Movies

Cocaine Crash: Amanda Mealing’s Dark Descent

BBG News

Amidst the tranquil neighborhood of Lincolnshire, where Amanda Mealing had lived for many years, shock and astonishment are prevalent following the actress’s recent court conviction for driving under the influence of cocaine this week.

People in the neighborhood became aware of the car accident that caused injuries to both Mealing and a theater nurse, as well as the local councilor she collided with, but they were unaware that a notable figure from their community was part of the incident.

It wasn’t previously known, but we now understand that Amanda and her family reside in the village, and she was part of the unfortunate accident.

Someone mentioned that they’d heard about a local councilor getting severely injured, but they weren’t aware she was the one responsible for the incident. This news is quite startling and somewhat concerning since she was reportedly under the influence of drugs at the time of driving in the morning.

Even those outside her local circle find it surprising that such a modest actress would find herself in this embarrassing situation.

‘A trusted friend shares: ‘This news comes as a complete surprise. Given all the time we’ve spent together, more than a decade, and knowing her strong commitment to her sobriety, it’s hard to comprehend. She’s always been someone to take pride in her sobriety and has recently been thriving as a director. This unfortunate turn of events is truly disheartening.’

Co-workers from Holby City and Casualty recall that she often arrived at the 7 am set call, already having participated in an early morning hot yoga session for purification.

They remember it as more of a humorous comment, since the clean-living Amanda was known to carry her own French press coffee maker on set.

This week, someone I spoke with referred to the 57-year-old mother of two as ‘kind yet troubled.’ In addition, as her attorney detailed during the court proceedings, Mealing has been enduring a challenging phase in an already tumultuous existence.

Certainly, although the character portrayed by Mealing, Dr. Connie Beauchamp from 2004 to 2021, faced hardships such as a helicopter accident and drug addiction, it appears that her personal life outside of acting has been equally tumultuous and heartbreaking.

This week, solicitor Lloyd Edwards shared with the court that Mealing was going through a divorce from her film producer husband Richard Sainsbury, mourning the loss of her father, dog, and close friend – who is speculated to be comedian Paul O’Grady – at the time of the accident in January the previous year. Additionally, she has been diagnosed with blood cancer and unable to work.

On the night before the incident she went to a friend’s house where she took cocaine.

The day after the accident, a test revealed that she had 18 micrograms of cocaine in her system, which exceeded the permissible limit of 10 micrograms. Moreover, her body contained more than 240 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – a substance formed when the body breaks down cocaine – this was nearly five times above the legal limit of 50 micrograms.

Mr Edwards is clear that this is something which Mealing bitterly regrets.

He told the court emphatically: ‘She doesn’t take drugs and certainly will never take drugs again.’

He mentioned that his client confessed to driving under the influence of drugs at the earliest chance. This is something she feels deeply embarrassed about. Notably, she has no prior criminal records.

As a devoted admirer, I can attest to the fact that she’s absolutely clean, with no drug use whatsoever. She shared a heart-wrenching story about her beloved brother who tragically lost his life to an overdose when he was only 18. Stricken by grief, she lamented, “I should have known better,” a sentiment echoed due to the unfortunate timing of this devastating event in her life.

She shared with me that she was going through a divorce with her husband, a heartbreaking experience, followed swiftly by the death of her father, euthanizing her beloved pet, and the passing of her dearest friend. It was an incredibly distressing time for her.

I swung by my buddy’s place the other day, and let me tell you, it turns out we shared a line of coke during our get-together. I can’t quite wrap my head around why I went along with it.

To this very day, it deeply saddens her. The following morning, she got behind the wheel, unaware that the traces of drugs were still within her system due to her lack of familiarity with such substances. Had she been aware, she would never have driven under those circumstances.

Approximately ten o’clock in the morning, her black Mini was found on the incorrect side of the road on the A1175 at Hop Pole, close to Stamford in Lincolnshire. This accident occurred when her Mini collided with a Skoda driven by Mark Le Sage, who was a nurse and local councilor, en route to work.

Instead of calling an ambulance due to his injuries (cuts and bruises), Mr. Le Sage opted to go directly to the Emergency Room (A&E) for treatment, as the ambulance had been diverted to another urgent situation.

At Mealing, an emergency helicopter was dispatched, and paramedics labored for more than two hours on-site in an attempt to stabilize her. Unfortunately, she sustained injuries to her head, wrist, and collarbone.

According to Mr. Edwards, she sustained a severe head wound and a fractured collarbone, but what’s most concerning is that her blood sugar level was critically low.

I received the ambulance report from the paramedics. According to their account, they arrived at the scene in just five minutes. They mentioned that her blood sugar level was low, she was extremely drowsy and showed minimal response to the medication administered.

Indeed, they became quite distressed, leading them to summon a helicopter emergency medical service. From what I gather, their observations suggest that she might have experienced a low-blood sugar episode, which could potentially explain the incident. There were also mentions indicating this as the likely reason behind the mishap.

Three days following the incident, she was questioned by the police. She holds intense emotions towards how the officer handled it, feeling it wasn’t appropriate to interview her then. Given the severe blow to her head and her belief that she was experiencing concussion symptoms, she expressed deep regret over the accident. Despite this, her remorse remains unchanged, and as a result, she was eager to assist in any way possible.

She appeared clueless about what transpired, leading her to conjecture that perhaps she might have inadvertently triggered the mishap… she seems to think she may have been unaware during the incident.

In simpler terms, the individual, identified as Mealing, confessed to operating a vehicle while having cocaine in her body, exhibiting negligence in her driving actions, and was penalized by being prohibited from driving for 22 months. Additionally, she was mandated to pay a fine amounting to £485.

