Jamie Guillory, Wife of Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory, Issues Statement After Husband Checks Himself into Rehab

On Monday, the office of Josh Guillory issued a press release announcing that the Lafayette Mayor-President made the decision to check himself into rehab in an effort to seek treatment for possible alcohol addiction and untreated PTSD.

In the release, Mayor-President Guillory said one of his main reasons for seeking treatment was due to the negative impact it was having on some of his most personal relationships, including his family.

In my life, I have handled the most stressful situations imaginable and come out the other side successfully. I have dealt with the stress of looking evil square in the eye and confronting it. I have seen things that people are not meant to see. Over time, those stresses build up. And being a person who has always been the one who takes care of problems, I never asked for help. Instead, I found myself relying on alcohol to ease those pains. Understand that I have never had a drink before or during working hours. But, in recent months I have noticed my growing dependency as soon as the day is over. And while that dependency has not had a direct impact on my duties as Mayor-President, it has begun to negatively impact my interpersonal relationships, especially my family, which is more important than everything else.

You can read the Mayor-President's full statement here, but in the wake of Guillory announcing his decision to seek treatment in a 21-day inpatient rehab program, his wife Jamie is speaking out in support of her husband and thanking those who have reached out to her family.

Let me start by saying thank you to the hundreds of people who have reached out to my family and me with words of encouragement and support. I cannot tell you how much it means to all of us. Our faith is strong, and we know that God is in charge.

I am always proud of my husband. He is an amazing person and a dedicated public servant, but I do not think I have ever been prouder of him than I am right now. Asking for help is hard for anyone, and it is especially hard for Josh. He is always the first to help others. I am proud to stand beside him now and help him.

You can tell a lot about someone when the pressure is turned up. I think that applies now. It is unfortunate that some will try to take advantage of this situation for their political advantage. Times like this will tell you a lot about a person's character.

Thank you all again for your continued support. Our family asks for your continued prayers and for privacy at this time. While we are as anxious to get him back home as you are, we are glad he made this decision and support him 1,000 percent.

The wife of the Mayor-President said she was proud of what her husband was doing to better himself for their family and his career as a public servant.

While she didn't give any specific examples, Guillory did allude that some have taken advantage of her husband's situation "for their political advantage."

In addition to Jamie Guillory, other leaders in our Lafayette community have also made statements showing their support for the Mayor-President's decision to seek treatment including Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber, and both the Lafayette Parish and Lafayette City Councils.

On behalf of both the Parish Council and City Council, we the members extend our best wishes to the Mayor-President on his journey to recovery. We send our heartfelt prayers to him and his family during this difficult time. As to the governance of the City and Parish, in the absence of the Mayor-President, the leadership of the Councils are still in the process of reviewing the applicable provisions of the Charter and will be addressing that matter in the coming days.

While there has been no official word on who will govern the City and Parish in Mayor-President Guillory's absence, leadership on both councils say they will address the matter "in the coming days."