Watch CBS News

Michael Douglas Blames Fame, Absent Parents for Son Cameron Douglas' Troubles

Cameron Douglas and Michael Douglas (AP Photo) adfd

NEW YORK (CBS-AP) - In a final attempt to rescue his son, Cameron, Michael Douglas has penned a letter to the judge asking for leniency in the 10-year mandatory sentence his son is facing for dealing drugs. 

Cameron Douglas is set to be sentenced today.

The five-page, hand-written letter blamed the Douglas' celebrity status for past and current substance abuse problems in their family, according to The New York Post.

Michael Douglas wrote: "Dear Judge Berman, I don't want to burden you with a litany of my son, Cameron's rehab history, beginning at 13. He's an adult and responsible for his own life. We do know, however, that genes, family, and peer pressure are all a strong influence on a substance abuser."

Many drug dealers come from families who have struggled with addiction. Few receive leniency because of it.

In the letter, Douglas then blames a nameless someone "whose career took him away from home, and a young mother without any parenting skills handed down from her own parents."

The New York Post speculates that it is a critique of an absent Douglas and his first wife, Diandra.

Douglas did find the courage to reference himself directly: "I have some idea of the pressure of finding your own identity with a famous father," he wrote, "I'm not sure I can comprehend it with two generations to deal with."

Michael Douglas' father is storied actor Kirk Douglas.

Cameron Douglas was arrested July 2009 at the Manhattan Club in New York City. The 31-year-old admitted to dealing methamphetamine and cocaine and pleaded guilty in January to a drug charge that carries a mandatory 10 years in prison.

Michael Douglas wrote that he has cherished weekly two-hour visits with his son over the past eight months at a Manhattan federal jail. With his son behind bars but sober, "I get to witness the wonderful young man he can be," he wrote.

On Tuesday, a federal judge will decide how many years of visits he will be forced to witness.


MORE ON CRIMESIDER
February 1, 2010 11:00 AM Michael Douglas Bails Out Drug-Dealing Son Cameron Douglas
January 28, 2010 - Michael Douglas' Son, Cameron Douglas, to Serve 10-Year Minimum Sentence for Drug Trafficking
August 4, 2009 - Michael Douglas' Son Busted at Posh NYC Hotel

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.