Addiction is a problem that affects many people. Drug addiction isn’t really a choice, it’s more like a disease, and once it begins, it can be very difficult to heal. If you or a loved one has ever struggled with addiction, you’re probably aware of just how tough it is to really cure an addiction. However, you’re definitely not alone, millions of people around the world struggle with this issue. In fact, while it may seem like celebrities lead picture perfect lives, many celebrities have also struggled with addiction. Maybe this is because the pressures of fame can become too much. Maybe this is because living life in the spotlight can make you feel more like you’re under a microscope. Or maybe it’s because they’re human, just like us, and the truth is, being rich and famous can’t solve all your problems. Here are 15 celebrities who lost their battles with addiction.
15 Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse first caught all of our attention with her hit single “Rehab.” She had an amazing, bluesy voice, and she was so different from everything else that was on the radio at the time. Winehouse also had a signature look that always made her stand out. That beehive black hair and that wild winged eyeliner was her classic look, and she totally rocked it. However, Winehouse also struggled with substance abuse for many years. She was in and out of different rehab programs for a long time, and her family was always very worried about her. It seemed like nothing could fully heal her issues with addiction, as every time she would come out of rehab, she would end up relapsing again. It was a sad cycle that ended with her death in July 2011. She was found without a pulse at her home in London after dying of alcohol poisoning.
14 Heath Ledger
If you’re a fan of the movie The Dark Knight, you’re certainly a fan of Heath Ledger. His portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight was legendary, and for those moments that he was on screen, he could really fool you into believing that he was a sociopathic villain. We wish that Ledger was still around to wow us with incredible performances, because he nailed it in every single role that he had. Unfortunately, the extremely talented actor died far too young. He was only 28 when he lost his battle with addiction. He stated that while filming The Dark Knight, he began having difficulty sleeping and took medication to help with the problem. But his struggle with insomnia continued, and he could not stop using pills. He was found dead at his apartment in Manhattan in January 2008, and his death was a result of a prescription drug abuse.
13 Cory Monteith
Were you a fan of Glee? When this show first came out, everyone was pretty obsessed with it. All of their covers of classic songs were so catchy, and if you felt like a bit of an outcast at school, you could probably relate to a lot of the characters. Cory Monteith played Finn, a popular football player who also happened to be a very talented singer. Monteith was also dating his costar Leah Michelle, who played Rachel Berry. When Monteith died of a drug overdose in 2013, everyone was shocked. Very few people had known about his struggles with addiction. However, Monteith had dealt with hard substance addiction for years before his death. His issues with substance abuse began at the age of 13, and he checked into rehab for the first time when he was 19. He was only 31 when he died from a combination of drugs and alcohol.
12 Brittany Murphy
If you’ve ever seen the 1995 film Clueless, you probably knew Brittany Murphy as Tai, the adorable new student at Cher’s high school. She also delivered one of the most biting insults of the film. Murphy has gone down in history for this line alone. Her role as Tai in Clueless made her famous, and she went on to land parts in many other popular films, such as 8 Mile and Uptown Girls. Like some of the other stars on this list, Murphy was not abusing any illegal substances. However, we sometimes forget that legal prescription drugs can be just as dangerous if they are used improperly. On December 20, 2009, Murphy collapsed at her home, and then died in the hospital of cardiac arrest. The autopsy revealed that high levels of several prescription and over the counter drugs in her system caused her death.
11 Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was one of the most amazing singers of all time. There’s just no denying it. Her voice was incredible, and she had so many hits and won so many awards throughout her lifetime that her legacy will live on forever. But despite all of her amazing success, Houston had issues with drug addiction. On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The music world and her millions of fans were shocked and saddened to hear of her death, especially since it happened the day before the Grammys. At first, no one really knew what had caused Houston’s death, she had been found submerged in a bathtub, so it was clear that she had drown, but no one knew why. Eventually, the autopsy revealed that she had been using the white stuff shortly before her death, and that the drug was likely what had caused her to drown.
10 Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith was a famous bunny who gave off that classic Marilyn Monroe blonde bombshell vibe. She also modeled for many big fashion companies like Guess and H&M. She was also well-known for marrying J. Howard Marshall, a very rich elderly man. Many speculated that she only married him for his money. On February 8, 2007, Smith was found dead in a hotel room in Florida. Once again, the culprit was not any illegal substances, but prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse is becoming a bigger problem, probably because these drugs are easier to access due to their legality. When one of Smith’s friends found her, he tried to perform CPR to wake her up, but it was useless, she was already gone. The autopsy revealed that many of the drugs she had taken were prescribed to her husband, not her, and she had used a lethal combination of eleven drugs.
9 Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was the original blonde bombshell. She was an iconic actress who captured the world’s attention with her striking appearance and her talent. Although Marilyn died young, she left a legacy, and her iconic images are a feature of pop art. She began as a successful model, went on to become an actress, and made a name for herself as a desired symbol of the decade. She even reportedly had an affair with President John F. Kennedy. But Monroe’s success could not last forever, and she had many demons that she grappled with behind the scenes. She had mental illnesses like depression and anxiety that made life difficult, and to cope, she often turned to drugs. She took her own life on August 5, 1962, by purposefully overdosing on lethal doses of barbiturates. Before her death, she had already been visibly struggling with drug addiction and experiencing severe periods of depression.
