Celebrities Who Are On The Road To Recovery
Being a celebrity means having the public peer into your private life. Paparazzi and social media give us access to every inch of your favorite celeb's life including all their ups and downs. Every night out clubbing or trip to rehab is scrutinized by the public.
For these celebrities, overcoming addiction is an ongoing battle between themselves, their drug of choice and the public eye. Read on to find out which celebrities ended up addicted to dangerous drugs and how they came out on top.
Demi Lovato's Drug Addiction Has Been Highly Publicized
The powerhouse singer is known for being extremely open and honest with her fans about her struggles with addiction. As a teen, she suffered from depression, an eating disorder, and bullying. Lovato chose to begin self-medicating when she was 18 with cocaine and alcohol.
In 2017, she shared that her drug addiction caused her to nearly overdose several times. In July 2018, Lovato was found unconscious after overdosing on oxycodone laced with fentanyl. Thankfully, she survived and is once again battling her addiction.
Eminem Was Two Hours Away From Death
The Detroit rapper has always been candid about his troubled childhood and how drugs and alcohol went hand-in-hand with it. Despite his tough upbringing, it wasn't until he became famous that Eminem turned to drugs and alcohol. By 2006, he was taking 90 pills a day and was addicted to Vicodin, methadone, and Xanax.
One year later, the rapper was admitted to the hospital after overdosing on methadone. The doctors told him he'd taken the equivalent of "four bags of heroin" and that he was "two hours from dying." His 2010 album "Recovery" chronicled his path to sobriety.
Tom Hardy Was "Out Of Control" In His 20s
Just as his career was beginning to take off, Hardy became addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine. He had just starred in Black Hawk Down when he realized that his hard drug habits made him feel "out of control."
Hardy checked himself into rehab during what he called a "particular low point" in his life. He's said he considers himself lucky for not contracting HIV from needles during his addiction.
Lindsay Lohan Thrives Off Addiction And Chaos
In an interview with Oprah in 2013, Lohan confirmed what many people suspected—that she was a drug addict. While Lohan said alcohol was her drug of choice, she also said it led her to try more serious drugs like cocaine.
When Oprah pressed her, Lohan admitted that while cocaine never made her feel good, she liked the "chaos" around her. In 2014 she was seeing a sober coach, but with the launch of her new reality show Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, many people worry she might be back to her old ways.
Fergie Says She "Loved Ecstasy"
Many know Fergie as a solo singer and member of the Black Eyed Peas, but she actually grew up as a child star in Hollywood on the series Kids Incorporated. Fergie blames her early fame as a reason why she turned to drugs. She began using ecstasy and that spiraled to her using other hard drugs like crystal meth.
Fergie has now been sober for more than a decade. While she doesn't like to share her past problems, Fergie also thinks "It's important to talk about it" because it's an "epidemic."
Matthew Perry Would Film Friends Hung Over
Matthew Perry battled his Vicodin, meth, and alcohol addiction for 30 years before finally becoming sober. He famously admitted that while he never showed up to work high, he was "painfully hung over." It was so bad, Perry says he can't even remember three years of filming.
Perry entered rehab in 1997, 2000, and 2001. Since becoming sober, he has been a celebrity spokesperson for drug courts and will often speak in front of Congress advocating for rehabilitating drug addicts.
Mary-Kate Olsen Was The Wild Twin
Growing up as a child star isn't easy and many turn to drugs and addiction as they grow older. Mary-Kate Olsen was no different. She was only a teenager when she began drinking and using cocaine.
To make matters worse, in 2004 Mary-Kate admitted herself into rehab for anorexia and cocaine addiction, and three years later was hospitalized because of it. Luckily, she's cleaned herself up now and retreated from the spotlight to focus on fashion.
Zac Efron's Drug Battle Is "A Never-Ending Struggle"
After rising to fame from High School Musical, the actor admits that he turned to drugs and alcohol to calm his anxiety. What originally began as an addiction to alcohol quickly turned into using cocaine frequently.
Efron checked himself into a program and is still an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Despite his rough time, Efron told E-News he wouldn't take anything back because he "needed to learn" the lessons for himself.
Drew Barrymore Was The Original Wild Child
It can be shocking to find out Barrymore had her first taste of alcohol when she was only 9 years old. When she was 10, she began smoking marijuana. By the time she was 13, she'd graduated on to "heavier stuff like cocaine." Barrymore was frequenting clubs and bars all around Hollywood too.
Barrymore went to rehab when she was 13, then returned again when she was 14 after a suicide attempt. It took until her late 20s for Barrymore to straighten up, revive her career, and live a sober lifestyle.
