Friends Say Dan Bilzerian is “Distressed” Following Arrest

December 17th, 2014 | by Brian Corlisse

Has Bilzerian buckled under the pressure.

Dan Bilzerian, the poker player and social media entertainer has spoken to People Magazine about his recent arrest at LAX airport.

The son of millionaire corporate takeover specialist, Paul Bilzerian, was charged with possessing bomb-making components and an explosive device just days after he was filmed kicking a woman in the face at a trendy Miami nightclub.

Those two incidents, plus the news that the woman he allegedly kicked in the face, Vanessa Castano, is suing him for $1 million is taking its toll on the 34-year-old.

Bilzerian Talks to People

Following his release from prison late last week, Bilzerian has been keeping somewhat of a low profile (low by his standards).

However, in an effort to give his take on the situation, Bilzerian spoke to People Magazine about how the impending court hearing and a possible six-year prison sentence are taking effecting him.

Claiming that “trashy gossip websites that don’t fact check” are partly to blame for the recent media storm, Bilzerian went on to say that he’s going to give his version of events when the time is right.

“The allegations being made about me are absolutely false. I look forward to shedding light on what happened through proper channels,” Bilzerian told People.com.

Adding to the series of testimonials collected by People, a “friend” of Bilzerian has claimed that he hasn’t been himself since the two incidents.

“The charges have distressed Dan. This is so out of character for him. He just wants to put it behind him,” said the unnamed friend.

Adding to the wave of support for the beleaguered Bilzerian was Brian Hammond whose son has leukemia. According to Hammond, Bilzerian reached out to him and since then he’s become a generous friend.

“He has given us money, has spent time talking to us. At heart, he’s a really good guy,” claimed Hammond.

Reader’s Respond to Bilzerian’s Plight

Although the piece appearsÂ to attempt to evokeÂ sympathy for Bilzerian, a number of the comments following the article have been less than supportive of the wealthy playboy.

However, one ready, ‘Wolly-olly’, was keen to defend Bilzerian and point out that he’s a talented poker player.

“These women are PAID to pose with him. He makes A LOT of money on poker, and that makes him an arrogant ass according to you.

So if he posted a picture where he gave money to charity and saved a puppy, he would be a nice guy,” wrote ‘Wolly-olly’.

Fortunately, for parity’s sake, James Lawson was quick to point out that Bilzerian is actually from a wealthy family and he probably didn’t make all his cash playing against the likes of Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu.

“Have you ever considered his family’s wealth? He didn’t make it all on Poker, sure he made a return from it, but not all of his money is from it,” explained Lawson.

What will happen to Bilzerian when he shows up in court next month to face bomb-making charges is unclear.

However, given that he claims to have won $50 million playing poker this year (at least that’s what he told Howard Stern), it’s likely he’ll be enlisting the services of some hotshot lawyers to help quash any potential prison terms.