Celebs Who Secretly Went To Rehab

The following article includes mention of addiction and mental health.

Despite the glitz and glamour, life in Hollywood comes with its own pressures. Sometimes, even the strongest of stars fall victim to mental health struggles. In 2018, "Keeping Up With the Kardashian" star Kendall Jenner opened up about her struggle with anxiety and how it affected her life. "I have such debilitating anxiety because of everything going on that I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks," she revealed in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. How does she deal with the anxiety? To Vogue, the supermodel credited "[drinking] tea," reading books, and other simple but helpful activities with helping assuage the pressures of her career.

Similarly, former Disney Channel star Lindsay Lohan has openly discussed her years-long struggle with substance abuse, resulting in multiple rehab stints. And even though the actor eventually managed to turn her life around, she has since credited her multiple rehab stays for helping refocus her attention on work. "I look at it as a good thing," she told CNN in 2013. "I can come back afterwards and be fully focused on work." While Lohan and many more stars were open about their rehab visits, some others decided it was best to keep it secret.

In March 2015, Jon Hamm confirmed through his representatives that he had completed a rehab program. As reported by TMZ, Hamm went to a hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut for 30 days before checking out. "With the support of his longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm recently completed treatment for his struggle with alcohol addiction. They have asked for privacy and sensitivity going forward, " his publicist confirmed in the statement.

Though not many details were provided at the time, Hamm would later open up about his time in treatment, revealing his wish to destigmatize going to rehab. "It has all these connotations, but it's just an extended period of talking about yourself. People go for all sorts of reasons, not all of which are chemically related ... And it works. It's great," the "Baby Driver" star noted during a 2016 interview with Mr Porter.

Hamm also attributed much of the success of his treatment to being able to briefly escape from the spotlight. "Recalibrate. Re-evaluate. Just sort of re-establish where you are," the actor recounted to The New York Times in 2017. "You're coming off of this Tilt-a-Whirl that's going 9,000 miles an hour, and so many things have come unfixed ... When you navigate to something that's whirling, it's difficult."

In March 2017, Ben Affleck revealed in a Facebook post that he'd spent time in rehab for alcohol addiction. "I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront," he wrote. "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step."

It was Affleck's second known time in treatment, having previously gone to rehab for alcohol abuse in 2001. While Affleck was open about his stint once it was over, he kept mum about when it began and how long he was actually in rehab — no one had a clue until he made the announcement. In fact, the only inkling that the public had that there may have been an issue was when he was spotted out with a detox nurse in January 2017.

In 2008, Eva Mendes checked into rehab, and to this day, no one is sure why. The ultra-private actor stayed at a rehab facility in Utah, and her rep told TMZ, "Eva has been working hard for the past year and made a positive decision to take some much-needed time off to proactively attend to some personal issues that, while not critical, she felt deserved some outside professional support. Out of respect for Eva's privacy, we do not wish to discuss further details."

Mendes later responded to an interviewer's joke about rehab in a 2008 Interview article (via the Huffington Post), diplomatically clapping back, "I'm not making jokes, because people die from this stuff ... I'm not angry. But because celebrities' lives are so visible, I think it makes it look lighter than it is ... I'm proud of people who have the determination and the fearlessness to actually go and face their demons and get better. This is a life or death situation ... I want to support people for their decisions when they do go in and get help."

She added, "There are so many lies out there regarding my recent trip to Cirque Lodge. But I don't care what people think ... All the stuff that came out a few months ago about substance abuse, there were so many wrong stories. I was so happy about that, because it's when they get the real scoop that would make me really nervous."

Brad Pitt has been open about his past drug use and moving on from it, but sources say that after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from him in September 2016 that he actually got help getting clean for good. "For a long time I thought I did too much damage — drug damage," he told Esquire in 2013. "I was a bit of a drifter. A guy who felt he grew up in something of a vacuum and wanted to see things, wanted to be inspired. I followed that other thing."

