'Malicious Lie': Rudy Giuliani Lashes Out After Bombshell Article Claims He Has an Alcohol Problem
On Wednesday, October 4, Rudy Giuliani conducted a press conference where he addressed the recent New York Times exposé written by Matt Flegenheimer and Maggie Haberman, which accused him of alcohol abuse.
“It’s a typical New York Times, malicious lie. I do not have an alcohol problem. I have never had an alcohol problem,” the former New York City mayor protested.
“The reason I told you what I achieved is, nobody could have achieved that if they did. When the h--- was I drinking? I was working 24 hours a day. It’s a big d--- lie by a newspaper that’s a disgrace and by a reporter, who used cover me in a very glowing way, and now is vicious and mean in what she does,” the politician raged.
“If it weren’t for the protections the press gets, with Times v. Sullivan, she should be sued for liable. She also should be thrown out of the profession for being a d--- liar,” he concluded, seemingly dragging Haberman.
As OK! previously reported, the report written by the journalists detailed many instances where the lawyer allegedly over drank on the job.
"On some nights when Mr. Giuliani was overserved, an associate discreetly signaled the rest of the club, tipping back his empty hand in a drinking motion, out of the former mayor’s line of sight, in case others preferred to keep their distance," the piece, published on October 4, read.
"Some allies, watching Mr. Giuliani down Scotch before leaving for Fox News interviews, would slip away to find a television, clenching through his rickety defenses of [Donald] Trump," the article added.
MSNBC host Reverend Al Sharpton admitted playing tricks on Giuliani when he was at the bar was a "running gag" among his rivals.
- Rudy Giuliani Exposed: Disgraced Lawyer Used to Get Drunk Before Defending Donald Trump on Fox News, Report Claims
- Donald Trump May Have Taken Advice From Drunk Rudy Giuliani on How to Overturn the 2020 Election: Report
- Hot Mess! Rudy Giuliani Sweats Through His Hair Dye, And Twitter Goes Crazy: Photo
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
"[Sharpton] and others who opposed Mr. Trump sometimes playfully encouraged a server to double Mr. Giuliani’s liquor orders before he went on Fox," the report claimed. "People would walk by after he started drinking a lot and act like he wasn’t there."
The interviews with Fox News were not the only times Giuliani was believed to have overindulged before important events. Jason Miller, one of Trump's former senior campaign advisors, revealed Giuliani had been drunk on the night of the 2020 presidential election.
"The mayor was definitely intoxicated but I do not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president," he said during the investigations into the January 6th Capitol riots. Miller also added that the 79-year-old told the campaign to declare Trump the winner despite the votes still being tallied.
"There were suggestions by, I believe it was Mayor Giuliani, to go and declare victory and say that we won it outright," he claimed.
Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!
Meanwhile, Giuliani has repeatedly denied any allegations of a drinking problem.
"I don’t think I’ve ever done an interview drunk," he said in a 2021 interview with NBC. "I mean, I drink normally. I like Scotch, I drink Scotch. I’m not an alcoholic. I’m a functioning, I probably function more effectively than 90 percent of the population."