Heston Sobers Up

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/18/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Actor and National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston, 76, has confirmed as being true his remarks to the National Enquirer that he spent three months in a Utah rehab clinic last May to help him with his drinking. His rep confirmed to USA Today that Heston came clean in the tabloid. "I wasn't slurring my words, I wasn't falling over, but I realized it had become an addiction for me. And in my profession, that's a terrible flaw to fall into," Heston told the supermarket tabloid. He blamed his busy schedule -- working on behalf of the NRA, campaigning for George W. Bush and keeping his acting career alive -- as the reasons for his reliance on alcohol.