Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of ABC's "20/20," is back in a rehab facility, receiving treatment for alcohol dependency, the network announced on Sunday.
Vargas, 51, who spent four weeks in a treatment facility last fall, also sent out an emailed statement saying that while on vacation over the weekend, she had sought help once again. The New York Daily News is reporting that Vargas is in the middle of divorcing her husband of 12 years. Vargas and singer-songwriter Marc Cohn have two children together, and she said this weekend that she was "committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease" and expressed thanks for the support she has received.
I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry
"As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process," Vargas wrote in her statement. "I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry."
The network said in a statement that it stands "squarely behind her" and was focused on Vargas' health.
"We look forward to having her back at ABC News when she feels ready to return," ABC News said.
Vargas is being treated at an inpatient facility, and the length of her stay will be determined by her and her doctors, said a person familiar with the situation.
The person, who wasn't authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.
Vargas acknowledged in an interview that aired in January on "Good Morning America" that she was an alcoholic and that it took years for her to admit it.
She admitted drinking was a "staggering burden" to carry and "keeping the secret and the problem hidden from view was exhausting." She added that she had suffered panic attacks since she was a child.
"I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought, by starting to drink," she said in the interview.
Vargas has worked in network news since 1993, first with NBC and then ABC, which she joined in 1996.
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