Harry Hamlin Recounts Forced PCP Use in Jail During College Years
Actor Harry Hamlin, husband of Lisa Rinna, recently shared a shocking experience from his youth, detailing a time he was compelled to consume PCP while incarcerated during his college days. The revelation came during an episode of their podcast, “Let’s Not Talk About The Husband.”
The Arrest and Initial Sentence
Hamlin, now 74, explained that the incident occurred when he was 21. He was apprehended for possessing pills he was tasked with delivering to another university on behalf of his fraternity. “I was arrested back in 1970,” Hamlin stated. “My upperclassman had given me 25 pills and a 25th of an ounce of grass, and that was my payment for taking these pills down to…” He clarified that he was transporting speed.
He elaborated on the circumstances, explaining that the request came just before Thanksgiving break. “I was at Berkeley, and my upperclassmen in the fraternity house I was living in came to me before I was going down to LA for Thanksgiving, which is right around exam time, and he said, ‘Take these pills down and give them to another house at USC. They need these for their exam.’” Hamlin continued, “So I take them down, and they didn’t want the pills, so I had to take them back.”
Rinna interjected with a question, “On a plane? Do you think that was very smart?!” Hamlin responded, “Obviously not, because I ended up in jail!”
After entering a guilty plea, Hamlin received a sentence of 18 days in jail, which he served over multiple weekends.
A Warden’s Favor
Hamlin also shared an interesting connection he had with the jail warden. The warden’s brother was “an actor in the acting school at Berkeley,” while Hamlin was studying drama. This connection led to a somewhat unusual interaction. “I sit down with the warden, and I sit down with my lawyer, and we all have a cheeseburger together. And the warden says, ‘Listen, when you get there, don’t worry about anything. I’ll make sure that you’re okay.’”
The Holding Cell and the Forced Drug Use
Despite the warden’s assurances, Hamlin’s experience took a dark turn. He found himself in a holding cell with a young man who was “crying his eyes out.” Feeling sympathetic, Hamlin asked a guard if he could join the inmate in his cell. This decision landed him in a “felony cell” with men who had committed much more serious offenses.
The crying young man was eventually released on bail, leaving Hamlin with the group of felons who were passing around a joint. When offered the joint, Hamlin initially declined. However, one of the inmates insisted forcefully, “Have. Some. Of. This.”
Hamlin described how he was then forced to consume PCP. “That’s how I was forced to have the PCP. Somebody had brought in a little sack of rolling tobacco that was soaked in PCP… so they were smoking it, and there was no odor. But they were high as kites.” He added, “I was so stoned because [an inmate] forced me to take three or four hits of it, and I was completely messed up after I had that.”
Hamlin and Rinna’s Relationship
Hamlin and Rinna’s relationship began in 1992 when they were both involved with other people. They started dating months later and married in 1997. They have two daughters, Delilah, 27, and Amelia, 24.
Earlier this year, Hamlin commented on the strength of their marriage, stating, “We’ve always had a great relationship, it wasn’t even tested during the Housewives thing.” He also joked about Rinna’s ever-changing appearance, saying he “gets a new wife everyday,” due to her fondness for new clothes and wigs. Rinna exited “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” after the 12th season concluded in 2023.
The couple launched their podcast on Valentine’s Day through Dear Media. In a joint statement prior to the premiere, they expressed their intention to share their experiences on a range of topics, “After 30+ years together, some more fabulous than others, we’ve seen a lot, and we’re ready to dish on everything from marriage and family to friendships, business, and fame.”
