15 Celebrities Who Have Overcome Addiction and Substance Abuse

20 Aug 15 Celebrities Who Have Overcome Addiction and Substance Abuse

Lights! Camera! Action…

Glitz, Glamour, and limelight are no more just a superficial part of Hollywood but are now serving as its very essence.

And just like that, substance abuse, Hollywood drug parties, and celebrities in addiction recovery have been in limelight, however undesirable it may be for them.

Interestingly, celebrity substance abuse has become more common among Hollywood elites and even social media celebrities.

The biggest names of Hollywood including Bradley Cooper, Justin Bieber, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck are among some of the famous Hollywood drug addicts that became successful.

And much to your surprise, models, and actresses like Eva Mendes and Naomi Campbell are also among the names of some of the female celebrities in recovery.

Dig a little deeper under the surface of glamour and luxury and you’ll find the names of your Hollywood icons on the list of drug addicts.

On the other hand, the number of celebrities who overcame alcohol addiction along with substance abuse is also shocking. 

Adding to this, the celebrities who are sharing their story of recovery and struggle are actually inspiring others to conquer this disease.

Today’s article celebrates these stars.

Right below we’ll talk about some of the famous Hollywood biggies who transformed from being famous crackheads to successful and celebrated icons.

So, here’s the list of some of the celebrities who overcame addiction. Many of them owe their recovery to rehabilitation and supportive friends and family who helped them move on from a difficult phase of their life.

#1. Angelina Jolie

Jolie is a mother of 6 children now and is involved in a number of humanitarian efforts. 

But her teenage and young adult life has been quite a struggle. In an interview, Angelina admitted that she has tried “almost every drug possible.”

“I have done just about every drug possible: cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy, LSD.”

Many don’t know that Angelina has sustained eating disorders and drug addiction during her youth. 

But before filming Tomb Raider, she kicked the bad old habits and continues to fight them.

#2. Demi Lovato

Lovato has always been upfront and honest about her addiction. According to her, she was only 17 when became addicted to alcohol. 

And even though she had quit alcohol at the age of 19, she has had setbacks. 

Along with mental health issues, she first sought treatment for addiction in 2010.

Moreover, Demi has also suffered because of drug abuse and overdose which led to hospitalization in 2018. 

Her addiction was so intense that once she tried to even smuggle it onto an airplane because she couldn’t go more than 30 minutes without it.

She is one of the most celebrated singers and female celebrities in recovery and we wish her a speedy recovery.

#3. Robert Downey JR.

Robert used drugs even before he was a teenager. However, his transition from Hollywood bad boy to international role model has been quite dramatic. 

In nearly a decade, he went from serving jail time to becoming one of the most celebrated superheroes.

In 96, he was first arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded firearm. 

Soon, he again got arrested for trespassing into a neighbor’s home under influence.

Later, after spending some jail time and probation period, he skipped the drug test and was sentenced to state prison in 1999. 

And it doesn’t end here; again after getting released in 2000, he was caught with cocaine and valium. 

Well, that was quite some history. 

But, in 2002, he finally recovered from these habits after spending some time in a state-run rehab facility. 

Fortunately, the iron man found the help he needed and revived his acting career. 

#4. Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck suffered from the worst case of alcoholism. And throughout his

career, he has been very vocal about his sobriety.

Ben admits to being a drinker; however, over time it became more of a habit than an activity.

And soon his condition was out of his hand.

It happened in a way that not even Ben realized that he has become an alcoholic and fought back his family denying he had a problem.

But a family history of alcohol abuse, childhood traumas, and lifelong depression led Affleck into drinking.

The help finally came with support from his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who helped him get his life back on track.

You see, if you have the right people in your life, you can get over this just the way Ben did.

#5. Sir Elton John

After witnessing the death of his close friend Ryan White, a young AIDS activist, Elton addressed his addiction and felt regret about spending a decade (the 1970s-80s) in alcohol and cocaine misuse.

Even though it’s been nearly three decades now, Sir Elton John still admits that the battle for an addict never really ends.

As he told Variety in 2019, “When you come out of treatment, it’s like being reborn. You are so stripped down and completely vulnerable. It’s like starting life over with a new rule book for living.”

Elton went under treatment in 1990 and 2 years later established John AIDS Foundation. 

#6. Samuel L. Jackson

Longtime Hollywood star and an award-winning actor, Samuel L. Jackson has talked about his drug abuse many times. 

He took drugs since his college days and tarnished his body with LSD, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. 

Moreover, it was so bad for him that, once in 1991, his 8-year-old daughter found him unconscious on the bathroom floor.

Jackson credits his wife and daughter for helping him to recover from being a “fu**ing drug addict.”

“[They] put my ass in rehab the next day, and supported me, and pushed me, and gave me a reason to get up and go and chase it day after day.”

Samuel has many times also talked about how recovery from addiction has helped him become a better actor.

He has been sober since 1991.

#7. Matthew Perry 

Perry spent years dealing with addiction and prescription use drug disorder. 

The sarcasm king and America’s best Friends have been fighting addiction off-screen.

After a personal watercraft incident, Perry was under a prescription of a painkiller to which he got addicted. 

It might surprise you that while portraying the hilarious Chandler Bing, Perry entered rehab twice. 

First in 1997 for Vicodin addiction and then in 2001 for Vicodin, amphetamines, methadone, and alcohol.

The sitcom and movie star sought treatment and eventually ran a sober living facility and was later also awarded by The Phoenix House for his contribution. 

Could we be any happier!!

#8. Eminem

The rapper has also been affected by substance abuse.

He says that after using a drug called Ambien in 2002, it stole many years of his memories.

Although it wasn’t easy for him to get sober, after suffering an overdose in 2007, he has been clean. 

He was Not Afraid of Going Through Changes.