Nicole Ritchie Turned To Cocaine Because She Was Bored
The adopted daughter of Lionel Ritchie admitted in 2007 that she had seen so much as a kid that she was bored. To waste time, Nicole began using cocaine at age 18 and heroin at age 20.
While Nicole had a support system, she told Good Morning America that it was her decision to go to rehab and get clean. She simply decided that being a drug addict just wasn't the life she wanted.
Macaulay Culkin Went Through A Very Public Rough Patch
In 2004, the child star of the Home Alone franchise was arrested for Xanax and marijuana possession. He originally chose to plead not guilty to the charges, then quickly reversed it. The arrest led many people to question how addicted to drugs Culin was.
In a 2018 Reddit "Ask Me Anything" Culkin admitted that yes, he's tried many hard drugs in his life, but the addiction was "never as bad as people said."
Charlie Sheen Is Still Battling His Addictions
This Hollywood bad boy has lived life in the spotlight since he was a teenager and has tried nearly every drug imaginable while doing it. Sheen began his saga of drug-related charges when he was arrested for marijuana possession at the age of 16.
In 1998, he was hospitalized after overdosing on cocaine. He checked into rehab but it didn't do much, and he's been arrested multiple times since then on drug charges.
Tatum O'Neal Was Introduced To Drugs By Her Parents
Tatum O'Neal appeared in her first film when she was 9 years old and was addicted to cocaine by the time she was 20. She blames her turn to relying on hard drugs on her Hollywood parents.
O'Neal has said her father Ryan O'Neal physically and emotionally abused her which led her to seek out heroin at age 12. O'Neal has tried to stay sober but was arrested in 2008 for drug possession.
Jamie Lee Curtis Stole Alcohol From Relatives
Curtis is yet another actress who grew up in the limelight thanks to her famous parents. That pressure from such a young age led her to seek out something she could control. Curtis became addicted to alcohol at a young age and even stole it from her family members.
While recovering from alcohol addiction, Curtis became addicted to painkillers after undergoing cosmetic surgery. Finally, in 1999, she entered rehab and has remained sober since.
For Edie Falco, Art Imitates Life
This actress began her career in the 1980s and within a decade, she was horribly addicted to alcohol and drugs. Edie Falco admits that it was the scary and dangerous people that came along with addiction that made her seek help.
Falco has been sober since 1999 but that doesn't mean addiction is part of her past. The actress won awards for her portrayal of a nurse hiding alcohol addiction in the HBO show Nurse Jackie. Falco used her past experience to make the role believable.
Jody Sweetin Hid Her Meth Addiction Well
In the Full House star's autobiography, she admitted that she began drinking when she was 14 only a few months after the show ended because she was "bored." Alcohol abuse led Sweetin to try numerous other drugs over the next fifteen years including meth, crack, and ecstasy.
Sweetin even recalled snorting meth moments before hitting the red carpet for the Olsen twins' movie New York Minute. Sweetin is nearly a decade sober but has said that looking back, she hid the addiction so well it wasn't surprising that no one reached out to help her.
Robert Downey Jr. Has Made An Inspiring Comeback From Addiction
Robert Downey Jr. has been drug-free since 2003, but that came after many troubled years. Downey Jr. said that he was "surrounded by drugs" growing up thanks to his father who was also a drug addict. It was his did who gave a six-year-old Downey Jr. marijuana.
After multiple arrests and convictions, Downey Jr. became sober thanks to his wife, therapy, meditation, and yoga. He's one of the few actors who was able to return to stardom.
Johnny Depp Might Not Be Fully Recovered From His Drug Addiction
Depp has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for most of his life. He began smoking cigarettes when he was 12 and quickly turned to alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. It was particularly obvious in the late 1990s when Depp was dating Kate Moss and was co-owner of the Viper Room—the notoriously drug-filled club in L.A.
Depp claimed in 2013 to be alcohol-free but two years later, his ex-wife Amber Heard claimed Depp would become violent after bingeing on drugs and alcohol.
After Trying Them All, Megan Fox Now Hates Drugs
For the Transformers actress, experiencing drug addiction first hand is what made her later speak out against it. Fox openly welcomed trying numerous different drugs including cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and marijuana.
Years later she told Maxim that she's sober after trying "several things" and making "an informed decision." In the same interview, Fox made waves by claimed she's one of the few people left in Hollywood that doesn't abuse any drugs.
Samuel L. Jackson's Family Saved Him From Addiction
Jackson's first drug of choice was heroin. He used the drug almost daily throughout the 1980s and overdosed several times. In the '90s, Jackson swapped out heroin for cocaine thinking it would be safer.
