harris on the popular vampire-slaying series, entered a California facility on Monday in the hopes of readjusting his lifestyle, the post said. In the past, Brendon has publicly spoken on his struggles with substance abuse and depression and has repeatedly sought treatment over the years.

The actor has pointed to his depression as the reason for a number of arrests, particularly in recent months. In 2010, Brendon pleaded no contest to four misdemeanors — one count of resisting arrest, two counts of battery against a police officer, and one count of vandalism — after police responded to calls of an intoxicated person. Brendon allegedly swung his fists at police, who tasered him before the arrest. Last October, Brendon was arrested in Idaho for allegedly damaging property and resisting arrest. He later admitted he was under the influence of alcohol and prescription medication. In February, Brendon was arrested for grand theft and criminal mischief after allegedly damaging a hotel room in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A month later, in Tallahassee, Florida, Brendon was arrested for allegedly trashing another hotel room at a fan convention.

The Facebook post addressed those incidents, saying the actor needed to "take an extended break" to "treat the underlying issues of his illnesses."

He has been aware of his problems for some time — and with each new challenge, he gained a greater understanding of what needed to be done to overcome these obstacles and move forward with his life.

Those underlying issues were revealed soon after his Tallahassee arrest in March. Brendon gave a Skype interview to TMZ and explained he had long struggled with depression and admitted much of it stemmed from being sexually abused as a child.

I've been battling a lot of depression throughout my life, and I've been kind of handling it the wrong way. ... I'm a survivor of a sexual abuse when I was a kid. It's just something that you're just embarrassed of. And I've never really talked about it, and if something good can come out of this, and I can talk about it and help people out and change my behavior, that'd be great.

According to Albin, Brendon will be in rehab for June and July but plans to check out by late summer after he successfully completes his treatment. If you want to send some encouraging messages, you're being encouraged to post to Brendon's Facebook page or send an email to publicity@bloodybombshell.com.

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