Celebrities Whose Careers Were Ruined by Drug Abuse

Celebrities in drug rehab facilities can be as common tabloid news as UFOs used to be in the 90s. Who’s careers have suffered the most from addiction? How far can the mighty fall?

Mary-Kate Olsen

In the late 90s every little girl knew who the Olsen twins were. Since they’re debut on Full House where they played the adorable Michelle Tanner, it seemed that the girls career had no ceiling. That was until Mary-Kate entered rehab for her cocaine addiction. Since then the twins have stayed out of the spotlight, only occasionally appearing at a movie premier or at a trendy nightclub.

Charlie Sheen

Sheen’s career has never been steady, but in the early 2000s that seemed to be behind him. The actor won several awards for his work on Spin City and was the lead of the hit show Two and a Half Men. After a cocaine incident in a hotel room, he was fired from his show for badmouthing the writers and went on a massive downward spiral filled with online rants and odd statements to the press. While it’s unknown if this was all connected to his cocaine incident, it’s strongly believed that he was still abusing drugs during his rants.

Judy Garland

The star of the classic Wizard of Oz was not without her demons. Garland struggled with barbiturate abuse until her death at 47. It’s wondered if drug rehab centers were more available when she was abusing drugs if she would’ve lived longer.

Robert Downy Jr.

A rising star in the 90s, Downy Jr’s early career was ruined when he was found to be abusing cocaine as well as other drugs. He spent a considerable amount of time in drug rehab before finally putting his life back together and becoming the legendary Iron Man. Downy Jr. is one of the few examples that even after a life of drugs you can clean up and come back stronger than ever.

Joe Meyere is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on Twitter.