Addiction to Adoration: These Stars Struck It Rich After Rehab

Addiction is no joke, whether it’s for narcotics, alcohol, or otherwise. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to succumb to the hardships that the world can throw our way. Celebrities are no different. In fact, their fame and fortune is often the reason that their addictions get so out of control.

Luckily, there are facilities where all addicts can go to overcome their vices and, with a lot of hard work, bounce back someday. That’s exactly what these 5 celebrities did.

Marshall Mathers, a.k.a. Eminem

The revolutionary hip-hop artist, who skyrocketed to fame in the late 1990’s following hit albums like The Slim Shady LP (1999) and The Eminem Show (2002), became famous for rapping about his harsh upbringing. Due in part to that upbringing, Mathers became addicted to a slew of prescription pills and other narcotics. Sadly, the more famous he grew, the worse his addictions got. After a methadone overdose in 2007, followed by another battle with drugs that lead to his 6th album, Relapse (2009), Mathers went to rehab. In 2010, he produced Recovery, an album that was largely about him getting over his troubled life. While Eminem’s fame never really wavered during his time of addiction, his career exploded even further when he finally decided to get clean.

Robert Downey Jr.

Another celebrity who became renowned for reckless partying during his younger years, Robert Downey Jr. has been free of narcotics since 2003, following numerous legal troubles and stints in rehab for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Afterward, the Iron Man star bounced back big time, receiving a full, unconditional pardon for his convictions by the Governor of California in 2015. He credits his wife, Susan, his family, and the study of Wing Chun Kung Fu for helping him defeat his addictions and is now one of the most popular and highest paid actors in Hollywood.

Drew Barrymore

Child stars unfortunately often see their fair share of addiction cases. Drew Barrymore, whose breakout role came at the age of 7 with Steven Spielberg’s E.T. (1982), became one of those stars, battling with drug addiction by age 12. In fact, she was sent to rehab by her 13th birthday. She continued to grapple with her vices throughout her teenage years, during which it became difficult for her to land anymore acting gigs. However, Barrymore fought hard, regained her success and now stars alongside Timothy Olyphant on the hit Netflix comedy series, Santa Clarita Diet.

Gerard Butler

During the filming of Shattered in 2007, Gerard Butler suffered a major back injury that fueled a dependency for prescription painkillers. While he vowed not to let his addiction spiral, his injury started causing him pain again on the set of Coriolanus in 2010. However, when he saw that his need for painkillers was evolving into a serious problem, Butler sought help from the renowned Betty Ford Clinic. Through a combination of rehab, mediation, and sheer willpower, Butler overcame his addictive personality and has never wavered since.

Steven Tyler

The father of another respected Hollywood actor (Liv Tyler), the lead singer of Aerosmith was no stranger to addiction during the band’s rise to fame in the 1970’s. As a matter of fact, Steven Tyler admitted to spending over $20 million on cocaine, heroin, and prescription painkillers throughout his years as an addict. It was his bandmates who finally staged an intervention for him in 1986, persuading him to get clean. While Tyler did drop in and out of rehab, suffering several relapses over more than three decades of addiction, he finally managed to become drug-free in 2009.