The life of a celebrity seems perfect on the outside, but we continue to see that this is ultimately false. Demi Moore's recent hospitalization for "exhaustion," a euphemism for cracking under the pressure of fame combined substance abuse, is just another example of that. But as history has shown us, Demi isn't the first woman to struggle under spotlight. Read on for a detailed history of celebrities who have publicly broken down.
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MARGOT KIDDER
When: April 24, 1996
After her role as Lois Lane in the original Superman films, Kidder's career declined while co-star Christopher Reeve's was taking off. Kidder had always struggled with manic depression and paranoia. At one point, she even told a TV crew that she thought her ex-husband hired people to kill her. In 1996, her bipolar disorder reached its peak when she had meltdown in which she chopped off her hair, wandered through hills, and ended up with naked among shrubbery in Glendale, California.
ANNE HECHE
When: August 19, 2000
It's ironic that Heche started her career with an Emmy-winning role in the soap, Another World, given her very public meltdown in 2000. Shortly after splitting with then-girlfriend Ellen Degeneres, Heche was found roaming a rural area in Fresno in nothing but a bra and shorts. She then proceeded to ring a stranger's doorbell, before asking them about a gateway to outer space and whether or not she could use their shower. Heche claims she's always struggled with two personalities, one of her normal self and another named "Celestia," an alien from space who could talk to dead, see the future, and who was Jesus Christ's half-sister.
MARIAH CAREY
When: July 19, 2001
It was Mariah Carey's bizarre appearance on an episode of TRL, where she showed up to the set dressed in nothing but a T-shirt, that let us know she was gone. Later, she stripped down to her tiny shorts and a fitted tank top, handed out popsicles, and then blabbered nonsense like, "All I know is I just want one day off when I can go swimming and look at rainbows and eat ice cream. And maybe like learn how to ride a bicycle." She went on to post strange messages on her website, like, "I don't say this much but guess what, I don't take care of myself." Carey was hospitalized days later for "extreme exhaustion" and a "physical and emotional breakdown," and she stayed under doctor's supervision for two weeks.
TAWNY KITAEN
When: April 2002, November 23, 2006
Known for appearing in Whitesnake videos, Kitaen always had an eccentric personality, which was showcased on The Surreal Life in 2006. By then, Kitaen was already infamous for her 2002 domestic violence charge for beating her then-husband Chuck Finley. In November 2006, she was caught in possession of cocaine and entered rehab. She made another trip to rehab on VH1 reality show, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
When: December 4, 2002
Whitney went from perennial "good girl" to dysfunctional drug addict in the blink of an eye. Despite her enduring career that dates back to the '80s, rumors of her drug abuse with husband Bobby Brown began circulating as she started showing up late to interviews, photoshoots and performances in the late '90s. Her instability would even cause her to lose key gigs, such as a performance at the 2000 Academy Awards. After she got caught with marijuana in her luggage at the airport, Houston gave Diane Sawyer an outlandish interview in December of 2002 during which she famously uttered, "Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." Soon after, she checked into rehab, but couldn't kick the addiction until another stint in rehab in 2011.
NATASHA LYONNE
When: April 19, 2005
Maybe American Pie star Tara Reid took some advice from co-star Natasha Lyonne off-screen as well. As it turned out, the weird redhead from the raunchy teen comedy had a complete mental breakdown in her New York apartment, which she rented from actor Michael Rappaport in the early '00s. Not only did the actress trash her apartment, but she broke into her next door neighbor's apartment, smashed her mirror, picked up her dog and eerily proclaimed, "I'm going to sexually molest your dog." Apparently, the actress had been under the influence of drugs, as she was later forced into a methadone treatment center.
BJORK
When: February 20 2006, January 13, 2008
Bjork has always been a little... off. It wasn't until her Bangkok incident in 1996 that she finally gave someone a piece of her mind. Upon her arrival at the airport with her son, she snapped and attacked a female reporter who expressed the sentiment, "Welcome to Bangkok." Although she later apologized, she reasoned that she was angry at the reporters talking to her young son. But in 2008, another Bjork attack reportedly occurred. This time, she allegedly ripped off a photographer's shirt at a New Zealand airport. No charges were filed.
BRITNEY SPEARS
When: January 3, 2008
No one can forget the time Britney shaved her head and attacked a paparazzo's SUV with an umbrella. We also can't fail to recall the countless nights she was caught partying pantiless with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, the time she drove with her infant son on her lap, and her endless stints in rehab that caused her to lose custody of her children. But the snapshot that encapsulated Spears' entire decline was the one of her being placed in an ambulance, looking frazzled and drained, in front of her own home. Just days into 2008, the star's court-appointed child monitor called the police after failing to give over her boys to Kevin Federline when her visitation hours were over. According to police, Spears had been "under the influence of an unknown substance." She was then tied down to a gurney and rushed to the hospital for a complete mental and physical evaluation.
