Interbent

Celebrities are usually placed on a pedestal by their fans. They believe they have the perfect lives and don’t face the same hardships as everyone else. Unfortunately this is not true; they have self image problems like everyone else, they struggle with depression like everyone else, and they are even bigger target for drug abuse. Their money and fame makes it easier for them to obtain legal and illegal drugs. Some celebrity drug problems are made public when that celebrity attends a drug rehab or they are caught by TMZ acting out. But most of the time we never know until its to late. Below are some celebrities that fell victim to drug abuse.

 

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s death came as a shock to everyone. No one expected the King of Pop (who was prepping for an upcoming world tour) to pass away all of sudden. Many speculations of drug abuse stemmed from his death. Over time, it came out that Micheal’s personal doctor was providing him with IV medications to help him sleep. It was known that Michael had dealt with painkiller addiction since his he was hurt during on a Pepsi commerical shoot in the 90s.

According to a search warrant affidavit released in Houston today, Los Angeles County coroner’s officials found lethal levels of the powerful anesthetic Propofol after examining Michael Jackson’s body. In the warrant, Conrad Murray, MJ’s doctor, told Los Angeles Police Department detectives that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for a number of weeks. Murray stated that he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of Propofol nightly.

According to TMZ, Murray also told detectives that he thought Jackson was developing an addiction and began trying to wean him off the drugs:

The morning Jackson died, Dr. Murray gave Jackson valium at 1:30AM. Murray said the valium didn’t work so he gave the singer an IV injection of lorazepam…Murray told cops Jackson was still awake, so he then gave him midazolam — a sedative. He says at 10:40AM, he administered 25 mg of Propofol. Dr. Murray told cops Jackson repeatedly demanded the drug. Dr. Murray says he noticed that Jackson wasn’t breathing at around 11AM.

Michael Jackson’s death is one of many that occur in America because of prescription drugs. He left behind his three children and millions of fans that cared very much for him.

Bradley Nowell

Bradley Nowell of Sublime, was founded dead from a heroin overdose on May 25th, 1996 leaving behind his son and wife Troy. That morning, Bud woke up to see Brad half in bed, with his feet on the floor. Thinking he passed out drunk, he tried to wake him but noticed a green film around his mouth. The paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead on site.

Sublime was gearing up for their first European tour to promote there first major label debut album when Bradely overdosed. Sublime had struggled to obtain mainstream success, which took a toll on Bradely when they were initially rejected from several major record labels. Bradley had decided to go on a two year heroin “experiment.” He felt the heroin made him more creative and if he was more creative the band would have a better chance at mainstream success. Using that as excuse he became blinded to his growing addiction. Unfortunately, he was never able to see how successful his band would become after their first major label album was released.

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger’s death was a shock to everyone, even his wife. He died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills, which was determined by the New York City medical examiner’s office. In a recently released video of Heath during a SAG awards after party, he is seen sniffing some type of drug off the table and admitting he smoked 5 joints a day for the last 15 years.

CNN Reported:

Ledger had talked about his difficulty sleeping after back-to-back roles as a Bob Dylan figure in “I’m Not There” and the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” part of the “Batman” series that is due out this summer.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” Ledger told The New York Times in November. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.”

Heath left behind his baby boy and his wife. Heath is another celebrity that turned to prescription drugs to help him cope with his workload and constant strees of being a celebrity.

John Belushi

John Belushi, well known for his part in the cult classic Animal House lived life to the fullest. He enjoyed partying, drugs, and woman and spent a lot of money on those vices. Reports surfacing regularly since his death made Belushi out to be a massive user of nearly every kind of abusable substance. Along with heroin and pills, he was frequently seen drunk.

Stanton Peele of the U.S. Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence reviewed Belushi Death in 1982:

“Examining photos of Belushi as a performer in the early seventies, we see that he was not “naturally” fat. Rather he had been putting on weight steadily throughout his career. He fitfully fought against this trend through exercise and diet, and it was his physical trainer who found him dead. Yet he continued to lose the battle of the bulge rather dramatically. Whatever steps to reduce he took were easily undone by his binge eating, often under the influence of drugs.”

Belushi struggled with his self image issues which led him to using drugs to help him forget/cope with his problems. On the night of this death, he suppose to purchase a guitar but instead took the money and purchased a few speedballs (heroin and cocaine mix) and proceeded over to Chateau Marmont.

Upon his arrival with Catherine Smith, Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro joined him in his room for an impromptu party. After the party disbanded he had Catherine Smith inject him with a speedball, a combination of heroin and cocaine. She thought John had passed out, so she left for a while, only to return to find pandemonium had broken out after Bill Wallace, one of John’s friends had discovered his body. John Belushi was found lying naked , in the bedroom of bungalow No3. They tried frantically to resuscitate him but without success, so the coroner was called. Catherine Smith was released after questioning, but then gave an interview to the National Enquirer, admitting that she had injected John Belushi with the speedball. She was re-arrested, and later served time in prison for the administrating of the speedball. (source)

Chris Farley

Chris Farley, another famous comedian that got his start on Saturday Night Live, was well know for his wild and crazy personality and acting style. Before Farley’s death in 1997, his health and appearance had noticeably been declining. He had secretly been dealing with his addiction to narcotics and love for prostitutes during 90’s with many failed trips to rehab. Chris once said, “I have a tendency toward the pleasures of the flesh. It’s a battle for me, as far as weight and things like that.” Belushi and Farley’s death relate in many ways, both faced self image issues and both refused to deal with their problems.

“He spent his final day in 97′ with a hooker called Heidi. Chris hired hookers regularly. Heidi was hired for Farley by a friend for $2,000. She joined Farley at a party in Lincoln Park (in Chicago) at 11 AM. There were drugs going around. Later that day, Heidi took Farley back to her apartment – where they continued to smoke crack and snort heroin. January 2008 Findadeath pal Pete Hertzberg sends this picture, which is most likely the door they used. Chris claimed he’d been up for 4 days, without sleep. They tried to have sex, but Chris couldn’t. Cut to 11 PM – Chris and Heidi were back at his apartment in the Hancock building. She was getting pissed off because she wanted to get paid, and Chris claimed that the friend was supposed to pay her. They supposedly tried sex again, unsuccessfully, and finally at 3am she decided to take off. Farley was clearly inebriated, and as she was leaving his apartment, he collapsed about 10 feet from the door. Heidi claimed she could hear that he was having difficulty breathing. He said to her, “Don’t leave me.” Figuring he had finally passed out, she snapped a photograph of him lying there and then left.Chris Farley’s brother John found him the next afternoon. Chris was still lying 10 feet from the door, wearing sweat pants and an open button down shirt. He was supposedly clutching a baseball cap and rosary beads. There was a blood-tinged fluid coming from his nose, and a white, frothy fluid coming from his mouth.”

Russell Tyrone Jones AKA “ODB”

Old Dirty Bastard (ODB, Big Baby Jesus, Dirt Mcgirt etc.) whose utterly unique rhymes, wild lifestyle and incessant legal troubles made him one of the most vivid characters in hip-hop. Russell Tyrone Jones struggled with drug addiction for many years. ODB spent most of the 1990’s in jail or on the run from the police but was still able to record two great albums. Below is a breif history of his legal troubles:

In 1993, ODB was convicted of second degree assault for an attempted robbery and in 1994, he was shot in the abdomen following an argument with another rapper.

In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay child support for three of his thirteen children. His wife, Icelene Jones, claimed he had not paid any support in over a year.

In 1998, he pled guilty to attempted assault on his wife and was the victim of a home invasion robbery at his girlfriend’s house. He was shot in the back and arm but the wounds were superficial.

In July 1998, only days after being shot in a push-in robbery at his girlfriend’s house in Brooklyn, he was arrested for shoplifting a pair of $50 shoes from a Sneaker Stadium store in Virginia Beach, Virginia, although he was carrying close to $500 in cash at the time. He was issued bench warrants by the Virginia Beach Sheriffs Department to stand trial after he failed to appear in court numerous times. He was arrested for criminal threatening after a series of drunken confrontations in Los Angeles a few weeks later, and was then re-arrested for similar charges not long after that.

In February 1999, he was arrested for driving without a license and for being a convicted felon wearing a bulletproof vest (the first person arrested for this infraction under a new California law). Back in New York weeks later, he was arrested for drug possession of crack cocaine and for traffic offenses. With multiple cases in the past and present, he was arrested with marijuana and 20 vials of crack. After his arrest, ODB reportedly asked the police to “make the rocks disappear”.

In October 2000, he escaped from his court-mandated drug treatment facility and spent one month as a fugitive. During his time on the run, he met with RZA and spent some time in their recording studio. He then appeared onstage at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York swigging a bottle at the record release party for The W, the third Wu-Tang Clan album. In late November 2000 while still on the lam, he was arrested outside a South Philadelphia McDonald’s (at 29th and Gray’s Ferry Ave.), after he drew a crowd while signing autographs. He spent a couple of days in a Philadelphia jail and was later extradited to New York City. A Manhattan court sentenced him to two to four years incarceration. He was finally released in 2003. (source)

Unfortunately ODB’s wild lifestyle would lead to his tragic death in 2004 at the age of 35. According to the NY coroners office, a mix of cocaine and a prescription painkillers caused his death. He was taking prescription pain killers for a broken leg he suffered in Denver a few days before. ODB will always be remember for his wild antics and offbeat rapping style.

Adam Goldstein – DJ AM

Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM a Philly native, started his DJ career in his early twenties. Adam grew up in the suburbs with an abusive, drug addicted father showing him very tough love. His father would die in prison of AIDs serving time for bank fraud. He also battled a crack-cocaine addiction when he was teen and it slowly followed him into his DJ career. At one point in his early twenties he attempted suicide but the gun did not go off. After that incident he found help and focused on his DJing, which helped him to stay sober for the next 11years until his death in 2009.

