Nolte's Drug Past Comes Back To Haunt Him

Nick Nolte's drug past will come back to haunt him in an upcoming lawsuit by the parents of a teenager who claims she was raped at a party at his home in January 2003

Santa Monica, California Superior Court Judge GERALD ROSENBERG has ruled evidence of previous drug and alcohol use by the actor and his son can be included in the case - despite attempts by Nolte's attorney to limit questioning to the events of the night of the party.

The alleged victim claims she was just 15 when she was given date-rape drug GHB and sexually assaulted.

Nolte - who claims he was not home when the party took place - is being sued for negligence, on the basis the home had a "a long history of furnishing drugs and/or alcohol to minors".

NICHOLAS WOODRING - another defendant in the lawsuit - was convicted last year (04) of having sex with a minor.

In 2002 Nolte was caught driving under the influence of alcohol and GHB. He was given three years' probation with orders to undergo alcohol and drug counseling with random testing required.