SEAN YOUNG
When: January 26, 2008
Before the Director's Guild of America awards incident that made her take a long, hard look into the mirror, the Blade Runner actress was already infamous for her wild antics. In addition to crashing a Vanity Fair party in 2006, Young allegedly left a disfigured doll on her ex James Woods' doorstep and dressed up like Catwoman and unexpectedly showed up on set to nab the part. She finally checked herself into rehab after she became so intoxicated at the 2008 Director's Guild of America awards that she spoke rudely to actress Marion Cotillard, audibly sang along to Kristen Chenoweth's performance, and interrupted Julian Schnabel's acceptance speech, before being escorted out of the event.
NAOMI CAMPBELL
When: April 3, 2008
Naomi Campbell is almost synonymous with anger management issues. Between 1998 to 2008, she was accused of battery ten times against everyone from her housekeepers to assistants. The worst seemed to be in 2008 at London Heathrow Airport against two police officers she reportedly assaulted for losing her luggage. She plead guilty to the charge, was sentenced to 200 of community service and is now banned for life from British Airways.
SUSAN BOYLE
When: May 31, 2009
Given all the hype surrounding her miraculous Britain's Got Talent run, Susan Boyle, who wowed with her rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream," seemed like she'd be the sure winner. Unfortunately, that was not the case as Boyle lost to the ten-person dance crew, Diversity. The evening following the announcement, parademics rushed to the London hotel Boyle had been staying at to treat the singer, who was apparently suffering from exhaustion and an emotional breakdown. She was later transported into a private clinic for further evaluation.
COURTNEY LOVE
When: June 27, 2010
Courtney Love's reputation has never been pristine. From drunkenly crashing Madonna's MTV VMA's interview with Kurt Loder in 1995 to publicly disowning her daughter in 2010, Love's issues have always been front and center. Amongst all of the chaotic events in her life, the worst happened during Hole's reunion tour, when she showed up late, stumbled drunk onto the stage with her assistant who was instructed to film her, and had no recollection of how to play her songs. She also hurled racist remarks at audience members. In 2011, Love announced she was tired of her bad reputation and credited Buddhism with helping her kick her drug addiction.
LINDSAY LOHAN
When: July 6, 2010
Lindsay Lohan's slow breakdown has been a buffet for tabloid reporters. From her drunk driving arrests and constant partying to her tree crash and misdemeanor theft case, Lohan hasn't exactly learned from her previous mistakes. Even after being sentenced, Lohan continued to violate her probation and get involved in more lawsuits. Currently, she's being sued by a woman who alleges the actress ran her over. Lohan's lowest point so far has been her court-ordered trip to rehab in 2010, following a stint in jail. That 90-day sentence to jail followed by a 90-day sentence to rehab cemented the fact that Lohan needed serious help.
FANTASIA BARRINO
When: August 10, 2010
It turns out the former American Idol wasn't exactly living the dream. The singer was hospitalized for overdosing on aspirin and sleeping pills, an incident that was ultimately deemed a suicide attempt. At the time, Barrino had been struggling through personal issues, including ther abortion of her and boyfriend Antwaun Cook's baby after finding out he was still married.
DEMI LOVATO
When: November 1, 2010
The pressure of perfection took its toll on the then 18 year-old Disney star when she decided to check herself into rehab. According to sources close to the family, Lovato had been struggling with a bulimia, self-mutilation, and bipolar disorder for some time. The catalyst that finally sent her to seek help was a fight with her back-up dancer on the Jonas Brothers world tour, due to Lovato's suspicion that the dancer had ratted her out to her tour managers for partying. After completing three months in rehab, Lovato returned with the impetus to put forward a more empowered and empathetic image. Recently, some reports have been connecting Lovato's Twitter absence with a possible relapse and return to rehab, which her reps have vehemently denied.
AMY WINEHOUSE
When: July 23, 2011
Arguably the most infamous breakdown in recent history, Amy Winehouse's struggle with drugs and depression caught up with her and ultimately claimed her life last July. Although she had always been dealing with substance abuse issues and eating disorders, it wasn't until 2005 that the public started noticing her decline. She claimed to be a manic depressive and was reportedly using Ecstasy, heroin and cocaine among other drugs. Despite announcing she quit using in 2008 and entering rehab, Winehouse relapsed. Her autopsy revealed her blood alcohol level was five times over the legal drink-drive limit.
DEMI MOORE
When: January 24, 2012
After announcing her split from former husband Ashton Kutcher, Moore's health plummeted. Despite her rep staying that Moore was hospitalized for exhaustion, the leaked audio of her 911 call revealed that Moore had been under the influence of prescription meds and had gone into convulsions after she had "smoked something." According to People, sources say that Moore's collapse had been the result of a "desperation to stay young and skinny." The actress has decided to forego rehab and seek spiritual counseling from Kabbalah for help instead.
