Music

Sum 41's Deryck Whibley hospitalized for a month after alcoholism almost killed him

by Tyler Munro

via People

When photos of a bloated, seemingly half-cut Deryck Whibley started circulating last June, we couldn’t help but ask: what happened? Now in his 30s, Sum 41’s singer looked less like the energetic pop-punk we were familiar with and more like Fat Mike’s after picture. This weekend, we found out why.

After spending a month in the hospital, Whibley wrote on his website about hitting rock bottom. After years of daily, hard drinking, Whibley’s kidneys and liver had finally failed him, collapsing and knocking him unconscious in his apartment.

“My fiancé got me rushed to the hospital where they put me into the intensive care unit. I was stuck with needles and i.v.’s all over,” writes Whibley, who says he was sedated the entire first week of his stay.

Saying the incident scared him straight, Whibley says he’s through with alcohol—for good.

“I finally realized I can’t drink anymore. If I have one drink the doc’s say I will die,” he continued. “I’m not preaching or anything but just always drink responsibly. I didn’t, and look where that got me.”

Now on the road to recovery, Whibley says he’s found new inspiration to start writing songs again. Sum 41 last released new music in 2011 with the ill-received Screaming Bloody Murder, though he has since dabbled in solo songwriting.

Above, Whibley is seen looking less than fantastic while walking around with his fiancée. Below, some photos documenting his hardships in the hospital.

While we’ve joked about his appearance in the past, we wish Whibley nothing but the best on his road to recovery.