DISGRACED Florida lawmaker Andrew Gillum claims the coronavirus pandemic helped save his marriage, nearly a year after he was found passed out in a Miami hotel with a male escort.
In April last year, Miami Beach Police released photos and video taken in a luxury hotel room, where Gillum was allegedly found drunk and naked alongside sex worker Travis Dyson on March 12.
The sordid images showed vomit-stained bed sheets, sex pills, and bags of white powder in a $220 per-night hotel room in South Beach visited by the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
The married father-of-three was pictured laying in a pool of his own vomit, with plastic baggies of suspected crystal meth and prescription pill bottles scattered on the floor.
Almost one year on, the 41-year-old and his wife of 11 years, R. Jai Gillum, spoke to GQ about how they overcame the ordeal.
“I think that the pandemic probably saved our marriage,” R. Jai told the publication, saying that intense therapy has also helped.
Andrew added: “In the sense that we couldn’t go anywhere.”
Gillum said he still believes he was “set up”, suggesting his drink may have been spiked.
Gillum also claims that he was called by former President Bill Clinton after the news broke who offered his support, telling him: “As you know, I’ve been there”, GQ reports.
Gillum, 40, was discovered in a Miami Beach hotel room around 1am on March 13 after police responded to a call about a cardiac arrest, the Miami New Times reported, citing a police update.
Two officers arrived on the scene at Mondrian South Beach hotel and found a first responder treating a man, identified as 30-year-old Travis Dyson, for a possible overdose.
While it was initially reported that Dyson was a friend of Gillum’s, it was later revealed that the man called himself a “pornstar performer” and had a profile on the website RentMen.Com, according to Florida’s Local10.
On his RentMen profile, he advertised a range of services as a male escort.
A third man, Aldo Mejias, reportedly called police after he entered the hotel room around 11pm and saw Dyson collapse on the bed and throw up.
Mejias, who told cops he gave Dyson CPR and called 911, also alleged to police that Gillum was “under the influence of an unknown substance” in the hotel room.
The man said that while he was giving Dyson CPR, Gillum was in the bathroom throwing up.
First responders said they went to the hotel for a second time to conduct a “welfare check” on Gillum, and said he was in stable condition by the time they saw him.
When officers arrived, Gillum was so inebriated he could not communicate.
However, Gillum had stable medical signs when medics returned for a welfare check and he left the hotel.
Dyson was taken to a hospital, according to the police report.
Authorities found baggies of suspected crystal methamphetamine, according to the information.
After the hotel room encounter became public, Gillum announced he was entering a rehabilitation facility, saying he had fallen into a depression and alcohol abuse after losing his bid for governor.
In a statement, Gillum said at the time: “I was in Miami last night for a wedding celebration when first responders were called to assist one of my friends.
“While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines.
“I apologize to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”
Gillum added: “I’m thankful to the incredible Miami Beach EMS team for their efforts.
“I will spend the next few weeks with my family and appreciate privacy during this time.”
In September last year, Gillum came out as bisexual during a TV interview.
R. Jai Gillum said her husband told her before they were married that he was bisexual and she is upset that it is now public knowledge, telling Tamron Hall, “I don’t think it is anyone’s business.”
“I don’t think it is fair for people who are not heterosexual, who are not assumed heterosexual that they should ever have to say or disclose what they are because of how judgmental people are,” she told Hall.
“So many people just don’t understand bisexuality.
“They think they can wrap their heads around gay, but bisexuality is just something different.”
Gillum was the mayor of Tallahassee, Florida from 2014 to 2018 and ran against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for governor in 2018.
In April 2019, he agreed to pay a $5,000 fine to settle an ethics complaint that he violated civil law by accepting gifts from lobbyists.
The settlement ended a long investigation that hindered Gillum’s campaign.
Gillum was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party after his defeat.
