Lamar Odom Update: Former NBA Star Leaves Hospital, Photographed In Los Angeles
Lamar Odom has finally been released from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he spent nearly three months following a drug overdose. According to a report by E! News on January 8, Lamar Odom was relocated to a private facility in Los Angeles last Wednesday, where his recovery will continue.
Lamar Odom has been pictured for the first time since leaving the hospital. New pics: https://t.co/SXOKcsbaVv pic.twitter.com/Hd0hVMjE5E
— HollywoodLife (@HollywoodLife) January 11, 2016
Following his hospital release, Lamar Odom’s maternal aunt spoke out, requesting the public give the family privacy.
“[Lamar Odom] continues to make remarkable strides and we are asking that you continue to respect our privacy,” JaNean Mercer said in a statement to Us Weekly on January 9. “Again we thank all of you greatly, your support has been paramount in helping to uplift us during these past few difficult months.”
Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch, a legal brothel, in Pahrump, Nevada, on October 13. After two of the facility’s women called 911, Lamar Odom was transferred to a nearby hospital, where he remained in a coma for three days. Then, after he woke up and began communicating with hospital staff, Lamar Odom was taken from the Sunrise Hospital to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
On January 8, a short time after Lamar Odom left the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he was photographed in a car in Los Angeles. The photo wasn’t the first post-overdose photo, as Lamar Odom Jr. had posted an Instagram photo of his dad earlier this month, but it was the first time Lamar Odom had been seen outside of the hospital since he was transferred to L.A.
Lamar Odom seen in first photos since he was released from hospital https://t.co/Pn1BQxtghe pic.twitter.com/1a1btENa3N
— E! Online UK (@EOnlineUK) January 10, 2016
According to Us Weekly, Khloe Kardashian, who has been at Lamar Odom’s side since October 13, when he was found unconscious, recently spoke out about her husband, claiming he has made good progress in recent weeks.
“[Lamar Odom] is good,” Kardashian told reporters during her new talk show’s panel at the Television Critics Association’s winter tour last week.
Kardashian went on to tell reporters she would be continuing her support for Lamar Odom as he began to receive care at the latest facility.
“I’m just there to support and care for [Lamar Odom]. But he is doing amazing and I’m so proud of the strength that he has to fight this battle that’s his battle, and I’m so grateful for everybody’s love and concern because I think it is coming from a good place.”
Lamar Odom and Kardashian got married in September, 2009, just 30 days after the pair was introduced to one another at a party in Los Angeles thrown by Lamar Odom’s then-teammate, Ron Artest, aka Metta World Peace. The beginning of the couple’s relationship was highly documented on the family’s E! shows, including Keeping Up With The Kardashian, and later, their spinoff, Khloe & Lamar.
While Lamar Odom’s marriage to Kardashian made for great reality TV, it quickly came to an end in 2013 amid rumors of the former athlete’s alleged affairs with other women, and his reported drug use. However, because a judge had yet to sign off on the finalization of their divorce at the time he fell into a coma, Kardashian was left in charge of making decisions for his medical care. They then requested the divorce proceedings be called off, but will eventually begin the process again.
Kardashian’s new talk show, Kocktails With Khloe, is premiering later this month on FYI.
According to a Radar Online report on January 10, Lamar Odom will be receiving care at an unnamed live-in facility near Kardashian’s home.
[Photo by Katy Winn/Getty Images for IMG]
