Robert Downey Jr. had always been open about getting high since he was young, but the actor spiraled just when he was gaining popularity. Per ABC News, his first run-in with the law was in 1996 when the police had found multiple kinds of drugs and a gun in his car. He also entered a neighbor’s home, and fell asleep in one of the beds.
Downey was sentenced to two years in rehabilitation and one year in jail. It wasn’t until 2003 that he decided to become clean, thanks to his then-girlfriend Susan Levin, also known as the “Miracle That Saved Robert Downey Jr.” per Harper’s Bazaar.
Downey and Susan met on the set of “Gothika” in 2003. Although they didn’t immediately get along, they soon clicked and started dating. At the time, Downey wasn’t quite finished with what he called his “Darth Vader” phase, but Susan gave him an ultimatum: either he pull himself together or they will break it off. “I did meet Darth Vader, for like a minute,” Susan divulged. “…I said immediately, ‘This isn’t gonna work.’ I made it clear that to stay with me, nothing could happen.” It worked. Downey began his journey to complete recovery in July 2003 by throwing his drugs into the ocean. “I think he saw what we had,” Susan was confident. “There was something magical there.”