After the divorce filing, sources told the National Enquirer (via Radar Online) that Pitt spent time in a pricey sober retreat at the five-star Casa Del Mar resort in Santa Monica, California, and that Pitt even threw a party for his Narcotics Anonymous group during his stay. "Brad's benefitted from the principles and rules that come with dedicated sobriety, and he's found a way to celebrate it, too," a source dished. "His friends have been key in helping him see the positives from clean living ... [He] doesn't want any part of drugs or booze right now; he's dedicated to his children. It's what's best for himself and his family in the long-term and that's a bigger buzz than any cocktail or marijuana joint could provide."

Viewers may have noticed that "20/20" anchor Elizabeth Vargas was missing from her post for a few weeks in November 2013. It turned out, Vargas was in rehab for alcohol abuse, and many of her own colleagues didn't even know. ABC News reported that many of her ABC co-workers were told she was simply on medical leave.

When whispers grew to a dull roar, her camp finally released a statement, telling press, "Like so many people, I am dealing with addiction. I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. And feel fortunate to have recognized it for the problem it was becoming. I am in treatment and am so thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues at ABC News. Like so many others, I will deal with this challenge one day at a time. If coming forward today gives one other person the courage to seek help, I'm grateful."

One Direction was every teenage girl's dream, but life was no fairytale for the members of the famous boy band. In a 2019 interview with Men's Health Australia, Liam Payne opened up about struggling with fame and turning to alcohol to help with the "toxic" pressure of his work. "It's almost like putting the Disney costume on before you step up on stage and underneath the Disney costume I was pissed quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on," he shared.

Following backlash from One Direction fans who criticized him for speaking ill of his former bandmates in 2023, Payne decided to seek professional help. In July 2023, Payne revealed he went to a rehab treatment facility for almost 100 days. "I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn't really recognize anymore. And I'm sure you guys didn't either," he said in his YouTube video.

While Payne's rehab stint helped with the alcoholism, a trip to Dubai gave the singer a much needed epiphany. The singer recounted his decision to put down a drink after realizing it was not serving him. "It's the first time I've ever put a drink down and gone to someone else, 'You finish this, I don't need this right now.' And I haven't picked one up since, which has almost been six months," he continued in the video.

In 2013, TMZ reported that Zac Efron quietly checked into rehab twice that year after struggling with alcohol and drug abuse — and no one was the wiser until that report in September. In May 2014, Efron opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about his battle with addiction.

"No matter who you are, you face challenges growing up," he said. "You go with your things, you learn, you have to. It's impossible to lead an honest and fulfilling life as a man and not make mistakes and 'fess up to them when you need to ... When you have success young, and you accept the good things, you have to accept all of it. You have to accept the moments of glory but also a great responsibility. And that responsibility, to some degree, involves being a role model. At the same time, I'm a human being, and I've made a lot of mistakes. I've learned from each one."

He added, "I was drinking a lot, way too much ... It's never one specific thing. I mean, you're in your 20s, single, going through life in Hollywood, you know? Everything is thrown at you. I wouldn't take anything back; I needed to learn everything I did."

Through the struggle, Efron didn't regret getting help. "I just started going [to therapy] and I think it's changed my life. I'm much more comfortable in my own skin. Things are so much easier now, [but addiction is] a never-ending struggle."

Hayden Panettiere might have appeared to have it all, but behind closed doors, life was not all rosy for the "Heroes" star. In a 2022 interview with People, Panettiere admitted to previously suffering from substance abuse, particularly opioids, which she claims was first given to her as a teenager. "They were to make me peppy during interviews," Panettiere, who worked as a child actor, explained. "I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction." While the actor's opioid use might have gotten off to a slow start, things soon started getting out of hand. "As I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without," she explained.

Outside of opioids, Panettiere also found solace in alcohol, resulting in her years-long struggle with alcoholism. "Some people work out. I wish that was my coping mechanism. "Alcohol might make you feel better in that moment, but it makes you feel so much worse the next day, and then you do it all over again," she told Women's Health in March 2023.

Eventually, Panettiere decided she needed help. In 2015, while filming the fourth season of "Nashville," the actor checked herself into rehab. "I was the one who put myself in the first treatment center. I was drowning," she admitted to the outlet.

