In a report hitting newsstands Friday, People magazine claims the troubled actor's fall from sobriety happened not long after his August release from California's Corcoran State Prison. The magazine quotes an unnamed friend of Downey's ex-wife, Deborah Falconer, who said Downey "has been getting loaded on and off."
The source also claimed that, two weeks before Downey's arrest, the 35-year-old actor left his 7-year-old son, Indio, with an assistant so he could go out in the middle of the night to score drugs. People reports Falconer no longer lets Downey see their son because of the incident.
Downey's publicist, Alan Nierob, denies the allegations.
The current Ally McBeal costar is battling the repercussions from his November 25 arrest at Merv Griffin's Resort and Givenchy Spa. Police allegedly caught him with 4.5 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as 16 Diazepam pills (also known as Valium) stuffed inside a Kleenex box.
Downey, who's currently free on $15,000 bail, must return to court December 27, where his lawyer said the actor will plead not guilty to two felony charges of drug possession, and a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will pursue all the charges, but Downey could face at least six years in the slammer if convicted.
According to several published reports, Downey also checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to be treated for depression over the weekend. He left the hospital Sunday on his own accord.
As for his career, the uncertainty of Downey's future has caused still more opportunities to slip out of his hands. Downey is currently wrapping up work on the final two episodes of his 10-episode commitment to Fox's Ally McBeal. But he may not get a chance to star in America's Sweethearts alongside Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Revolution Studios Chief Joe Roth, who's directing the romantic comedy, originally cast Downey as Zeta-Jones' love interest. But with his future uncertain--and Downey reportedly uninsurable by Revolution's backers--Roth is looking to recast the role before shooting begins January 11.
"It's definite that we're out looking for somebody," Tom Sherak, Roth's Revolution Studios partner, told USA Today. "We need to move forward with this, and we're not quite sure what's going to happen on December 27."