According to him, the first month after his rehabilitation was “nebula.” He felt lost and that negatively affected his music. 

He has been extremely vocal about his drug abuse and even named two of his albums after his experience: “Relapse” and “Recovery.”

#9. Johnny Depp

Thanks to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland, Johnny Depp’s renaissance in acting has been impressive.

However, during the 1990s, the actor with his girlfriend Kate Moss was more famous for his Hollywood drug parties. 

They used to spend days partying in NYC and L.A. usually high on Cocaine. 

Depp even co-owned the notorious drug-filled nightclub, The Viper Room, at which actor, musician, and activist River Phoenix fatally overdosed.

#10. Stephen King

While most people abused a couple of drugs, King used a huge cocktail of drugs.

Stephen used a cocktail of cocaine, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil, beer, tobacco, and marijuana to suffice. 

The horror-story royalty and the biggest fame of the thriller genre, Stephen King, has struggled with uncontrolled substance abuse for many years. 

Adding to this, for fueling his late-night writing session, cocaine was his choice of drug, and for keeping his ideas flowing, beer after beer was his method. 

He even used to stuff his nose with cotton balls to stop the blood from dripping onto the typewriter. 

Finally, with friends and family’s intervention, he kicked out the addiction to drugs and alcohol and came out sober.

Moreover, some of his best works, such as 11/22/63, Green Mile, and The Dark Tower came out of his sobriety. 

#11. Oprah Winfrey

Now a household name, Oprah Winfrey once had struggled with cracked cocaine. 

The talk show host, actress, media executive, and philanthropist has enlightened and empowered millions during her time as “Queen of daytime television.” 

This monumental media personality is one of the celebrities who have recovered from addiction to become the tycoon she is today.

During one of the episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1995, inspired by her guest and a mother of four who was speaking about her substance abuse, Oprah admitted struggling with addiction. 

Her substance abuse started when she was involved with a man in her life, and they both used it together.

She calls it her biggest regret and ended the show with a quote that her mentor and famous poet & author Maya Angelou told after hearing about her addiction: “You did then what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better.”

Oprah, after recovering from her addiction, made great progress and later played a key role in the recovery of some of the famous crackheads.

#12. Daniel Radcliffe

Radcliffe has been quite open about his struggle with alcohol. The Harry Potter star was stressed out due to sudden wealth and fame.

He admits to being an alcoholic during the last 3 Potter films. He sometimes turned up on the film sets drunk from the night before. 

Soon the world’s most loved wizard realized that he is turning into something he couldn’t even recognize, and that was when he sought help from his friends. 

After a few attempts, he was finally able to quit it after the last Potter film was wrapped up. 

Daniel found his solution in the healthy habit of walking and breathing fresh air and has been practicing that since 2015. 

Looks like some spells just work!

#13. Drew Barrymore

Actress Drew Barrymore also makes to our list of celebrities who overcame addiction. 

She actually started drinking when she was just 9, used marijuana when she was 10, and cocaine when she was merely 12 years old. 

Moreover, she was in the headlines when she decided to go to rehab at the age of 13, announcing that she is an addict. 

Later at the age of 14, she even wrote a book about her experience called “Little girl lost.”

Barrymore has suffered a lot. Once a famous child artist, she even ended up in a psychiatric ward for 18 months because of drugs and alcohol, was turned up in auditions, and cleaned toilets to make money. 

After recovery, she finally turned things around for herself and started her resumed acting career.

#14. Jamie Lee Curtis

The famous Hollywood actress and children’s books author calls recovery from addiction her single most achievement. 

Jamie Lee Curtis struggled with alcohol and prescribed pills addiction for 17 years. 

Like many others, following her cosmetic surgery, Lee was addicted to the euphoria of the powerful prescribed painkillers.

But after realizing the pain she is causing to her family, Curtis decided to kick the drug habit and adopt a better lifestyle. 

Jamie Lee Curtis sought sobriety with a recovery program and is now helping others.

She now advocates for making changes in the opiate use policy and reducing its misuse. 

#15. Zac Efron

The High School Musical Star is one of the most famous junkies who has successfully recovered from addiction and found sobriety. 

According to sources, HSM alumni were snorting cocaine and dabbling MDMA. 

Just like Sir Elton John, Zac believes that addiction is a “never-ending struggle.” 

However, he also acknowledges that therapy and a strict schedule bring changes for the better. 

In 2013, he went to rehab for both cocaine and alcohol and also joined Alcoholics Anonymous and has been digging into deeper issues.

He now finds himself in the healthiest and happiest place.

“Without those moments where you feel like your lowest, it’s impossible to appreciate the high ones… But I sit here in front of you today much happier and healthier than I’ve probably ever been.” ~Zac Efron

The experiences of these celebrities in addiction recovery demonstrate that even those who have achieved fame and fortune are not immune to the addiction of drugs and alcohol. In fact, they are often more exposed to it.

While these celebrities who have overcome addiction are thankful and now living a healthy life, certain celebrities couldn’t overcome their opioid addiction and ended up losing their lives.

Legendary singer Prince and celebrities like River Phoenix, Mac Miller, and Heath Ledger couldn’t find their recovery and save themselves.

This celebrities rehab list clearly states that addiction to drugs and alcohol is not just confined to street gangs, mafias, and the homeless. 

Drug addiction doesn’t discriminate and has the potential to ruin the lives of anyone, from homeless to big celebrities.

While some of the biggest Hollywood names struggled with drug abuse, most of them sought treatment and overcame it.

These stories of the celebrities who overcame addiction are inspiring as well as a reminder that drug and alcohol addiction can be conquered.

If you are struggling with any such addiction, seek inspiration from these celebrities and get yourself out of this cave.

Choose the path of recovery over relapse!