Days after he stepped down as director of Crown Resorts due to mental health issues, James Packer has checked into rehab and is reportedly “desperate” to reunite with his second ex-wife, Erica Baxter.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the billionaire businessman has “begged” the mother of his children to take him back.

However, friends of the pair say Baxter isn’t looking to reconcile, explaining the former couple’s three children are her number one priority.

“Turning back the clock five years might be what James wants but it won’t help Erica,” the friend told the Daily Telegraph. “She has finally got her life together and has created a stable life in Los Angeles for her kids.

“She doesn’t want to undo the good work she’s done with James repairing the relationship. As platonic friends they are good parents and his children get to see James at his best.”

Packer has reportedly checked into one of the most exclusive psychiatric facilities in the US, McLean Hospital in Belmont, California. His 80-year-old mother Roslyn was seen flying out of Sydney Airport last week to be by her son’s side.