Famous Alcoholics Recovered, in Recovery, or Currently Struggling

celebrities who died of alcoholism

A successful British actor in films and television, Ian Hendry appeared in Get Carter and The Avengers. Turning to alcohol later in life, Hendry suffered a fatal a stomach hemorrhage in 1984. Gene Clark was a gifted songwriter and singer, famous for co-founding the Byrds in 1965. He suffered from anxiety and other possible mental health problems, self-medicating himself with alcohol and drugs.

celebrities who died of alcoholism

Famous people who died of alcoholism

Suffering from chronic insomnia, Ladd would induce sleep with sleeping pills and rye. In 1964, mesclun psychedelic at the age 50, Ladd suffered a cerebral edema caused by an acute overdose of alcohol, barbiturates, and tranquilizers containing depressants. And The Three Musketeers, Oliver Reed was notorious for both his womanizing and his drinking and was known for his binge drinking. In 1999, during the filming of Gladiator, Reed challenged a group of sailors to a drinking contest.

  1. In 1959, under the treatment of a doctor in Canada, Flynn succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 50.
  2. Unfortunately many famous people’s lives have been cut short because of alcoholism, including actors, musicians and athletes.
  3. Never a critical darling, Kinkade sold millions of prints of his work.
  4. It’s a part of who he is, and he’s been sober ever since his family intervention.

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” In other words, there are no stereotypical symptoms of alcoholism. Even being first lady of the United States doesn’t make you immune to alcoholism. Despite being sober, Radcliffe admits it’s not easy to maintain his sobriety at events where there’s alcohol.

Celebrities who have died from addiction

Fisher’s experiences with addiction inspired her to write several memoirs, including Postcards from the Edge, which was later adapted into a film. In doing so, Fisher became one of the first alcoholics in Hollywood to speak openly about addiction and mental health issues, paving the way for others to do the same. His addiction exacerbated his already fragile mental health, leading to episodes of psychosis and hospitalization. Despite attempts at sobriety, van Gogh continued to struggle with addiction throughout his life, which ultimately contributed to his suicide in 1890. Hemingway was an American writer and journalist known for his spare, minimalist prose and his adventurous lifestyle. What is not so widely known about the legendary Hemingway is that he is one of the many famous people who had bipolar disorder, paranoid delusions, and alcoholism.

His most successful work was his semi-autobiographical road novel, On the Road, which extensively explored what the Beats called “the derangement of the senses”. Ryan Dunn was known as one of the daredevil stars of MTV’s Jackass. Well known for his addiction problems, drinking was just one piece of the puzzle. In 2011 Dunn was the driver of a car involved in a fatal car accident. The 50-year-old Sullivan’s Travels (1941) actress passed away in 1973. Her death was caused by severe hepatitis and acute renal damage.

The following table outlines the death of notable celebrities and athletes who have had drugs or alcohol implicated in their deaths. These celebrities illustrate that alcohol is often used to self-medicate — to alleviate life’s stressors. Their honesty about their struggles are both heartbreaking and endearing. You may find some inspiration from celebrities who have publicly solution based treatment talked about these struggles. He is a recovering from alcoholism and has been sober for over a decade.

Famous Alcoholics (Recovered, in Recovery, or Currently Struggling)

But she is also among famous people with mental illness and has spoken quite a lot about her struggles maverick house sober living with anorexia, which she developed in her early twenties. Butler has shared that his addiction started in his early 20s and continued into his 30s. He has spoken about how it affected his personal and professional life, and how it made him unreliable and difficult to work with. In 2012, Butler checked himself into rehab to address his addiction and has been sober ever since. Gerry Rafferty was a Scottish singer and musician, famous for such hits as “Stuck in the Middle with You” (as a member of Stealers Wheel) and “Baker Street”. Born into a working-class family, Rafferty began drinking early in life, a habit that impacted his personal and professional lives.

One of the greatest lessons he’s learned is that he had to want a sober life for himself. And stopping has shown me a world of happiness that I didn’t think was possible.” This is a lesson that we can all learn from Radcliffe. Gram Parsons was a songwriter and musician known for both his solo work and as a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers.

I never would have been able to have the relationships that I do. I never would have been able to take care of my father the way I did when he was sick. So many things.” Cooper’s statements attest to the fact that alcohol affects more than just yourself — it also affects those around you. American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor, Truman Capote died on August 25th, 1984, at the age of 59. The cause of death was liver disease from excessive alcohol intake. British actor known for his role as Jon Snow in the TV series Game of Thrones is one of the many celebrities with depression and alcohol abuse disorder.