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 Odom, 35, the estranged husband of reality TV star Khloe Kardashian,
on Tuesday was found unresponsive at Love Ranch, a legal brothel in
Crystal, Nevada, by employees who said he had used cocaine and a
sexual performance-enhancing supplement, according to the Nye County
sheriff.
Odom was rushed to the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las
Vegas, which has declined to comment his condition, citing patient
confidentiality.
Media reports, citing unnamed sources, said doctors believe Odom
might have suffered an accidental overdose and a stroke.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Odom's, visited him on Wednesday
and said he remained in a coma.
"He is in a real difficult situation," Jackson told reporters. "We
can only at this time pray for his recovery," he said.
Kardashian was by his side along with friends and family, Jackson
said.
Odom's two children from a previous relationship were also with
their father, according to E!, a celebrity website and cable
television channel.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly
said authorities received an emergency call from panicked brothel
staff, reporting that Odom was unconscious and had blood and a white
substance coming from his nose and mouth.
The staff told authorities that Odom had used cocaine.
"They confirmed his usage on Saturday but were unsure if it had
continued," Wehrly said.
The callers said Odom had taken as many as 10 tablets of a herbal
sexual enhancement supplement, Wehrly said.
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Love Ranch owner Dennis Hof said during Odom's three-day stay he had
taken large amounts of "herbal Viagra," a non-prescription product
which can dramatically lower blood pressure and interact with other
medications.
The former basketball star has been rumored to have struggled with
drug use.
He split with Kardashian in 2013. Their courtship, wedding and
four-year marriage was captured in the television series, "Keeping
Up With the Kardashians" and its spinoff, "Khloe and Lamar."
According to E!, which airs the popular Kardashian reality series,
the couple signed divorce papers in July but are still legally
married until a judge approves them.
A toxicology report on Odom was not complete, the sheriff's office
said on Wednesday.
Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, posted a photo of Odom in his
Lakers uniform on her Instagram account late Wednesday, asking fans
to "please pray for Lamar #ourfighter."
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere Editing by Suzannah Gonzales and
Jeffrey Benkoe)
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