Celebrities are well-known figures who are admired by their beloved fans for their extraordinary talent in the glamorous world of Hollywood. But behind this high-profile world of fashion, there’s often a hidden and darker side that involves struggles with drugs, that doesn’t come in the front. Many celebrities have struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol and have also been vocal about it. So, in this article, we will talk about some celebrities and have a look at their lives before and after their struggles with drugs.
Robert Downey Jr
The famous actor, Robert Downey Jr has struggled with substance and alcohol abuse for years. Before getting addicted to drugs, Downey made his debut on stage in 1983 at a Theater Center and the next year, he starred in the film, Firstborn alongside Sarah Jessica Parker. However, from 1996 to 2001, Downey was arrested many times in relation to drugs, and with regular use of it, he became addicted to crack heroin, and cocaine. In 2003, RDJ completed his last rehab treatment and became sober. Since then, the actor has appeared in many shows and films such as the Iron Man film series, the Avengers film series, Chef, Oppenheimer, and many more.
Amanda Bynes
Before getting addicted to drugs, Amanda Bynes was a famous child star who got her big break on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show. However, due to her bad performances in some shows and movies, she got depressed and started doing drugs at the age of 16. The famous actress took a break from her professional career in 2010. After her breakdown in 2014, she entered rehab in 2019 and sought treatment for her addiction. Since then, the Living Proof actress has been receiving treatment on and off for her mental health and addiction. In February 2022, Bynes filed to end her conservatorship, and in 2023, she was scheduled to appear on the All That panel at 90′ Con.
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is one of those celebrities who has battled substance addiction. Before getting used to taking drugs and alcohol, the television personality worked in the real estate industry, and in 2009, he became a part of MTV’s show, Jersey Shore. However, when his struggles with addiction started to rise in 2019, he entered himself into a rehab facility in Florida. He left the facility in February 2019 and became sober. After this, the Jersey Shore cast member won full custody of his daughter and moved to Miami to start a sneaker business.
Ben Affleck
Before becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, Ben Affleck started his professional career as a child actor when he was featured in the show, The Voyage of the Mimi. At a young age, the popular figure started having drug and alcohol problems and it wasn’t until 2001 that he sought treatment from a drug rehabilitation center by following a 12-step program. In 2017 and 2018, he returned to rehab for another treatment. After being sober for a while, he starred in Triple Frontier, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, and many more.
Bam Margera
The talented celebrity, Bam Margera has been vocal about his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and he had a history of substance abuse since his early 20s. In his early career, he made appearances in Jackass: The Movie, Haggard: The Movie, The Dudesons Movie and many more. In 2016, he revealed his struggles with substance abuse while appearing on Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn. After achieving sobriety in 2022, he got featured in Jackass Forever and Humanity Stoked.
Britney Spears
The American singer has struggled with substance abuse for a very long time. Before being open about her struggles, she appeared in many television series, and stage productions and even signed a contract with Jive Records in 1997. However, in 2007, she went to rehab after her meltdown where she shaved her head and attacked a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella. After being sent to rehab several times, Britney has tried being sober for some time. In 2023, she released her memoir, The Woman In Me, in which she disclosed all her life struggles.
Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith is a famous actor who started taking drugs at the age of 13 when he began hanging out with older boys. At the age of 15, his mother sent him to rehab, but after staying there for just one month, he started using drugs again. Cory Monteith started his acting career in 2004 and made appearances in Final Destination 3, Deck the Halls, Whisper, and many more. After being sober for some time, he starred in Glee. However, in 2013, he died in a hotel room after medical officials found traces of morphine, cocaine, and heroin in his body.
Charlie Sheen
The American actor, Charlie Sheen has been open about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and has revealed that he has been sober for 6 years now. Before becoming an addict, the actor starred in Red Dawn, The Rookie, Young Guns, Wall Street, and more. However, in 2011, he was hospitalized for 2 days after partying with porn stars. Also, he has been to rehabilitation centers several times, once in 1998 and then in 2010. Recently in 2023, he appeared in a television series Bookie.
David Arquette
The famous actor, David Arquette is known around the world for starring in Scream as Dewey Riley. The former husband of Courteney Cox went to a rehabilitation center in 2011, after struggling with the issues for a long time. In the same year, David Arquette revealed that he had been sober for over nine months. After overcoming his addiction to drugs and alcohol, he made appearances in Kid 90, Domino: Battle of the Bones, Ghosts of the Ozarks, Quantum Cowboys, and many more.
Eva Mendes
Before becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, Eva Mendes started her acting career by appearing in Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror. In February 2008, she went to the Cirque Lodge Rehabilitation Center in Utah to tackle her addiction to drugs and alcohol. When she went into rehab, her representative said that she had been working hard to overcome her addiction and live her life to the fullest. Since then, she has made appearances in Lost River, Clear History, and Bluey.