Thankfully, his wife and daughter entered him into rehab. Jackson said that the support from his family is what gave him "a reason to get up and go"every day. The actor has stayed sober since 1991.
Elton John Still Battles The Temptation Of Cocaine
The '70s were a wild time in Sir Elton John's career. Thanks to the pressure of his stardom, he turned to cocaine and also became bulimic. John used cocaine for the rest of the decade until he entered into rehab.
The legendary musician might be going on 30 years sober but that doesn't mean it's been easy. John admits that he can still "smell the cocaine" at parties with drugs and that he has to force himself to leave the room.
Angelina Jolie Tried "Every Drug Possible"
She might be a straight-laced humanitarian now but in her early years, Angelina Jolie was a certified wild child. As a teenager, Jolie faced bullying, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders which led her to turn to drugs. By her own accounts, she's tried "every drug possible" but her favorites were heroin, LSD, and cocaine.
It wasn't until Jolie became a mother and adopted her son Maddox that she quit drugs cold turkey.
Tim McGraw Replaced Drugs With Exercise
The country singer lived a life of partying, drugs, and alcohol until his wife and family helped him straighten out. While McGraw has been coy about exactly which drugs he used, he said they were "chemical" but that there were "no needles or that kind of stuff."
Today, McGraw has chosen to replace partying and drugs with working out. It was only once he saw the effect of his addiction on his family that he realized it was time to straighten out.
Kelly Osbourne Has Been To Rehab Seven Times
Growing up on a reality television show took a toll on Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly. She was 17 when The Osbournes began filming. In the second season, Kelly entered a rehab facility for her addiction to painkillers.
Kelly told Cosmopolitan that since 2004, she's "been to rehab seven times and to two mental institutions." Kelly had managed to fight through the addiction though and is now a fashion analyst for E!
Keith Urban Used Cocaine In The Early Part Of His Career
It was while living in Nashville, Tennessee and recording his first few albums that the country singer became a frequent user of cocaine. The addiction lasted for nearly a decade until 1998 when he checked himself into an addiction treatment center.
Urban married actress Nicole Kidman in June 2006 and in October that same year, he relapsed with cocaine. Since then, he's remained sober and even has a clause in his prenuptial agreement that he can't relapse on drugs.
Scientology Helped Kelly Preston Become Sober
Preston battled addictions to alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, Quaaludes, and cocaine. She began experimenting in her teens and the addiction remained with her during most of her early career.
It wasn't until she left bad-boy actor Charlie Sheen and married fellow Scientologist John Travolta that she got her act together. The "Church" of Scientology drug recovery program helped actress Kelly Preston become sober after years of addiction.
Jada Pinkett Smith Grew Up In A Drug-Heavy Neighborhood
Jada was raised by a drug-addicted mother in Baltimore, Maryland at the height of the crack-cocaine epidemic so it's not entirely shocking that she also became a drug addict. Jada recently opened up on her radio show about her battle with alcohol and heroin.
She recalled drinking bottles of alcohol alone every night. It was only when she was in her thirties that she went to treatment for addiction. Today, she's more than twenty years sober.
Pink Abused And Sold Drugs As A Teenager
She might be a ballad-heavy singer and mom now but Pink was a hardcore partier in her teenage years. Pink says her parent's divorce allowed her to bend the rules and begin frequenting clubs and raves when she was 12 years old.
During that time, Pink was addicted to "all the club drugs" and even began to sell "ecstasy, crystal meth, and Special K." After a nearly-fatal overdose in 1995, Pink claims she's never touched drugs again.
Jane Lynch Was Addicted To Cold Medicine
In her memoir "Happy Accidents" Glee star Jane Lynch admitted to the world that she spend years addicted to marijuana, cough syrup, and alcohol. In one chapter Lynch explained how one night of drinking cough syrup and alcohol all alone forced her to call Alcoholics Anonymous.
The first meeting was in 1992 and Lynch has been sober ever since. Lynch also admitted in the book she was lucky to stop when she did after hearing the horrific stories by others in her AA group.
Naomi Campbell Says Drug Addiction Is Everywhere In The Modeling World
For supermodel Naomi Campbell, her choice in 1994 to begin using cocaine was so that she could stay skinny and have fun. Campbell says that in the modeling world "people just give you anything." She began using more heavily in 1997 when friend and designer Gianni Versace was murdered.
It took five years of cocaine addiction for her to finally enter rehab. Today, Campbell has remained sober by regularly attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
