Why was the White House gatecrasher fired from 'Celebrity Rehab'?

In November 2009, Michaele Salahi and her husband Tareq gained instant notoriety when they somehow managed to crash a White House state dinner and shake hands with the president. At the time, the Salahis were shooting "The Real Housewives of DC" reality show, and the gate-crashing incident was controversially taped and featured on the season finale. Michaele, presumably looking to prolong her 15 minutes of reality TV fame, was set to appear on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab," but she's been fired. Why? Here, a brief guide:

Why was Michaele fired from "Celebrity Rehab"?

It's not clear that she has an affliction suited to Dr. Drew Pinsky's reality show. "The treatment program that 'Celebrity Rehab' documents is intended for individuals with serious substance abuse and addiction issues," VH1 said in a statement to E! News. Professional assessments "found that she did not meet such criteria."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

So she does not have a substance abuse problem?

It would seem not. A source close to the show tells RadarOnline that "Michaele has a ton of issues but she clearly has no addiction issues, whatsoever." Over the weekend, Tareq reportedly told TMZ that his wife's only addiction was "chocolate."

Why was she going on the show in the first place?

A representative for Salahi says she was hoping Dr. Drew would help her deal with "everything she has endured" over the last year. Tareq says he was hoping the doctor would help his wife overcome the fallout from the gate-crashing incident, and a relapse in her multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.

How have the Salahis reacted to the firing?

Tareq and his lawyer have issued a statement saying Michaele was fired because of her health issues, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Sources: E! News, RadarOnline, TMZ