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Roy Halladay's Widow Brandy Discusses Ex-MLB SP's Drug Use in E:60 Trailer Video
May 7, 2020
Brandy Halladay, the wife of Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay, said she thinks he was an addict in an upcoming ESPN E:60 documentary.
Halladay said her husband was battling a number of mental health issues and that "his body was dependent on these medications just to function."
Halladay died in November 2017 when the plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of Florida.
Upon investigating the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board determined his prescription drug usage "may have played a role in the accident," per CNN's Steve Almasy. Tests showed his blood and urine contained "a sleep aid, an amphetamine, an antidepressant, a muscle relaxer, two opioids and Ibuprofen."
In a July 2019 piece for Sports Illustrated, Stephanie Apstein spoke with Halladay's sister, Heather, who said Roy had developed an addiction to the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam.
"I think he felt like he needed to hide his mistakes because he didn't want anyone to think he wasn't as good as they thought he was," she said. "He thought they wouldn't understand that he was human. Just because you're a good baseball player doesn't mean you don't make mistakes."
In a statement after the NTSB report was made public, Brandy Halladay alluded to her husband's struggles with addiction, via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman:
"It has reinforced what I have previously stated, that no one is perfect. Most families struggle in some capacity and ours was no exception. We respectfully ask that you not make assumptions or pass judgment. Rather, we encourage you to hug your loved ones and appreciate having them in your lives. As a family, we ask that you allow Roy to rest in peace."
Halladay was an eight-time All-Star and a Cy Young winner in 2003 and 2010. He retired from baseball after the 2013 season and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, earning a selection from 85.4 percent of the voters in his first year of eligibility.
Brandy accepted the honor on his behalf in July 2019 in Cooperstown, New York.