Keith Urban
The country singer, Keith Urban struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction in the late 1990s. Before using substances heavily, the famous singer released two studio albums including Keith Urban in 1991 and The Ranch in 1997. In 1998, he entered a rehabilitation center in Nashville and became sober for some time. He again went to rehab in 2006 and revealed that he had completed treatment programs. Since then, he has released studio albums including The Speed of Now Part 1 and High, and has also appeared as a voice actor in Back to the Outback.
Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie was one of those celebrities who started using drugs and alcohol in her teenage years because of boredom. The Simple Life star has revealed that when she was 18 years old, she started taking a lot of cocaine and heroin. Due to her addiction problem, she was arrested in 2003 for the possession of heroin and driving with a revoked license. After becoming sober, she made appearances in Cursed Friends, HouseBroken, Good Burger 2, Summer Camp, and many more.
Demi Moore
The American actress, Demi Moore began her professional life in the 1980s and became famous on daytime television in the mid-1980s. In 1981, she made her film debut and starred in General Hospital, Blame it on Rio, About Last Night, and many more. However, in her 2019 memoir Inside Out, Moore revealed that she sought treatment from rehab in 1985 and 2012. She went to the treatment center following her divorce from Ashton Kutcher. In the 2020s, she appeared in Songbird, Dirty Diana, and Feud: Capote vs The Swams.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore is a multitalented actress who has always talked candidly about her struggles with drugs and alcohol. She began her professional career as a child actress by starring in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Drew Barrymore has revealed in her autobiography, Little Girl Lost, that she began drinking at the age of 9 and smoking pot at the age of 10. At the age of 13, she was sent to a rehab in Los Angeles by her mother and became sober after several stints. Since then, she has appeared in The Stand In, The Drew Barrymore Show, Martha Knows Best, and many more.
Kelly Osbourne
The daughter of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne has always been open about her struggles with alcohol and drugs. She has revealed that her Vicodin addiction turned into a heroin addiction when she was prescribed opioid medication after undergoing tonsillitis surgery at the age of 13. One day, when her mother saw her buying drugs, she immediately sent her to rehab in 2004. After overcoming her addiction issues, she has appeared in Australia’s Got Talent, The 7D, Fashion Police, The Masked Singer, and many more.
Lindsay Lohan
Before getting addicted to drugs and alcohol and having a troubled life, Lindsay Lohan was signed by Ford Models at the age of 3. She stepped into acting as a child actor by appearing in The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday. In 2007, the famous actress checked herself into rehab in Los Angeles after seven car accidents, six arrests, and fourteen days in prison. She had six stints in rehab starting from 2007 to 2012. Since becoming sober, she appeared in Falling for Christmas, Lovestruck High, Irish Wish, and many more.
Elton John
Elton John is a famous singer and songwriter who gained notoriety for his work in the 1970s. Also, he became part of a band named Bluesology in 1962 but left it in 1967 to start his solo career. By 1975, he became addicted to drugs and started consuming cocaine, after his manager John Reid introduced it to him. However, after the death of his friend Ryan White, he checked himself into rehab in 1990 and became sober. Since then, he has released songs including Sacrifice, The One, and Runaway Train. He also wrote songs with Tim Rice for the Disney film, Lion King.
Carrie Fisher
Just a few weeks before her death, Carrie Fisher talked openly about her drug and alcohol addiction. The actress publicly discussed her addictions to cocaine and prescription medications and her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Before this, the actress started her professional career in 1975 by appearing in Shampoo when she was just 17 years old. However, after becoming famous she started taking drugs and overdosed on prescription medicines. After receiving treatment, she appeared in Entourage and was among the performers who were featured in Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne.
Eric Clapton
Before getting addicted to drugs and alcohol in the 1970s, Eric Clapton became part of several different bands such as the Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. However, after achieving notoriety, he got addicted to heroin and later started taking cocaine and alcohol as a coping mechanism. In 1987, he joined a rehab and overcame his addiction. Since then, has has released his studio album Journeymen in 1989, Reptile in 2001, Happy Xmas in 2018, and has collaborated with many singers including J.J. Cale.
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe is a famous American actor who has struggled with an addiction to alcohol and drugs. He has revealed that his addiction peaked in the 1980s when he was filming The Outsiders because, on the set, alcohol was served to underage actors. Rob Lowe began his career at the age of 15 by featuring in the sitcom, A New Kind of Family. After a video of him having intercourse with a young girl went viral, the actor decided to enter rehab and become sober. Recently, Lowe has uploaded an Instagram post, announcing his 33 years of sobriety. In 2024, he appeared in a Hulu documentary titled Brats.
