Celebrities Who Struggled with Cocaine Use

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive substance that is often used for its stimulant effects. Some people use cocaine recreationally for its euphoric qualities. However, cocaine use can have serious consequences, including negative impacts on personal and professional life and long-term health risks. Below is a list of famous people who have shared their experiences with cocaine use.

1. Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato is a singer, songwriter, and mental health advocate who began acting at an early age. Her first major roles were on Barney & Friends and later on the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock franchise.

Lovato has spoken openly about the challenges she has faced, including depression, eating disorders, and substance use involving alcohol and cocaine.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, she said:

“I couldn’t go without 30 minutes to an hour without cocaine, and I would bring it on airplanes… That’s how difficult it got… even with somebody with me—a sober companion watching me 24/7—I was able to hide it from them as well.

Her book, Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year, shares daily affirmations alongside honest reflections on her life and recovery. She also launched the mental health awareness campaign Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health, which helps people find support and resources.

2. Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin is an award-winning screenwriter known for A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network, and Moneyball. He has publicly discussed his experience in recovery from cocaine use.

In 2001, Sorkin was arrested at Burbank Airport for attempting to bring cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia onto a flight.

Reflecting on his experience, he said:

“I had what they call a ‘high bottom.’ My life didn’t fall apart before I got into rehab… But the hardest thing I do every day is not take cocaine. You don’t get cured—you’re just in remission.”

3. Robin Williams

Robin Williams was a beloved comedian and actor known for Mork & Mindy, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Good Will Hunting. Throughout much of his career, Williams struggled with alcohol and cocaine use, which he sometimes referenced in his comedy.

Following the overdose death of his friend John Belushi, Williams stopped using drugs and alcohol, saying the tragedy “scared a whole group of show-business people” and led many to step away from substance use.

After nearly two decades of sobriety, Williams returned to drinking and later entered treatment. In 2009, he underwent heart surgery and later joked that his comedy material drew from “a relapse, three years of heavy drinking, rehab, divorce, and open-heart surgery.”

In 2014, Williams died by suicide at age 63. One month prior, he had entered treatment.

4. Whitney Houston

Grammy Award–winning singer Whitney Houston struggled with substance use for many years. In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, she spoke candidly about her life and challenges, emphasizing that her struggles went beyond drugs alone.

In 2012, Houston drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The autopsy cited heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors, with additional substances found in her system.

5. Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud, the neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, was an early advocate of cocaine during the late 19th century. At the time, substituting one substance for another was considered a treatment approach, and Freud encouraged a friend to use cocaine instead of morphine.

Despite witnessing harmful consequences, including addiction and death, Freud continued to support cocaine use for years. In one incident, he and a colleague nearly caused a fatal overdose in a patient, an experience later reflected in The Interpretation of Dreams.

Freud eventually stopped using cocaine following his father’s death, referring to the period as his “cocaine brush."

6. Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the world’s most prolific authors, having sold more than 350 million books since publishing Carrie. His works include The Shining, It, and Misery.

In a 2014 Rolling Stone interview, King spoke openly about his heavy cocaine use from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s while raising a family and writing:

“Yeah, coke. I was a heavy user from 1978 until 1986.”

He said The Tommyknockers was the last novel he wrote before entering recovery. King later described Misery as a metaphor for cocaine, calling the character Annie Wilkes his “number-one fan.”

7. David Bowie

David Bowie, the iconic singer-songwriter, openly discussed his heavy cocaine use during the early 1970s. He later described that period as one of the darkest times in his life, noting that he remembered very little of it.

Bowie once said he had “found a soulmate in this drug,” acknowledging how it fueled creativity while also taking a significant toll. In a 1975 interview, he reflected on his preference for stimulants, saying he avoided substances that slowed him down.

8. Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson pioneered gonzo journalism and is best known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Originally intended as a short assignment, the project became a defining work shaped largely by Thompson’s substance use.

A 1994 book documenting his daily routine reported that Thompson used cocaine multiple times a day, along with alcohol, LSD, and marijuana.

Thompson died by suicide in 2005, leaving behind a note titled “Football Season Is Over.” His final wish was for his ashes to be fired from a cannon in a private ceremony.

Recovery Is Possible

Stories of public figures struggling with cocaine use remind us that substance use disorders do not discriminate. They can affect anyone regardless of success or recognition. Cocaine use disorder is a medical condition, not a personal failure. With evidence-based treatment, professional care, and peer support, recovery is possible.

Start your search today and connect with compassionate, evidence-based support for lasting recovery.