Addiction comes in many forms, like the addiction society has to know every detail about a celebrity’s life. We are addicted to their addictions and find comfort in the fact that these stars are people too, people who like to get drunk and drive, keep the party going with a little cocaine, or even showcase their anger management problems. In some twisted way, it makes us feel better that famous people are flawed, just like us. While they do their darnedest to portray just the opposite, famous people don’t always have their sh*t together. In fact, they rarely do, but their PR teams are on point.
Here we countdown the stars who need to give their PR team a bonus, for they managed to sweep these rehab stints under the rug and quickly refocus the attention with a positive spin. Rehabilitation centers seem to have revolving doors in Hollywood, and if you’re visiting town and dying to see a celeb, post up in front of somewhere like Promises in Malibu and you’re guaranteed a sighting. As time moves on and drug addiction becomes less shocking, a second or even third stint is a great way to get back into the limelight. As crazy as it might seem, some celebs wear their rehab stints like a badge of honor, while others pretend like it never happened. But it did happen, and just in case you forgot, let’s bring it up again. Here are the 13 stars who you forgot went to rehab.
13 Colin Farrell
There’s so many things to love about Colin Farrell, from his incredible talent to his dashing good looks, he seems like a down to earth guy that we all want to hang out with. Sure he has his demons, but don’t we all? Farrell struggled with alcohol abuse for nearly 15 years before checking himself into rehab. What’s the straw that broke the camel’s back? Having his son. He wanted to remember time spent with his son and didn’t want his child to see that dark side of him, and has since been clean and sober. Just when we didn’t think we could love him any more…
12 Ben Affleck
Remember back in the day when Ben Affleck checked himself into rehab? And good for him, because it seemed to stick. Adjusting to new found fame can be difficult (so I’ve heard) but the actor has managed to keep his nose (relatively) clean and continue to churn out blockbuster hits, even with his family history of alcohol abuse. His father was once an alcoholic as well, and after undergoing treatment, now works in a rehab facility helping high profile clients. Whether it was his family’s past issues with alcohol or his own self awareness, rehab may have been a career saving choice for the then young actor.
11 Gerard Butler
Sometimes the fame actors so desperately seek is what leads to their demise. Fortunately for Gerard Butler, that demise was stopped short. After filming the physically demanding movie 300, Butler had a hard time adjusting to life after filming stopped, and turned to prescription pain killers to help get him through. However, while filming a surfing scene for another movie, Butler had a pretty close call with death, nearly drowning after being pinned down by monstrous waves. Again, prescription pain pills seemed to save the day. However, after being unable to kick the habit on his own, Butler checked himself into rehab and spent about three weeks there before coming home a new man.
10 Prince Harry
Prince Harry has always been fighting the "rebellious younger brother" stigma, but is he really all that bad? Sure, he likes to party. What young adult doesn’t? The pressures of society, not to mention the possibility of ruling a country, can be hard to cope with. The Royal Family might have gone a bit extreme however, when they sent the young Prince to rehab after he admitted to smoking marijuana and drinking underage. If that is the qualifier for rehabilitation, all the world would have done a stint. Can a day even be called a stint? Because that’s how long the Prince was there for, one day. Talk about tough love.
9 Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis has been in the entertainment business for years, and that kind of pressure can get to you, especially when you spend most of that career running from your murderous brother Michael. After undergoing surgery on her eyes many years ago, Curtis became addicted to prescription pain pills, going so far as to steal them from family members. Curtis was fortunate in that she recognized this reckless behavior and sought help before it completely destroyed her life and career. She has been clean for more than 15 years now and not only openly discusses her addiction problems, but mentors other celebrities as well. Since getting clean, Curtis has openly shared her prescription pain pill addiction problem and this celebrity has achieved much success in her long standing career but maintains sobriety is her biggest accomplishment.