Matthew Perry
Another actor who has struggled with the addiction to alcohol and painkillers was Matthew Perry. The famed FRIENDS actor started his professional career as a child actor in 1979 by appearing in 240-Robert, Silver Spoons, and Charles in Charge. However, in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he mentioned that he started consuming alcohol in his teenage years. Also after a Jet Ski accident, he got addicted to a prescribed medicine named Vicodin. Due to this, he went to rehab and joined a 28-day program. But due to these struggles, he died in 2023 at the age of 54.
Artie Lange
Artie Lange is one of those celebrities who have struggled with drug abuse for many years. In 1987, he began his professional career by doing his first stand-up comedy show in Manhattan. However, when he tested positive for using cocaine twice in two months, he went to a rehabilitation facility in order to overcome his addiction. After spending 7 months and 14 days in the facility, he became sober completely and announced the news through Twitter. Since then, Lange has done several stand-up shows and also appeared on Artie Lange’s Halfway House podcast with Mike Bocchetti.
Amy Winehouse
The famous British singer, started her professional life in 2002 when she signed to the management company of Simon Fuller. In 2005, she went through a troubled period in which she began drinking alcohol heavily and taking heavy drugs. After a reported overdose of heroin, cocaine, and ketamine, the singer was sent to rehab several times. However, after coming back from her last stint in rehab, Winehouse was found dead at her home in July 2011.
Colin Farrell
In 1998, Colin Farrell started his professional career by appearing in the drama series Ballykissangel and made his film debut in 1999. At the age of 14, the actor developed a drinking habit and it peaked to a point where he couldn’t stop. In 2005, he checked into a rehabilitation facility for his addiction to painkillers and drugs. Since leaving the rehab in 2006, Colin Farrell has stayed sober. Also, he has appeared in several shows and movies including Horrible Bosses, The Lobster, Widows, True Detective, and many more.
Demi Lovato
In her YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, Demi Lovato revealed that she started doing cocaine with a couple of friends at a very young age. Also, she revealed that she suffered from self-harm, bipolar disorder, and bulimia nervosa at the age of 18. To overcome all these along with substance abuse, she sought treatment in a rehabilitation facility. In March 2017, Demi Lovato celebrated her five-year anniversary of being sober but in 2018, she relapsed due to an opioid overdose. Since then, she has released two studio albums, Holy Fvck and Dancing with the Devil….the Art of Starting Over.
Zac Efron
The American actor, Zac Efron started his professional career in the 2000s and became famous after appearing in the High School Musical trilogy. When he was transitioning from a child actor to a teenage star, he got addicted to alcohol and drugs and immediately joined a rehabilitation center in 2013. After getting the needed treatment, he became sober in June 2013. Since then, he has appeared in various shows and movies including That Awkward Moment, Neighbors, We Are Your Friends, Dirty Grandpa, Baywatch, and many more.
Steven Tyler
The famous singer, Steven Tyler started his career in the 1970s by being the lead singer of the rock band, Aerosmith. Before joining the band, Tyler struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. In May 2022, the band of the singer revealed that Steven Tyler had entered a treatment facility after ten years of being sober. Also, they revealed that he left the facility after staying there for 30 days. Since then, he has released many songs and albums including I Want You Back with Dolly Parton.
DMX
The American rapper, DMX began his professional rapping career in the 1990s by releasing his first studio album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot with Ruff Ryders Entertainment. At the age of 14, he became addicted to crack cocaine after he was tricked into smoking a cigarette with a drug. He entered rehab several times in the years 2002, 2017, and 2019. In October 2019, he revealed in an Instagram post that he was placing his sobriety first by getting treatment for his addiction. In 2021, after being sober, DMX released his studio album Exodus.
John Mulaney
The famous celebrity, John Mulaney started his professional life in 2004 when he was appointed as an office assistant at Comedy Central. In 2012, while making an appearance on New In Town, the Hollywood figure revealed that he struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and overcame these after entering a rehabilitation facility. He has also mentioned that he has been sober since 2005. Since then, he has worked in The Comeback Kid, Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and many more.
Kit Harington
The English actor, Kit Harington started his professional acting career in 2009 by playing a lead role in the play, War Horse. After getting selected, he played the role of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. However, while appearing on the wellness podcast The Hidden 20%, he revealed that he was addicted to alcohol and drugs and was diagnosed with ADHD while he was in rehab. Since becoming sober, he has appeared in Criminal: UK, Modern Love, Henry V, and Blood for Dust.
Scott Disick
The American socialite, Scott Disick began his television career in 2007 by appearing in Keeping Up with the Kardashians alongside his then-girlfriend, Kourtney Kardashian. However, he revealed that he had been struggling with alcohol and drug abuse for many years and was temporarily sober in 2011. From 2014 to 2020, the famous figure entered rehab several times. Since then, he has worked on The Kardashians and has produced Flip It Like Disick.
