The actual cause of her death was stated as alcohol intoxication by the medical examiners in her autopsy reports. According to a CDC report, drug overdoses killed 63,632 Americans in 2016. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths (66%) involved a prescription or illicit opioid. Overdose deaths increased in all categories of drugs examined for men and women, people ages 15 and older, all races and ethnicities, and across all levels of urbanization. Dolores O’Riordan was the celebrities who died from alcohol lead singer for the alternative rock band the Cranberries. By the mid-90s, they had reached international stardom with millions of record sales worldwide.

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Alcoholism is more than simply a lack of self control; today, it is considered an all out addictive disorder. In other words, it’s not a bad habit – it’s a disease. His most successful work was his semi-autobiographical road novel, On the Road, which extensively explored what the Beats called “the derangement of the senses”. Veronica Lake, with her iconic peek-a-boo blonde hair, was particularly well-known for playing film noir femme fatales in the 1940s. In real life, her drinking, most likely a form of self-medication for her issues with mental illness, led to her end in 1973 at age 50. Reed got his first significant role in Hammer Films’ Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), again directed by Fisher.

Famous Alcoholics Who Died From Alcoholism

At the same time, she struggled with substance abuse and mental illness. In 2007, she was hospitalized after experiencing an overdose of cocaine, heroin, ketamine, ecstasy, and alcohol. She also admitted to having problems with depression and self-harm. The stories of famous alcoholics we’ve outlined in this article demonstrate the impact that addiction can have on individuals, regardless of their fame, success, or social status. Barbara Payton had a promising career in the 1940s, but her hard drinking led her to lose out on many roles and she later had legal problems over check fraud and prostitution.

Oliver Reed

In 2012 Kinkade ODed from a combination of drinking and diazepam at the age of 54. Probably now known best as Drew Barrymore’s grandfather, John Barrymore was a pioneer in early Hollywood. But the Barrymore family isn’t only famous for acting; they were famous for putting them back, and John was no exception. US Senator Joseph McCarthy was infamous for the anti-Communist House Un-American Activities Committee hearings he led in the 1950s.

• In 1959, under the treatment of a doctor in Canada, Flynn succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 50.
• Ledger unintentionally overdosed on prescription drugs in 2008 and passed away at the age of just 28.
• During the 1940s, she played numerous femme fatale roles with Alan Ladd, which brought her to stardom.
• He suffered a fatal, alcohol-related stomach hemorrhage on Christmas Day, 1946, at the age 66.
• His death underscores the dangers of unchecked alcohol consumption.

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Hopefully, Mac Miller’s death served as a warning to recreational users regarding illicit prescription drugs from untrusted sources. American NFL player, Vincent Jackson died on February 15th, 2021, from chronic alcohol use. In 2012, singer Lana heroin addiction Del Ray admitted that she had started drinking at the age of 14 and that it was the reason why she was sent to boarding school. Eventually, Del Ray checked into rehab at the age of 18 and has been sober ever since. The Hellboy actress, who is also one of the few celebrities diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, has shared the details about her alcoholism in her memoir, Mean Baby. Affleck has credited therapy, medication, and the support of his family with helping him overcome his addiction.

These famous figures sadly couldn’t beat their demons

Known for her fearless songs about urban Africa and her personal life, she passed away in 2004 from a https://ecosoberhouse.com/ cocaine overdose. Fassie had a turbulent personal life filled with stories of drug addiction. According to reports, she was found unconscious at her home by her manager and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Celebrities who have died from addiction

In 1980, Scott passed out in a friend’s car, later dying in the hospital from acute alcohol poisoning at the age 33. Another musician’s death, which left the music industry in a state of mourning, was Steve Harwell. The musician indulged himself in alcoholism at the height of his career and tragically died on 4th September 2023. At that time, he was only 56 years old, and the medical examiners revealed that his demise was the result of his drinking habits. It is not just actors and musicians who get addicted to alcohol, but politicians, too.

• The famous figure regrettably passed away at the age of 49 on 21st April 2018.
• The long-term drinking took its toll, however, and on January 9, 1995, he died from a gastrointestinal haemorrhage, a complication that likely resulted from his years of drinking.
• Probably now known best as Drew Barrymore’s grandfather, John Barrymore was a pioneer in early Hollywood.
• Four years after her rehabilitation, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center, a treatment facility for substance abuse which is operational to this day.

His story is a sobering reminder of the health consequences of alcoholism. McCarthy’s political career and personal life were marred by his drinking habits. His death underscores the dangers of unchecked alcohol consumption. Gerry Rafferty was a Scottish singer and musician, famous for such hits as «Stuck in the Middle with You» (as a member of Stealers Wheel) and «Baker Street». His alcoholism prematurely aged him—he was known to put back two liters a day. Richard Burton was a Welsh actor as famous for his personal life and hard living as he was for his acting.

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Cirrhosis, often linked to chronic alcohol use or hepatitis, doesn’t discriminate, impacting the lives of both music legends and filmmakers alike. We’ve rounded up a list of the most famous celebrities who had cirrhosis. Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday.