Demi Lovato’s ex-fiancé Max Ehrich — who was arrested this week for allegedly abusing his mom — is going to rehab for nitrous abuse, which he claims started when he was kidnapped by gang members last week.
The 34-year-old “Young and the Restless” alum, who’s currently under a 72-hour psychiatric hold following his arrest Tuesday night, told TMZ that he was abducted in Los Angeles and introduced to the gas, known for its euphoric and dissociative effects.
Ehrich told the outlet that he went to Florida to stay with his parents following the alleged kidnapping — the details of which he didn’t make clear.
The “Under the Dome” actor claims he’d been high for several days ahead of the altercation that led to his arrest. His mom had been trying to get him to stop his nitrous use, when police say he pushed her to the ground and kicked her thigh.
TMZ previously reported that Ehrich was arrested in Port St. Lucie for battery on a person 65 or older and released Wednesday on $1,000 bond.
Ehrich’s mom reportedly told authorities that he “heavily abuses inhalants” but refused to provide a written statement or let police photograph her injuries.
Ehrich and Lovato were briefly engaged in 2020, following a four-month courtship. Lovato reportedly ended the relationship over suspicions that Ehrich’s “intentions weren’t genuine” and he was using her celebrity “to further his career.”
The “Cool for the Summer” singer, 33, married artist-songwriter Jordan “Jutes” Lutes in May of this year, nearly two years after Us Weekly first confirmed their romance.