In the wake of Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein’s death on Friday, one question has been looming about his final project, Gone Too Far, a reality-TV drug intervention series on MTV. Simply: Will the show ever see the light of day? An MTV spokesperson told EW on Aug. 31 that “no decision has been made yet” on whether it will air. It’s a sticky situation for MTV, to say the least, seeing as how the cause of Goldstein’s death remains inconclusive and could possibly have been related to drugs. Gone Too Far was originally slated for an Oct. 5 premiere.
EW received a rough cut of Gone Too Far‘s first episode from MTV just days before Goldstein’s death. The premiere episode features Goldstein attempting to help a 20-year-old heroin addict, Gina (pictured), who spends $200 a day on drugs. Our preview of the episode is after the jump.
The program finds the celebrity spinner interviewing the young addict and her family. During the episode, Goldstein also talks candidly about his own, well-documented drug problems. While driving through Hartford, Conn., to Gina’s house, he says: “Heroin is the No. 2 drug of choice here. Crack being the No. 1 choice. My former choice of drug use. And it’s everywhere.” He adds: “Drugs are easy to find. Let me tell you.”
To illustrate that point, Goldstein walks into a sketchy bodega to purchase a crack pipe and a “ghetto grape soda” for a total of $2.35. Afterwards, he seems somewhat startled about the emotions the situation stirred up. “My heart’s still racing a little bit because I was just holding a crack pipe, which I haven’t held in a long time.”
It’s definitely an unsettling viewing experience to see Goldstein deal so frankly with the subject of drugs—whether it’s buying the pipe or examining a heroin addict’s bruised arms—so soon after his death. And while the cause of his death is unknown, just knowing Goldstein’s history with drugs makes watching him counsel others about kicking the habit seem oddly noble and yet disturbing at the same time.
Check back for updates on MTV’s plans for Gone Too Far.
More on DJ AM from EW:
DJ AM found dead in his New York apartment at age 36
DJ AM’s autopsy inconclusive
DJ AM’s reality-TV interventions: Well-intentioned, but will it work?
I agree with the noble comment. I think that show will really wake people up. Kids have got to quit playing around with drugs, they are no game. I just feel so sad for his family and for the loss of him as a wonderful human being. Not some drug addict. Someone who was kind and gentle and who struggled with feelings of guilt and unworthiness over surviving the plane crash that took other lives (and actually that in the end, took his).
I agree about AM. Though it may not actually have been the plane crash. He had other issues. Still why does TV keep putting non experts into the role of expert. Someone with all those problems should first “graduate” from counseling before being hired to counsel others.
Well he had 12 years of sobriety under his belt, so I guess he is in a good position to counsel someone about drug use. I mean, that’s what sponsors are for, right?
He says he had 12 years of sobriety and yet he may have died from drugs. Get it. BTW my mom had 20 years of sobriety. She may have been a god AA sponsor, but she was hardly qualified to counsel ANYONE!!! Sponsoring and counseling are VERY different.
Didn’t VH-1 have to pull Meghan wants a Millionaire and I Love Money because Ryan Jenkins (or whatever his name was) mutilated his wife and killed himself? Why is there even a question about this?
Good and bad about airing DJ’s show.
Good- it will make people not jsut kids relate drug usage to possible death.
Bad- It really isnt what you want your kids to watch considering tons of people and kids looked up to what DJ has done with his career. You dont know what it running through a persons mind. Conglomerates dont want to glorify drug usage. I say dont air it. It would really be poking a stick at DJ…. let the man die in peace!!!
All in all…. VERY SAD TO HAVE LOST SUCH A YOUNG PERSON.
They should air it. It serves as a serious warning to people involved in this crap. It may be a little soon, but to not air it seems rediculous. If we stopped showing all projects that people who died were in- we wouldn’t have much left.
Sad, I’ve been off coc for 20yrs.14yrs sobriety off everything. No body is exempt . Once a addict always a addict.Its a shame. He ways a sober addict. For 9 yrs.Believe me that’s all it takes is to pick up a pipe and start to romance it and the obsession comes back. Then its your choice to use or not. I would choice not to. Because, I haven’t forgot where I came from nor do I want to. It wasn’t a pretty site. If he was around user for sure the romance is worse and almost impossible not to abuse something. God bless his family and friends.I’ve seen to many of my friends die. I want to live today and I believe he had a accidental overdose from pills.
Why aren’t all you Michael Jackson fans screaming DJ AM was murdered? I guess his family isn’t suing and accusing because they weren’t living off of him. RIP AM.
OMG You can’t compare DJ AM to Michael Jackson! I’m sorry I liked DJ AM but he is no way even close to being the star and legend that Michael Jackson is!He was just a DJ that got famous because of Nicole Richie and Travis Barker!
That’s the point dear. I guess the more famous you are, the more it is someone elses fault.
“He was just a DJ that got famous because of Nicole Richie and Travis Barker!”
or better yet the more famous you are the more value on yourself as a human…
shut up marilyn you’re ridiculous.
Please! This is MTV. Of COURSE the channel is going to air the show. Anything for ratings.
