Shaun Weiss' friend Drew Gallagher is speaking out five days after the child star was arrested in Northern California.
The 41-year-old actor, best known for playing Greg Goldberg inThe Mighty Ducks, wasarrested on Sundayin Yuba County on charges of residential burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance, which police believe was methamphetamine.
“There’s not a blameless Shaun Weiss here, he is definitely to blame for a lot of stupid s— he does,” Gallagher says. “But if you were to spend any time with him you would have a drastically more compassionate understanding of what he was about.”
Drew Gallagher (left) and Shaun Weiss.GoFundMe
Gallagher says he believes that Weiss needs “medical” and “psychiatric attention.”
“He’s sick, he’s mentally ill,” Gallagher says of the actor. “He’s just sick and everybody gives up on him.”
Gallagher describes his friend as “the nicest, softest, sweetest human being,” adding, “He’s like a brother to me. I won’t abandon him.”
Shaun Weiss.Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
While Gallagher says people tell him that Weiss “has to want the help” to get better, he doesn’t think they fully understand Weiss' current state.
“It’s like, ‘you don’t understand, he’s having mental issues,'” Gallagher says.
“All Shaun wants to do is stand on stage and make people laugh,” he adds. “He’s one of the funniest comedians you’ll ever meet, he’s sharp, he’s witty, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He understands the dire situation he’s in. The reality is there’s something where our brains go right, his brain goes left.”
Gallagher continues to try to help his friend and set up aGoFundMe campaignfor Weiss this week to go towards his bail and future rehab expenses. As of Friday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $2,400 out of a $25,000 goal.
Weiss “displayed symptoms of being under the influence of methamphetamine and said he did not reside at this residence,” police allege. “Weiss also said the vehicle he was filtering through was not his,” the statement said.
This week was not Weiss’ first arrest. He was previously arrested in August 2018 after police in Northern California found him allegedly high on drugs and acting bizarrely with a flashlight. He ended up being released without charges.
The year prior, he had been charged withmisdemeanor meth possessionin California and sentenced to 90 days in jail,E! News reported.
source: people.com
