Why Howard Stern Fired Artie Lange, Where He Is Now And How They Both Feel Today

From 2001 to 2009, "MADtv" comedian Artie Lange served as the right-hand man of Howard Stern on the latter's radio program. However, after eight years, that partnership came to an abrupt halt, with Lange removed from his No. 2 spot on "The Howard Stern Show." 

Ultimately, Lange's substance abuse proved to be too much for Stern to handle. Though Stern allowed Lange to be an open book on the air regarding his struggle with addiction, his antics — including an in-studio altercation with assistant Teddy Roland — grew steadily darker. Following Lange's suicide attempt and numerous months spent in a psychiatric ward, he was forced to seek comedic work elsewhere.

On his show, when asked by a caller to discuss the situation, Stern expressed his wish that Lange seek help, and not continue to get laughs from his drug-initiated actions. "Artie needs to survive," said Stern (via Entertainment Weekly). "Artie is no longer a sideshow. In my world, Artie can't be a sideshow." In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Lange added that Stern was nervous to bring him back, out of fear he'd relapse. "Howard is afraid he's gonna say the wrong thing and set me off. He's like, 'God forbid something happens.' What happened was real intense," he said.

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At the time of this writing, Artie Lange appears to have gotten his life back on track following a 2019 arrest in New Jersey. This was because he failed to comply with the state's drug court program — which aims to curb criminal activity done under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol — after a 2017 arrest for the possession of heroin and cocaine.

In July 2022, Lange tweeted that he completed the program, much to the excitement of his followers. During a February 2023 interview with New Jersey 101.5, Lange's longtime friend Jimmy Palumbo confirmed that he's still sober, but keeping a low profile. "He's just trying to put it all together right now, get himself healthy, and have a clear mind," he said.

Lange's mother's concern for his well-being was a huge part of his decision to get clean. He told Joe Rogan, "...I thought about her pain and I said, 'I can't do this anymore.'"

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

In 2019, prior to Artie Lange completing New Jersey's drug court program, Howard Stern discussed his former colleague's ongoing addiction battle in an interview with The New York Times. Similar to how he felt after Lange's departure from "The Howard Stern Show," he was still hesitant to have direct contact, out of fear he'd set Lange off. However, Stern cheered him on from afar.

"We've lost touch and that's my doing. I got my fingers crossed for the guy ... I know that a lot of fans want me to talk about Artie and feel it's a cop-out for me not to. I'll take that," said Stern. "I don't want to do anything that would rock his boat. I get sad talking about Artie. He was a tremendous contributor, but we had to move on."

As for Lange, he revealed on "AftershockXL" the same year that he feels terrible for how things went down during his final days on "The Howard Stern Show." For Lange, there are no hard feelings toward Stern for not inviting him back to the radio program. "Howard did nothing wrong," he said. "All Howard did was try to help me..." While Lange added that he intended to call Stern to apologize, it's unclear whether or not that happened.