8 Demi Moore
The strains of Hollywood weigh heavy on every celebrity and some have a harder time coping than others. Not to mention, coping can be difficult when every move you make is photographed. Demi Moore has enjoyed a long successful career, but with that long career comes the added pressure of staying on top of your game. It’s impossible to do, yet celebrities continue to try, pushing their bodies to the extreme. Moore sought treatment for what her PR team claims was exhaustion, but talk of an eating disorder ran rampant. Hopefully Moore learns from this stint and is able to slow down and enjoy her hard earned fame.
7 Kirsten Dunst
Dealing with crazy rumors is the unwanted part of fame that actors have to deal with. The only way to silence said rumors is to come out and discuss something you may have wanted to keep private, but in a celebrity’s world, privacy is an idea, not a reality. When rumors flew about Dunst’s drug and alcohol problem, she initially kept quiet, choosing to focus on herself and her own recovery. It wasn’t until later that she addressed the issues, stating she sought help for depression, not drug problems. Adults have a hard enough time finding themselves in the normal world, add to that being a child actor and growing up to continue that career, and the pressure increases tenfold. Dunst however seemed to get ahead of the problem and come out with an optimistic perspective of life.
6 Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L Jackson doesn’t play around with his addictions. Snorting cocaine like it was the cool thing to do (although in the 90’s it probably was) it all came to a head when he passed out on the floor of his home, leaving his wife to find him the next day. Not wanting his then 8 year old daughter to see him in this state, he went to rehab and kicked the nasty habit. But perhaps it was all for research, for after his release he went on to play an addict in a Spike Lee film. Method acting at it’s finest?
5 Dennis Quaid
Do you think Samuel L Jackson and Dennis Quaid partied together? After all, they had the same drug of choice (although in Hollywood during that time everyone was using, from the key grips to the studio execs). Dennis Quaid has a long history with the drug, snorting from sun up to sun down over a span of nearly twenty years. After a particularly bad bender, Quaid sought help before rehab was the posh thing to do. He’s candid about his experiences now, talking openly about how drugs ran rampant on movie sets in the 70’s and 80’s. Is Dennis Quaid really that old?
4 Michael Douglas
When you’ve been in the business as long as Michael Douglas has, all sorts of rumors swirl about your personal life. When an actor becomes so accustomed to success, it becomes hard for them to hear the word no. Friends, family, and co-workers can all become enablers, especially when there seems to be no shortage of cash. Whatever necessary to keep the talent happy, right? Douglas’ “fun streak” ended in the early 90’s when his then wife urged him to seek treatment. He checked into rehab for drug and alcohol problems, but of course rumors followed, saying it was his sex addiction that needed addressing. Whatever his struggles, Douglas seems to have finally faced them and moved on.
3 Verne Troyer
The actor made famous for his “Mini Me” character has a famous drinking problem as well. After nearly dying of alcohol poisoning back in 2002, Troyer finally sought treatment. Most addicts have to knock on death’s door before realizing they have a problem. While he was on the mend for awhile, he still struggles with his addictive personality and has checked himself into rehabilitation more than once. Addiction of any kind is difficult to kick, but Troyer seems determined this time, completing another rehab stint and opting for outpatient treatment as well. Hopefully he’s able to maintain his new clean lifestyle.
2 Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm has spent years in Hollywood, struggling to get work as an actor and now he’s a household name. This abrupt change can be overwhelming and many find it impossible to deal with, without turning to some sort of substance. After his hugely successful role in Mad Men, Hamm was able to come to terms with the fact that his drinking was out of control, and with the help of family and friends, checked himself into rehab after the series wrapped. He remains quiet on this issue, looking for as much privacy as possible. Don’t worry Jon, rehab isn’t a career killer anymore.
1 James Gandolfini
Sometimes rehab doesn’t quite work the first time around. Many people relapse and treatment becomes an ongoing necessity that can span a lifetime. Unfortunately for James Gandolfini, he was one of those examples. He initially tried to hide his addictions but in Hollywood nothing stays secret for long. The actor did admit to cocaine and alcohol problems and it seems he even checked into rehabilitation although never completed the program. We’ll never know what demons the actor struggled with, as he passed away from a heart attack in 2013, but that hasn’t stopped the media from speculating on how big a factor drugs played in his untimely death.
sources: stars.topix.com, thefix.com