In his 2022 memoir, "Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard," Tom Felton opened up about his struggle with substance abuse and his subsequent attempts at getting help. According to the "Harry Potter" star, the alcoholism started while living in Los Angeles in his 20s. "I went from being not particularly interested to regularly having a few pints a day before the sun had even gone down, and a shot of whiskey to go with each of them," he revealed in the book (via People). But the drinking, as Felton says, was only a reflection of his failing mental health.

Eventually, after watching him hit a low point, Felton's loved ones asked that the actor seek out professional help. However, after only a few hours at his first rehab, the actor escaped. For his second attempt, the "Origin" star opted for another facility, but was soon kicked out after he broke the rules by being in a girl's room. "One evening I committed the cardinal sin of sneaking into the girls' house and into her room," Felton wrote (via Page Six).

But while his first two attempts might not have been successful, the actor did not give up. "I can honestly say it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But the very fact that I was able to admit to myself that I needed some help — and I was going to do something about it — was an important moment," he wrote.

Like many child actors, Alyson Stoner struggled with the pressure of being in the spotlight at a young age. Amid the ever-increasing demands of the entertainment industry, Stoner developed an eating disorder and an unhealthy obsession with exercising. Stoner's mental health struggles soon began costing her auditions as directors turned her down. "They would just tell me that I need help and [need] to go home and take care of my health because my eyes were sunken in and I was tired and lifeless," she recounted to People in 2019. 

Stoner opened up about her rehab stint for her disorder, which came after a rigorous process of preparing to audition for the lead role in 2012's "The Hunger Games." Though the role eventually went to Jennifer Lawrence, Stoner was left with the consequences of her intense preparation. "My hair is starting to fall out, my skin is sallow, I'm medically underweight. I feel obsessive about these behaviors, and I really need help," she told Access Hollywood.

Following a 2011 hospitalization, Stoner checked into a rehab facility for treatment. "I had actually wanted to get help for some time, and my schedule didn't allow for it. So I had already needed hospitalization, but I had to complete projects," she explained to People. "The second that I finished the contract, I told my family that I was going." This decision was a turning point in the actor's life as she describes it as "one of the best choices I've made for my health."

Selena Gomez first secretly checked into rehab in early 2014. At the time, her representative insisted to E! News that the singer was not there for substance abuse reasons, but insiders disagreed. A source alleged to Radar Online that Gomez had been "partying very hard" with various substances, including prescription drugs. "Her friends and family became increasingly worried that there might be a serious problem," the source claimed. Others told TMZ that Gomez was seeking treatment for alcohol as well as prescription drug abuse combined with the heartbreak from her split with then-boyfriend Justin Bieber. TMZ reported that Gomez's treatment lasted for two weeks before she was discharged.

In 2016, after canceling more than 30 shows of her world tour, Gomez quietly checked into a rehabilitation center in Tennessee, reportedly to deal with anxiety and depression related to her lupus diagnosis. In February 2018, the singer completed another two-week stint in rehab for depression and anxiety. A few months later, the singer was once yet again admitted to a treatment facility after suffering a panic attack while in the hospital. "She has had a tough few weeks and the panic attack in the hospital was the tipping point," a source claimed to People. 

In a 2022 interview with Vogue Australia, Gomez confirmed that she has been attending therapy, which has helped immensely on her journey to health and sobriety. "Once you understand it, the fear of you admitting that you have something goes away," she posited.

In February 2019, "Jersey Shore" star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro revealed he suffered from depression and alcohol abuse, leading him to seek a 30-day treatment at a facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. "I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter," Ortiz-Magro told US Weekly. "Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didn't want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now — that's happy, healthy, and the best role model for my daughter."

Speaking more about his situation in a 2019 episode of "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation," Ortiz-Margo disclosed that his decision to find treatment came after a fight with his then-girlfriend, Jen Harley. "The last altercation that I got into with Jen, I got hit in the face with an ashtray. Things are just getting so bad that I don't know what to do," he said in a confessional (via People). The reality star then turned to his father for support, who encouraged him to seek rehabilitation. 

