Scoop: Should Stars Go to Rehab as Apology? No, No, No

Other Scoops: Darrell Hammond not all out of "SNL"

Before Kanye West rushed the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, the singer was filmed on the awards show's red carpet drinking Hennessey cognac straight from the bottle. Now, the next logical thing has happened: people are talking about West going to rehab.

Star magazine and other publications are reporting that West is blaming alcohol for his breach in decorum, and that as soon as West wraps his “Fame Kills” tour with Lady Gaga this January, he’ll head to rehab.

West hasn’t blogged about it, there was no comment from his camp, and friends close to West say it’s not true, so maybe this is just the product of a game of telephone gone awry during a slow news week.

But if there’s a real reason for West to go to rehab, of course, he should go. However, if people think that a trip to rehab is just another way to say you’re sorry … in the words of Amy Winehouse, no, no, no.

Look no further than Michael Richards and Mel Gibson for evidence that headline-making slurs aren’t erased by any such stint. It just doesn’t take 30 days to learn to say, “I’m sorry, I was a complete jerk and there’s no excuse.”

Darrell Hammond not entirely out of ‘SNL’
When the longest-running cast member in “Saturday Night Live” history is missing from the opening credits of the show’s season premiere, as was the case with 14-year veteran Darrell Hammond, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Do we take this as a sign that the master impersonator is leaving?

Reps for the show aren’t commenting either way, but several sources close to Hammond, who appeared in the Sept. 24 episode of “Weekend Update Thursday” say that he shouldn’t be counted out entirely.

“He’s got other things going, he loves the new acting roles he’s landed,” said one source close to Hammond. “He’s interested in pursuing acting more, but he’s loyal to Lorne Michaels, and Lorne will always have a place for him on ‘SNL’ for as long as Darrell is willing to come back.”

Another source said that part of Hammond’s itch to broaden his resume stems from wanting to be known for more than just his impersonations.

“When Darrell looks for roles, he’s looking for things that have nothing to do with being funny. That’s why you saw him in a bad guy role on ‘Damages,’” said another Hammond source. “He’s been doing funny for a long time now, and like anyone who’s been in the same job for a long time, he’s interested in doing something a little different, too.”

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc

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