A new biography about George Michael shockingly details the singer’s struggle with dangerous drugs in his final years.

The Wham! frontman’s use of drugs has been public knowledge for quite some time. In 2008, he was arrested for possession of crack cocaine. In August of the next year, Michael was arrested again for another drug related cause — he was driving while under the influence of cannabis and collided with another car.

In James Gavin’s new book, however, he states one of the biggest drugs in George’s life was GHB. The singer’s addiction to the drug goes back many years. In February 2006 he was found “semi-conscious and mumbling” when the police knocked on the window of his car which was “stalled diagonally across a traffic lane”. A search of the vehicle revealed the aforementioned “date-rape” drug was in his possession at the time.

Related: The Wire Star Michael K. Williams’ Fatal Overdose Leads To 4 Arrests

Gavin claims in his new book that GHB is “more addictive than meth” and “riskier in all varieties”:

“For Michael, GHB seemed heaven-sent. Apart from fueling his sexual compulsiveness, it made a depressed and self-loathing man feel attractive; it brought joy where there was little. GHB gave him confidence on Hampstead Heath and with the most intimidatingly sexy escorts. But it also took him to a frightening new level of self-destruction. GHB is more addictive than meth, and riskier in all varieties.”

Such a scary thing to be addicted to…it’s also detailed in the biography that the drug was a big part of George’s on again, off again relationship with Paul Stag — an escort and adult film star who later admitted to supplying him with the substance:

“Michael paid him both for sex and for procuring his new drug of choice: GHB. In text messages, they called it ‘champagne.’”

Stag would allegedly deliver the drug in travel-size shampoo bottles and George would mix it into a glass of soda. He recalls in the book how the drug fueled their very active sex life:

“All of a sudden, Michael would announce, ‘I’m ready now. Let’s go and have sex.’”

The book also references a previous interview with The Sun, where Paul said  in the One More Try singer’s mind “drugs equaled sex and sex equaled drugs”.

In May 2014, George’s struggle with the substance would take a turn for the worse. He was found unconscious in a bathtub from an overdose of GHB — and it wasn’t his first time! Allegedly, he had overdosed on the party drug several times in the past. So sad…

It’s reported that his friends “begged” him to seek help and go into rehab for his addiction, but ultimately his psychiatrist convinced him. According to the new book, Michael stayed at Kusnacht Practice in Switzerland for “the better part of a year”. And it was an extremely costly stay!

“[Kusnacht] was the addict’s equivalent of a five-star continental resort … costing £130,000 upward per week.”

It’s estimated that his entire visit cost 1.5 MILLION pounds! Unfortunately, the rehabilitation didn’t succeed, and George’s “old habits returned” with a relapse in 2016. It’s speculated that his addiction to the drug lead to his death that same year. GHB causes the user to crave fatty foods, which made The Last Christmas singer gain a significant amount of weight. The weight gain caused him to develop liver disease.

Michael was found dead at age 53 in his home by his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz on Christmas Day 2016. It’s determined that he died from heart disease and a fatty liver — in which GHB likely had a hand in causing. Such a tragic situation…

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact SAMSHA’s national helpline for free and confidential assistance at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

[Image via YouTube/George Michael]