Andrew Gillum Returns to Native Land Podcast, Calls Recent Months 'Challenging' — Reports Say He Completed Rehab

Months after his widely reported arrest, former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum made a surprise return to the Native Land podcast to update listeners on his recovery and legal situation.

Rejoining co-hosts Angela Rye and Bakari Sellers, Gillum opened on a lighter note — joking he felt like "the Bobby Brown" of the show — before offering a candid status report.

"It's been a challenging season," Gillum said, thanking family, friends and listeners for their support. "I'll just say it has been a healing few months as well as a chaotic couple of months. But I'm faithful. I'm trying to remain faithful [and] disciplined. My love for my family and for my friends is at an all-time high. But I got to tell you, a love for myself is also at an all-time high."

He added, "I'm just taking it one day at a time to be the best version of myself as I can be. But more on that to come."

Reports from TMZ indicate Gillum completed a 30-day rehabilitation program following his July arrest in Alabama. Authorities say police responded to a disturbance outside a convenience store and later alleged they found three grams of methamphetamine, pre-rolled marijuana joints and other drug-related items. Gillum was booked on charges including felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; he later pleaded guilty to related charges.

Earlier coverage by theGrio noted that after voluntarily entering a drug-testing program, Gillum tested negative. Based on those clean results, his attorney requested a hearing to determine whether a judge should require court-ordered treatment.

Gillum has been open about his history with substance struggles. After narrowly losing the 2018 Florida governor's race, he stepped back from public life to focus on recovery. In 2020 he released a candid video announcing plans to enter rehab and begin therapy, referencing his upbringing in a household affected by addiction and explaining his desire to break that cycle for his own children.

"Having grown up in a household where my father battled addiction to alcohol, and later died from complications from that deadly addiction, I know well the toll that alcohol can take... I knew that if I didn't want to recycle many of those same issues for my children that I had to do something about it and I had to do it now."

Friends and community leaders publicly offered support after his arrest. Angela Rye wrote that Gillum is "one in a million" and urged people to keep him and his family in their prayers. Pastor Rudy Ferguson Sr. called addiction "a wound, not an identity," emphasizing compassion, restoration and prayer.

Gillum's brief podcast appearance reiterated that he is focusing on faith, discipline and self-care while legal and treatment decisions continue to move forward. He emphasized steady, daily progress and signaled there will be more updates in the future.