Mr. Le Sage shared that the accident left him significantly impacted, leading to an unfortunate necessity of leaving his position as a theater nurse. His issues with vision, hearing, and persistent pain in various body parts like legs, neck, shoulder, back, and hip have made it impossible for him to carry on with his job duties. He also mentioned experiencing recurring memories and distressing dreams related to the accident.

According to Mr. Edwards, the actress disputed the extent of his injuries and provided a collection of Facebook posts by Mr. Le Sage as evidence for her argument.

Currently, she’s not discussing the event. There’s a chance the matter might reappear in a courtroom, potentially as a civil lawsuit seeking compensation from Mr. Le Sage.

This week, Richard Sainsbury, her separated spouse, visited their farmhouse. When asked if he’d like to discuss the matter, he replied, ‘If she wishes to bring it up, that’s her choice,’ offering no further comments.

Neighbours in their quiet village say that they haven’t seen her for ‘many months’.

A resident mentioned, ‘The family is frequently spotted in public, yet Amanda hasn’t been seen for quite a while. There are rumors that she’s separated from her spouse, though it remains unclear if she’s left their home, which has been undergoing renovation.’

In the bustling media scene of London, numerous individuals are wishing for her return, provided she recovers and manages to move past this challenging phase in her life.

I’m absolutely smitten with the fact that I’ve forged such a tight bond with the illustrious TV producer and “Doctor Who” scribe, Russell T Davies. To me, he’s more than just a creative powerhouse; he’s like an older brother who’s always been there, crafting magical tales that have captivated my heart. And when it comes to the fabulous chef Andi Oliver, she’s not merely a culinary genius in my eyes but a cherished ‘sister-in-spirit’, whose warmth and wisdom never cease to inspire me.

Ever since bidding farewell to “Casualty” in 2021, I’ve found myself drawn towards a new creative pursuit – directing. Recently, I’ve had the privilege to step behind the camera for an episode on the beloved BBC series, “Waterloo Road.” It’s an exciting shift, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!

A significant source of recent grief stems from the sudden death of Paul O’Grady due to cardiac arrhythmia in March 2023. He is known as the ‘dear friend’ that her lawyer mentioned in court, and he held the role of godfather for both of her sons.

She referred to him as ‘the guardian of my confidences’, noting: ‘There was nothing Paul wasn’t aware of – the deepest, most hidden aspects about me, which he kept to himself. I trusted that I wouldn’t receive any kind of judgment from him. To this day, I still find myself reaching for my phone to call him. Some event, whether funny or frustrating, happens, and instinctively, I reach for my phone.’

Following his passing, she took in his dog, Rufus Elvis O’Grady, who had been part of the ‘funeral canine escort.’ Unfortunately, Rufus passed away in early 2024 after battling health issues for quite some time, only a short while before her car accident. Deeply saddened, Mealing shared on Instagram: ‘Rest in peace, Rufus. Thank you for your love.’

Mealing managed to navigate through the turmoil that ensued when she learned, at age 30, that she was adopted as an infant. This revelation came about due to a casual comment made by a slightly intoxicated relative during a family wedding celebration.

She mentioned that she’s often felt out of place, as she looks differently from her family members. All of a sudden, everything became clear. She acknowledged that she didn’t have any significant reasons to complain.

‘I’ve always been blessed with a charmed life, brimming with chances. And let me assure you, I’ve never doubted their love for me.’

Through research, she uncovered a sibling born at the same time, Claire, who was also adopted, leading her to eventually connect with her biological mother, Joyce. After moving to the United States, Joyce had given birth to both girls. Upon phoning her birth mother, she learned that Joyce had eagerly anticipated that very call for a long time.

She mentioned that her mother, living across the Atlantic, had enthusiastically kept track of my career by collecting numerous articles about the shows I’ve been part of and storing them in a large scrapbook.

‘Biba and Joyce’s shared boyfriend was a poet and activist; legally, they hadn’t been allowed to communicate with each other – this call was one Joyce had long anticipated.’

In the subsequent four years, Mealing received a breast cancer diagnosis, a day after she had given birth to her second child, Otis. At that moment, her eldest son, Milo, was already three years old.

During her pregnancy, she had noticed a tiny lump in her breast but chose to disregard it. She explained, “I honestly thought it might be mastitis. Yet, there was this irrational fear that if I didn’t consult the doctor, they wouldn’t diagnose me with breast cancer, so I could convince myself it wasn’t a problem. But had I acted upon it then, perhaps I wouldn’t have gone through what I did. It’s absurd. I risked my life, I gambled.

‘It must have been three months. And it went from being a pea-sized lump to a mass. It was huge.

‘During my ultrasound exam, I clearly recall witnessing the mass. It was an unsettling moment; I felt like all the air had been squeezed out of me. My emotions ran high, and I became quite furious with the cancer. I thought to myself, “How audacious of you to invade my life at a time when my newborn baby is so freshly born! I refuse to let this happen.”‘

After undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, she finished her treatment five years later only to be diagnosed with PTSD. Her sister-in-law and a close friend, also battling breast cancer around the same time, unfortunately did not survive. The weight of survivor’s guilt has been heavy for Mealing, leading to panic attacks, depression, and the need for therapy to help cope with her feelings.

Her battle with cancer has instilled in her an indomitable sense of self-reliance. In a pre-accident interview, she reflected: “Life just happens; it’s a journey that each of us embarks on individually. Regardless of the love and support surrounding you, you are the one who experiences it all.

Additional reporting: Tracey Kandohla

Read More

2025-03-23 04:52

Previous post When did Minecraft come out? See the biggest updates
Next post Stablecoins: The Secret Sauce for Crypto’s Next Big Comeback! 🍔💰