***
R.I.P. DJ AM
great a drug addict counseling kids…way to go !!!
A drug addict counseling kids? YES! People are MORE likely to listen to someone who has been there. Nancy Reagan and her just say no campaign faled because she didn’t know what she was talking about. That’s like a virgin giving sex advice!
Maybe from someone who has been there, but not someone who is still there! “FAILED” How can you say it failed? What has worked better? Didn’t know what she was talking about? Do you know her kids? You are very uniformed.
Lol, did “to Wakeforce” just claim the war on drugs succeeded? Epic fail indeed.
seriously i would rather have an ex-addict councel me than someone who has no idea what im going though and just uses the excuse “It will get better” They have no idea
R.I.P. DJ AM
Actually, a LOT of recovering addicts get into counseling. They’ve been there and they have a better understanding of the disease than the rest of us. Granted, they usually have to get some education before they can begin counseling, but they are very effective as addiction couselors.
That is the best person to be counseling people r the people who have the experiences in the situations. It is like going to a child shrink and thinking they r going to help your kids with sexual abuse but hey guess what the counselor has no kid experiences or no sexual abuse knowledge, only through books. So, what is that counselor going to do for my children? NOTHING JUST GET THEIR POCKETS FULL OF MONEY AND SEND MY CHILDREN ON THEIR WAY WITH BURNING QUESTION OF AND HOW DID THAT MAKE U FEEL Please people Let’s think about this one ok I would rather have a child shrink talk w/my children who has at least some experiences at least with children not just books Just my opinion of course
Since when does someone dying become a staple for shows being left on air, never making it to air, or being taken off air? This obviously hasn’t stopped by TV being clogged by “MJ” after a supposed HOMICIDE. DJ AM knew he was sick….he obviously did this show to help others. I think letting this show not go to air would be like “dying in vain” he believed in it and obviously was moved by “Gina” and going back and looking at drug usage again.
On another note as to why….I wonder if its possible he was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome? It would be alot to take on…being in a plane crash and you and one other being the only survivor. People have been through less and had equivalent or lesser outcomes by the disorder.
Either way…R.I.P DJ….you’re still golden to some of us despite the way it all ended….
As a recovering addict, I understand what happened to DJ AM. No matter how long one has been clean, the reality is that on any given day an addict may slip up and use. Any addict who has any recovery is aware that he or she may not make it back into recovery if they were to pick up again. That is something I have seen many times since I stopped using. One reason for that is because even after years of abstinence if one pick up drugs again, one goes back to using as if one never stopped using at all. The body cannot adjust but the mind doesn’t know it, resulting in an overdose. It is terrible, but the lesson is once you stop using stay stopped, don’t pick up again, you may not make it back next time.
One should not pick up the drugs again. And one should not start in the first place. Not judging. Just saying. Yeds, just say no.
It was a passion project of his, from everything I’ve read, his way of giving back after the crash. It would be a tragedy if it never reached the people he wanted to help.
After the crash, he felt he was saved for a reason, and he felt this was something he was supposed to do. They’d better air it.
I think they should air it. I know that it is a hard decision in light of recent events, but I think it would be a shame not to air something that seemed to be so important to him. Even if he did go back to drugs and die as a result, that doesn’t mean that this show can’t help people.
I think it should be aired. If he did indeed die from drugs, what a powerful message. And an additional message is that TV should not give “celebrities” credibility in areas where they have none. Politics, talent shows and counseling.
He was one of the better DJs around and will be missed. When true love is gone and your stability is outside yourself, you are left fighting your demons alone and sometimes you lose. I hope his girlfriend will get over any guilt she might feel. So many crave the spotlight without being prepared to handle it and without the psyche to accommodate it… I am sure he would have been healed after a while, but drugs are accidents waiting to happen.
It’s not proven he died due to drugs, yet. Let’s hope his toxicology test comes back clear of drugs at time of death. And no one really talked about him when he was alive and now that he’s dead all these fans start popping out. Come on people, And I don’t feel bad for him. It was his time to go and that’s that!
I say air it. Although AM’s autopsy reports are inconclusive at the moment. I think this would be a real awaking (for kids especially) about the stuggles with addiction. You can kick the habit, but the cravings and temptations are still there. There are rumors flying around that some of the medications that were suppose to help AM with his anxiety after the plane crash may have caused him to (allegedly) relaspe. People also need to know that perscribe medications can be as harmful or more harmful as illegal drugs. I feel for AM. God only knows what kinda hell he went though after his plane crash. He may have walked away from the crash with a purpose to share his story before it was time for him to leave this earth. Gone to Far…and gone to soon! RIP!!
Pretty sure he wasn’t perscribed crack.
He is the best person to have counseled teens or adults on drugs because he has been there. They will trust him. The show still should be aired in honor of him even if he fell off of sobriety. This would be a wake up call of what could happen. Let the show air.
It is sad because he was trying to do something good in the world so that others did not have to struggle as hard as he has. We are the ones that are going to change the world…we cannot wait for the experts, their human too.