“E! News”' Steve Kmetko Disappeared from Hollywood After He Was Fired in 2002 — Here's What Happened

"To say that my life has been a struggle after leaving the red carpets and anchor chair would be understating things," the former 'E! News Live' host said

Steve Kmetko was easily one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood in the '90s.

As the co-anchor of E! News Live alongside Jules Asner, Kmetko was a go-top entertainment journalist in the industry, scoring top interviews with A-list talent and reporting on the sidelines of everything from red carpet movie openings and international film festivals to prestige awards shows, like the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Sharon Stone, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Madonna, Cher, Elton John — he talked to them all, and as a rare out gay man working in the industry at the time, earned praise for being a role model to many. The Ohio native even landed on the cover of The Advocate, and played himself in a memorable scene in 2001's Zoolander.

But then one day, he was gone.

After over two decades of his career working on broadcast journalism, Kmetko was fired from E! in 2002, leaving viewers wondering what happened.

"They refused to let me say goodbye to the audience," Kmetko, 71, said in an episode of his new podcast Still Here Hollywood that released March 25, noting, "I was asked to leave Hollywood 20 years ago. Let's just say it wasn't my choice."

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The candid remarks, told on his podcast to friend and actress Amy Yasbeck, marks the first time Kmetko has opened up fully about his departure from the E! network.

He had hosted the cable channel's signature program since 1994. But during contract negotiations in 2002, Kmetko made a move that he claims cost him everything.

"There was a kid who used to follow me and he created a website for me. It was very well done. And so I would post things on there from time to time, I could respond to viewer’s questions," he explained. "And so when they were renegotiating my contract — and believe me, at the time, I told everybody I had the best job there was; I really loved that job — I put on there, ‘To the viewers out there, if you like my work and want to see me continue, I’d appreciate you writing to management and saying, ‘We like Steve.’ “

Management, Kmetko says, did not like that. Confronted about the post, Kmetko was asked if he has posted the note on a company computer. It was "such a confrontational matter" that Kmetko couldn't remember and said no. But when the IT department discovered he had indeed written it on his work device, he was told it was a violation of "intellectual property" and was let go.

"They said they couldn’t have a newsman...lying like that," recalls Kmetko, adding that he later threw himself on the "mercy of the court" and apologized for his mistake to no avail.

Looking back on it, Kmetko theorized that the network executives used his mistake as an excuse to give him his pink slip.

"My agent was negotiating; my manager. And quite frankly, he was asking for more money than I thought I deserved," Kmetko said, noting the amount was $1 million a year — which, perhaps more the norm now, was not really heard of back in 2002. "One way or another, I felt like they were looking to get rid of me."

PEOPLE reached out to a representative from E! for comment.

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After his exit, Kmetko tried to find work at other entertainment outlets, but was told "over and over again" that he was too closely associated with E! "I could never understand why I couldn’t do the same job someplace else, but maybe that was just an excuse I was being given," he said on his podcast. "Hollywood is rich with excuses."

He did some freelance work for local Fox station KTTV, but to go from entertainment reporting "to suddenly be covering brush fires again was not my thing."

Eventually, his agent said, "'Steve, I got to tell you, you’ve passed your sell-by date.’ "

Kmetko moved back to Chicago because his parents were old and in declining health. He took care of them both in their final years and was there by their side when they died, his dad at 92 and his mom, at 98.

For work, Kmetko got a job at the Apple Store. "I was the oldest salesperson on the floor there. And customers would come up and say, ‘Are you the token old guy?’ I’d say. ‘I guess I am. That’s me,' " he told Yasbeck. "And so I’d sell iPads and iPhones and Macbooks Pros."

Depressed, the journalist "did a lot of self-medicating" with alcohol, cocaine and substances.

"I would stop at the end of a work day on my way home — there was a liquor store I always stopped at — and I’d buy a big bottle of Johnny Walker Black," Kmetko said. "And I’d drink the entire bottle sitting on the edge of my bed. Then I’d wash down a Xanax or a sleeping pill."

"It was such a change in my life, such a big change in my life," he said. "My cousin asked me, ‘Why did you drink so much? Were you drinking to get drunk?’ I said, ‘No, I was drinking to black out. I didn’t want to think about anything.’ "

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He's sober now, recently marking 7 or 8 years. He had 10 years of sobriety before that, but had "started ramping up again" when he moved back to Chicago.

"I'm lucky to be alive," he said, adding that he also survived a stroke in 2022. Though he admitted he's still haunted by his demons. "To this day, I leave my TV on all night long because if I wake up in the middle of the night and there’s no sound, my head starts going."

Still Here Hollywood is a chance for Kmetko to step back into the spotlight again, and reconnect with other stars who perhaps haven't been grabbing headlines as of late. Since launching in February, he’s sat down with Eric McCormack, Brian Dunkleman, Peri Gilpin, Steven Weber, Eric Roberts and Home Improvement stars Debbie Dunning and Richard Karn.

"I’m having a great time doing it because I really missed being here in Hollywood," he said. "I’m glad to be here."

Still Here Hollywood is available wherever podcasts are found.

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