2 minutes ago 2009-11-22T19:41:59-08:00
Andre Agassi arrives at the 14th annual Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation's Grand Slam for Children benefit concert at the Wynn Las Vegas September 26, 2009 in Las VegasGetty ImagesAccess Hollywood
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Tennis champ Andre Agassi has revealed a history of crystal meth use in a new memoir.
In his new book, "Open," the star admitted he had used the drug during the late '90s. According to an excerpt published in The Times of London, Agassi explained that he'd lied about his habits to escape a flunked drug test in 1997.
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"I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of [assistant] Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs," Agassi reportedly wrote. "I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it."
In a new interview with People, the athlete explained why he was coming forward with the truth over a decade later.
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"I can't speak to addiction, but a lot of people would say that if you're using anything as an escape, you have a problem," he told the mag, adding that he wasn't worried about fans' reactions to the revelation.
"I was worried for a moment, but not for long," he said. "I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story."
And the drug use wasn't the only surprising revelation made in the new book -- according to ESPN, the memoir also revealed that his famous early career Mohawk was a hairpiece. He hit the courts with a shaved head for the latter half of his career.
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1997 was a career low for Agassi, finding him dropping out of tennis' top 100 ranked players and beginning a tumultuous, short-lived marriage to actress Brooke Shields that ended with divorce two years later.
After quitting meth, he made one of the sport's biggest comebacks when he jumped from a ranking of No. 122 to No. 6 in 1998, becoming one of a handful of players to win each of the four Grand Slam titles during a career with a victory at the French Open in 1999. He finished the year as the world's No. 1 tennis player.
The eight-time Grand Slam winner retired following the 2006 U.S. Open, focusing since on his Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.
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MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Athletes - Drugs - Authors - Celebrities
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thetruthHis current wife looks very manly! he should have kept his mouth shut about his past. I guess he must need money writing this tell all book. Without mentioning his drug use or toupee wearing I think it would have been a very boring book.report abuseposted October 29, 2009 2:57 PM PDT
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VanessaHe should just drink chrome soda!!report abuseposted October 29, 2009 2:53 PM PDT
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kathy cduh, make your money then tell everyone when you were at your best you were on drugs..who would do that?? stephen king? edgar allen poe? john lennon? what a shocker, yeah drugs make you more creative...sometimes..but you have to have some talent to go with it...report abuseposted October 29, 2009 2:31 PM PDT
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dan wcan we say pickle puffer,dog slurper,rump ranger,butt pirate,turd burglar,cob knobber,fudge packer.!!!!report abuseposted October 29, 2009 2:30 PM PDT
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dan wcan we say pickle puffer,dog slurper,rump ranger,butt pirate,turd burglar,cob knobber,fudge packer.!!!!report abuseposted October 29, 2009 2:30 PM PDT
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tracyI think its great he came clean..... but I also heard he likes mens crotch area.report abuseposted October 29, 2009 10:09 AM PDT
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MurphyVery old news the main thing is that he is not using it now.report abuseposted October 29, 2009 9:40 AM PDT
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mgmkidWho cares. He's a great spokesman for MGM Mirage Las Vegas.report abuseposted October 29, 2009 6:59 AM PDT
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susie qhIt means he human. Dont judge @ least he did ome thing good with his life.report abuseposted October 29, 2009 5:26 AM PDT
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