In the early 1990s, Samuel struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction. According to a 2021 cover story by Vanity Fair, the “Do the Right Thing” actor believed he had his addiction under control, as he always arrived on set with his lines memorized and a willingness to work. Navigating work, family life, and his addiction was all a balancing act, however, which toppled in the summer of 1990.
After a night of partying with a friend, Samuel returned home drunk and passed out on the floor with drugs in his hand. The next morning, LaTanya and Zoe discovered an unconscious Samuel on the floor, and she immediately made the decision to enter him into a rehabilitation center in upstate New York. He stayed in rehab for 28 days, and after finishing the program, he began filming Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever,” which launched his name into the spotlight.
Touching on the impact of his wife on his recovery, Samuel told People in 2022, “She gave me the chance to be the man I was supposed to be.”