In 2022, Ortiz-Margo returned to "JSFV" and divulged that he ended up undergoing months-long inpatient and outpatient treatment. "I had to actually go through it like three or four times," he recounted during the episode (via the Daily Mail).

Demi Lovato has been open about her struggles with bipolar disorder, drug addiction, self-harm, and bulimia, as well as about her 2010 rehab stint. However, Lovato's subsequent rehabilitation stays since her initial check-in to deal with relapses and maintain her well-being have gone under the radar. In 2013, the "Cool for the Summer" singer lived in a sober house, TMZ reported, for more than a year to receive counseling and guidance from professionals in order to remain sober and healthy.

However, despite her attempt at sobriety, things came to a head for the singer in 2018 when she was hospitalized after suffering a near-fatal overdose. "I had crossed a line that I had never crossed ... I had three strokes. I had a heart attack. My doctors said that I had five to 10 more minutes [to live]," Lovato revealed in her 2021 documentary, "Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil."

Her near-death experience ended up not being enough to make Lovato give up alcohol and marijuana, as the singer revealed in a 2021 interview with Glamour that she would not be taking the all-or-nothing sobriety approach. "A one-size-fits-all solution does not work for everybody," she explained. However, in December 2021, Lovato revealed she was going fully sober and was subsequently admitted into a rehab where she completed a short stint.

For "Glee" star Cory Monteith, his drug use ended up being his tragic downfall. After his death in 2013, Monteith's mother revealed to People that the actor was first admitted into a rehabilitation facility at the age of 15, then again at 19. Following his time in treatment, however, the actor fell right back into his struggle with substance abuse.

"I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing," Monteith confessed in a 2011 interview with Parade. "I stole a significant amount of money from a family member. I knew I was going to get caught, but I was so desperate I didn't care. It was a cry for help."

Over a decade later, Monteith tried to get help again. In March 2013, the actor quietly checked into rehab to seek treatment for substance abuse. "He graciously asks for your respect and privacy as he takes the necessary steps towards recovery," his representative told People at the time. Unfortunately, Monteith was ultimately unable to conquer his demons. He died three months later after relapsing, and toxicology reports showed heroin and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.

Philip Seymour Hoffman struggled with taming his substance abuse for decades. The actor first went public with his addiction story during a 2006 interview on 60 Minutes, where he revealed that he had previously been admitted into rehab. "I got sober when I was 22 years old ... I was 22 and I got panicked for my life. It really was. It was just that," he explained. 

Following his first time in rehab, Hoffman maintained 23 years of sobriety until 2012 when he suffered a relapse. According to Hoffman's former partner, Mimi O'Donnell, the actor's relapse started off with alcohol, which eventually led him to drug use. "He started having a drink or two without it seeming a big deal, but the moment drugs came into play, I confronted Phil, who admitted that he'd gotten ahold of some prescription opioids," O'Donnell wrote in her 2017 personal essay for Vogue. 

In May 2013, TMZ reported that Hoffman checked into an East Coast detox facility, checking out 10 days later and getting right back to work on a film set. Unfortunately, in February 2014, the Oscar-winner died from an overdose of cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines.

After almost two decades of sobriety, "G.I. Jane" star Demi Moore suffered a relapse during her eight-year marriage to Ashton Kutcher. "Ashton was enjoying a glass of good red wine when he said, 'I don't know if alcoholism is a real thing — I think it's all about moderation.' I wanted to be that girl ... So I tried to become that: a fun, normal girl," she wrote in her 2019 memoir, "Inside Out"(via Page Six).

In early 2012, Moore was hospitalized after an emergency case of substance abuse. A few weeks later, the actor checked into a rehab center in Utah, where she reportedly sought treatment for addiction and an eating disorder. "It became clear to her that her way of coping with her stress was not working and she needed more help," a source claimed to E! News. A month later, Moore checked out of the facility with E! News reporting that she was on vacation at an undisclosed location. With the release of her 2019 memoir, Moore informed The New York Times that she had maintained her sobriety after that dark period of this, with the help of her two daughters, Rumer and Scout.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, or is in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.