Former CEO Richard Taite had originally bought a house in Malibu to retire, but he said he decided to build a sober living facility there instead, "to give back.

[7] In November 2018, the Woolsey Fire forced Cliffside Malibu to evacuate 72 patients to a hotel where they continued addiction treatment.

[8] Adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols allowed Cliffside Malibu to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, with residential and outpatient treatment available.

[10] The Verge's disclosure included information that two of these publications, The Fix and Rehab Reviews, were owned by Clean and Sober Media, LLC., which in turn is financially controlled by Richard Taite.

[10] Taite's attorney responded in The Verge piece, saying "Any implication that the content of an editorial review, including its aesthetics, is influenced by whether a treatment center has paid for advertising is false.