Gracie Films/Laurence Mark Productions; Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesShow us the money!
Leigh Steinberg, the powerful sports agent whom director Cameron Crowe used as the source of inspiration for Jerry Maguire, filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday.
Then in a signature move reminiscent of the manifesto Tom Cruise's titular character blasted out in the 1996 movie, Steinberg sent a pride-swallowing email to friends, colleagues and the Orange County Register revealing he has been battling alcoholism "for a number of years."
In his prime, Steinberg, now 62, once sported a client list including such Super Bowl MVPs as Troy Aikman and Steve Young as well as boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya.
But years spent struggling with his addiction to booze, he wrote, caused him to "check out episodically for short periods," leading to a failure of oversight regarding his financial obligations.
In April 2007, Steinberg was busted near his home in Newport Beach, Calif., on a DUI charge; a year and a half later he was collared again for public drunkenness.
In December, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court in a civil case over a $1.4 million debt owed to landlords of his Newport Beach office.