Kim Richards
Kim Richards is a multitalented celebrity who is famous for being the cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. While being on the show, it was revealed that she struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Richards began her professional life as a child actress by starring in Nanny and the Professor and Return from Witch Mountain. In 2015, she entered a treatment facility after she was arrested for assaulting a police officer and public intoxication. After her rehab stints, she appeared in Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition.
AJ McLean
Before joining the vocal group Backstreet Boys as a member, AJ McLean started to pursue his career in acting, singing, and dancing. At the age of six, he also became a part of the play, Snow White and the Dwarfs. At the height of his Backstreet Boys career, the musician struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. To overcome this, he had several visits to rehab and has ultimately stayed sober for years now. Since then, he has hosted the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his house and has starred in RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race.
Billy Joel
The American musician Billy Joel started his music career in 1964 and became known for his signature song, Piano Man. The legendary musician revealed that, in 2000 he started to struggle with his addiction to drugs and alcohol because he was in a deep depressive period. To overcome his struggles with alcohol and substance abuse, he entered a rehabilitation facility in 2002 and 2005. After becoming sober, he released the single Turn The Lights Back On in 2024.
Anthony Kiedis
The American musician started his career by working with the band, Red Hot Chilli Peppers in 1983. However, he has revealed that he struggled with cocaine and heroin addiction throughout his life. But after the death of Hillel Slovak in 1988, he decided to get sober and sought treatments from rehab. He relapsed several times but again went to the treatment facilities to get clean. In 2016 and 2022, Red Hot Chilli Peppers released their albums, The Getaway and Return of the Dream Canteen.
Cindy McCain
The American diplomat, Cindy McCain, has always been open about her struggles with painkillers. After undergoing back surgery and rupturing his two disks in 1989, she was advised to take Vicodin and Percocet for her recovery. But while taking these medicines, she got addicted to them in no time and also sought treatments from rehabilitation facilities. Though it has not been revealed what type of treatment she has undergone, but reports have surfaced that she has taken medical help. In 2000 and 2008, she took part in her husband’s presidential campaign.
Chuck Negron
Before the death of Chuck Negron, it was revealed that the famous singer went to rehabilitation centers 37 times because he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. Before going to rehab, he joined Three Dog Night and achieved notoriety in the 1960s and 1970s. Since becoming sober in 1991, he began his solo career by releasing several albums, including Long Road Back, Joy To The World, Am I Still In Your Heart, and many more.
Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman began his professional career at the age of three by making an appearance in a McDonald’s advertisement. Since then, he has appeared in several shows and commercials, including Eight is Enough, Cheers, The Bad News Bears, and many more. However, he revealed that he got addicted to drugs and alcohol after he saw the abuse of his mother. He has gone to rehab several times. Recently, Feldman performed at a punk music festival in Chicago.
Corey Haim
Another actor who has struggled with the addiction to drugs and alcohol was Corey Haim. The Canadian actor made his film debut in 1984 by starring in the film, Firstborn. However, when he was filming The Boys in 1985, he started drinking beer and also tried marijuana. With the regular use of it, Haim got addicted to these and went to rehab 15 times. In 2010, he died at the age of 38 and his death appeared to be an accidental overdose.
Courtney Love
The American singer has a professional career that spans over four decades. In 2004, Courtney Love was ordered to join a rehabilitation center because of her addiction to drug use. Also, she was accused of trying to break into her ex-boyfriend’s house while being overdosed on cocaine. She went to rehab several times and has taken control of her life by being sober. After coming back from rehab, she started a clothing line in 2016 named ‘Love, Courtney’ and also filmed the pilot episode of A Midsummer’s Nightmare.
Daniel Baldwin
The American actor, Daniel Baldwin is the oldest of the four Baldwin brothers. Before becoming addicted to alcohol and cocaine, he started his professional career in 1988 by appearing in the films, Too Good To Be True and Born On The Fourth Of July. However, in 1998, he was arrested for having cocaine in his pocket and running naked. After the scandal, he was ordered to stay in rehab because of his substance abuse. After this, he was also arrested on several occasions for the possession of different drugs. Recently, he has starred in Clean Sweep, Gutter, Bring Him Back Dead, and many more.
Tatum O’Neal
Before getting addicted to drugs, Tatum O’Neal began her professional career at the age of 10 by appearing in Paper Moon, alongside her father Ryan O’Neal. She also made appearances in Little Darlings and The Bad News Bears. However, in 2008, she was arrested for buying crack cocaine near her apartment in New York. Also, she was charged with possession of it because when police searched her, she had two bags of it. After this, she was sent to rehab to overcome her addiction. Since then, she has worked on Not To Forget, Troubled Waters, Runaway Romance, and many more.
