It’s confirmed: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is in rehab and the facility is somewhere in North America, according to CBC News.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a doctor told the broadcaster that Ford was admitted May 1 and taken to hospital two days later and remained there for four days. He returned to the rehab centre for treatment on May 7.
“I have every assurance and confidence he was nowhere else,” the doctor told CBC on Friday. Due to concerns over privacy, the name and location of the treatment facility remain unknown.
The news comes days after questions about Ford's whereabouts were raised when it was revealed he did not enter the U.S. last week.
Earlier in the day, Coun. Doug Ford promised he would produce “proof” his brother, the mayor, was in rehab. The councillor had told reporters he was working on an official statement, but it never came.
Instead, Ford opted to speak to the CBC exclusively on Friday evening, saying he wanted to “stop the speculation to let the people of Toronto know that Rob is taking this seriously, is getting treatment and that he wants to continue coming back and serving the people.”
However, the confirmation that Ford is indeed seeking help for substance abuse was eclipsed by a new audio tape acquired by The Toronto Star of the mayor caught in a racist rant and bragging about having sex with “girls” in front of his wife.
Ford reportedly also offered guests a chance to have sex with his wife, Renata.
According to reporter Kevin Donovan, the mayor was reportedly driving drunk with high school friend Bruno Bellissimo in the passenger’s seat on the night of March 5, two days after he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
“Nobody sticks up for people like I do, every f---ing k--e, n----r, f---ing w-p, d-go, whatever the race. Nobody does,” Ford said about Jews, blacks and Italians, according to the paper.
“I’m the most racist guy around. I’m the mayor of Toronto.”
At one point during the drive, Ford reportedly spoke to his lawyer Dennis Morris, who warned the mayor police may be tailing his car.
In an interview with The Canadian Press on Friday, Morris did not comment on the Star story, only saying he did not recall if Ford was drunk and driving during their conversation.
"I don't recollect his ever driving, I was thinking 'don't be driving," he said.
"I was under the impression he was...not sure if it was parked or shopping plaza and he was making phone calls and I think I mentioned 'shouldn't be driving if you're under the influence.'"
Read the full Toronto Star story here.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Ford’s new racist rant:
With files from the Canadian Press
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