Nikki McKibbin Blames Simon Cowell for Depression
Nikki McKibbin - who finished third in the first season of American Idol says that harsh comments from judge Simon Cowell drove her to drinking and drugs, eventually landing her in a mental ward. In an interview with Us Weekly, Nikki said,
"I came out of Idol with a lack of self-confidence. I had never been told I wasn't good enough. Having to hear it for so many weeks from Simon Cowell killed me inside. I couldn't get the s--t he had said to me out of my head. It drove me deeper into my depression."
Nikki , who Simon compared to Adam Sandler's tone deaf character in 1998 movie 'The Wedding Singer', reveals she would sneak vodka into the Idol contestant's house to help numb her pain. " I wouldn't say that this was Simon's fault. It just added to the addict that I already was," says the former idol finalist.
Nikki is now recovering from her addictions - thanks to her participation in the second season of “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” on VH1.