8 Prince
Prince had no time for anyone’s idea of what a man “should” look like. He would rock his purple outfits and eyeliner if he wanted to, and the world could not tell him what to do. Prince’s authenticity and uniqueness drew as much attention as his music. To this day, his catchy songs are still all over the radio. Prince inspired many people, especially people who felt like outcasts, and when he died, his enormous fan base was crushed. Before Prince’s death, he had been feeling ill and weak for some time and had been seeking medical help for these issues. Unfortunately, he was not able to beat his illness or his problems with substance abuse. On June 2, 2016, Prince was pronounced dead. The cause of death was an accidental overdose of the drug fentanyl. It is not known whether or not Prince obtained this drug legally or illegally.
7 Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin proved that a girl could show up all the male rockers of the 1960s. When she took the stage, everyone listened. She had a hoarse, bluesy voice like no other, and her signature rock and roll, folksy style caught the attention of millions around the world. She even performed at the unforgettable music festival Woodstock. When Joplin was young, she felt like an outcast and a misfit at school where she was bullied, but when she grew up, she was one of the biggest rock stars in the world. But Joplin also struggled with addiction like many musicians of this day. She was known for being a heavy drug user for her entire life, and this drug was eventually her downfall. Throughout her life, she would swear off the drug, only to end up relapsing again and again. At the age of 27, she died of an overdose.
6 Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was one of the most famous American rock guitarists of all time. In fact, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has described him as the “greatest instrumentalist” in all of rock and roll history. He saw major success in both the UK and the US, and he performed at Woodstock. So you would imagine that his career must have spanned decades in order to earn such accolades. However, this was not the case. Like many other famous rock and roll musicians at the heyday of this era, Hendrix died young. In fact, he died at the same age as Janis Joplin, 27. Hendrix also struggled with drug addiction, and he was a heavy drug user who indulged in all kinds of illegal substances. He even became violent when drinking. He died in London in September 1970. He had overdosed on barbiturates and choked on his own vomit in his sleep.
5 Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison, another great rock musician who died at the age of 27, was known as one of the most influential rock front men of all time. And yes, there is a conspiracy theory about these many great musicians dying at the age of 27, but it is likely just a creepy coincidence. He co-founded the band the Doors, which rose to fame in the summer of 1965. He became one of the biggest symbols of the hippie counterculture movement of the 1960s, and he was seen as an icon for rebellion. He also had several strange nicknames like “The Lizard King” and “Mr. Mojo Rising.” During the 1960s, Morrison developed a dependence on alcohol. Eventually, his addiction began to affect his live performances, and his struggle was apparent to anyone who saw him perform. He died in Paris on July 3, 1971, with suspecting that he drank himself to death.
4 Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the band Nirvana, was known as a symbol of the “grunge” movement of the 1990s, and many saw him as the voice of a generation. Cobain was somewhat uncomfortable with this label, but despite this, millions of young people looked up to him and turned to his music when they needed something they could relate to. Cobain had struggled with addiction for many years before his death. He also said that he struggled to cope with fame, and he did not seem to like living under a spotlight. His marriage to Courtney Love was also often under scrutiny. Cobain also died at the age of 27. The autopsy revealed that he had high levels of hard drugs in his system, but the true cause of death was suicide: he had also shot himself in the head. 23 years after his death, many still love Cobain’s music.
3 Judy Garland
If you’ve ever seen The Wizard of Oz, you probably know Judy Garland as Dorothy, the girl who gets whisked away from her Kansas farm in a tornado and finds herself in the magical land of Oz. Dorothy taught us all that there’s no place like home. While Judy Garland was beloved by her millions of fans, she endured many private struggles and abuse in her personal life. Behind the scenes, she was often depressed and anxious. She married five times, hated the pressures of stardom, and was often put down by film executives who told her that she was chubby and unattractive. Because of this, she often turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. On June 22, 1969, she was found dead in the bathroom of the home she was renting in London after an accidental overdose of barbiturates. Thousands of people showed up to her wake to pay their respects.
2 Philip Seymour Hoffman
You may only remember Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee from The Hunger Games, but this famous actor had many big roles in other films. Hoffman appeared in successful films like Almost Famous, The Big Lebowski, and Twister. He also appeared on stage in plays like Death of a Salesman and earned Tony nominations. But despite all of his successful roles, he had struggled with drug addiction on and off for many years. He was never truly able to kick his addiction. For a few years before his death, he actually managed to stay completely sober, but this did not last. He relapsed in 2013. In February 2014, he was found dead, and it was clear that he had overdosed on hard drugs. Even though he had relapsed in the months prior to his death, many people were still very shocked by his death, and the entertainment world mourned his loss.
1 Elvis Presley
Does Elvis Presley really need much introduction? After all, he was the king of rock and roll. Sometimes, he’s just referred to as “the king.” Even if our generation mainly knows his music because of the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack, your grandparents probably used to own all of his records. He had a provocative style that made him one of the more controversial performers of his day. But like many other rock stars, Presley also dealt with addiction. He had overdosed and survived multiple times before his death, but eventually, his health had begun to deteriorate severely. Between his intense touring schedule, his drug use, and his unhealthy eating habits that lead to obesity, Presley was struggling to perform and get through his concerts. On August 16, 1977, Presley was found unconscious on his bathroom floor and could not be revived. It was a sad day for everyone in the music industry.