In August 2008, Goldstein and Blink 182 member, Travis Barker were involved in a leer jet crash leaving from South Carolina. The crash killed both crew members and two other passengers, and critically injured Goldstein and Barker. They were both listed in critical condition but recovered and were released. Many speculations say the tragic flight that he managed survived brought back his crack-cocaine addiction.

Dr. Drew described Goldstein’s sobriety as “solid”, and was a “great inspiration” for those seeking addiction treatment. He then went on to endorse the argument that Goldstein’s PTSD from his recent plane crash played a significant role in his relapse. (source)

Huffington Post describes the scene of his death on August, 2009:

Police found a crack pipe and prescription pills in the Manhattan apartment, said a law enforcement official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Paramedics had to break down the door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweatpants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m

The official cause of death is still to be determined by NY Coroners office.

River Phoenix

River Phoenix was a promising young actor, well liked for his roles in Little Nikita, Running on Empty (in which he was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe), and other early 90’s films. River, had grown up with is parents and 4 siblings who were members of the religious cult, Children of God. They spent most of their time in South American countries picking fruit and spreading their message. In an interview, River mentioned he had lost his virginity at the age of 4 but remained celebut between the age of 10-14. This happened while his family was part of the Children of God, and some sources say his early sexual experience/abuse was a contributing factor to his depression and drug use. River’s drug use and depression was not something he spoke publicy about, his death in 1993 would come as a shock to many. He had been battling depression for a extended period of time prior to his death.

Below is a recount of the night he died:

On October 31, 1993, he collapsed from a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine (speedball) outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partially owned by actor Johnny Depp. His younger sister Rain and brother Joaquin had flown out from Florida to join him at his hotel, Phoenix’s girlfriend Samantha Mathis had also come to meet him and all would be present at the scene of River’s death. On the evening of October 30, River was to perform onstage with his close friend Michael “Flea” Balzary from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At some point in the evening Phoenix went to the bathroom to take drugs with various friends and dealers. It is reported that an acquaintance offered him some Persian Brown (a powerful form of methamphetamine mixed with opiates, which is then snorted) and soon after consuming the drug he became ill. Upon leaving The Viper Room, he collapsed onto the sidewalk and began convulsing for eight minutes. Joaquin dialed 911; during the call Joaquin was unable to determine whether River was breathing. River had, in fact, already stopped breathing.[ Rain proceeded to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, accompanied by Flea, via an ambulance. Further attempts to resuscitate Phoenix (including the insertion of a pacemaker) were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of October 31, 1993.

Anna Nicole Smith

Vickie Lynn Hogan aka Anna Nicole Smith, first gained popularity as Playboy magazine's 1993 Playmate of the Year. Her highly publicized marriage to oil business executive and billionaire J. Howard Marshall, who was 63 years her senior, resulted in tumultuous speculation that she married him merely for his money, which she denied. Following his death, she began a lengthy and ongoing legal battle over a share of his estate. Smith's career and public image subsequently suffered as her weight gain and antics were reported in supermarket tabloids and in her reality television series, The Anna Nicole Show (2002-2004). Her son, Daniel Wayne Smith, passed away five months previous to Anna. According to inside sources, Daniel was her life. She took his passing very hard and found solace in prescription drug abuse.

Her tragic death is documented below:

On February 8, 2007, Smith was found unresponsive in room 607 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.Her bodyguard administered CPR until paramedics arrived and she was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital at 2:10 p.m and pronounced dead on arrival at 2:49 p.m.Ultimately her death was ruled an accidental drug overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate that became increasingly lethal when combined with other prescription drugs in her system, specifically 4 benzodiazepines: Klonopin (Clonazepam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Serax (Oxazepam), and Valium (Diazepam). Furthermore, she had taken Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Topamax (Toprimate), an anticonvulsant GABA agonist, which likely contributed to the sedative effect of chloral hydrate and the benzodiazepines. Although the individual levels of any of the benzodiazepines in her system would not have been sufficient to cause death, their combination with a high dose of chloral hydrate led to her overdose. (source)

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Donald Cobain was the leader of Nirvana, the multi-platinum grunge band that redefined the sound of the nineties. Cobain fell into heroin in the early 90's, he said he used it as a shield against the rigorous demands of touring and to stop the pain of stomach ulcers or an irritated bowel. Cobain claimed that he was "determined to get a habit" as a way to self-medicate his stomach condition. Related Cobain, "It started with three days in a row of doing heroin and I don't have a stomach pain. That was such a relief.

Cobain's parents divorced when he was eight years old, an event which he later said had a profound effect on his life. His mother noted that his personality changed dramatically, with Cobain becoming more withdrawn.In a 1993 interview, Cobain said, "I remember feeling ashamed, for some reason. I was ashamed of my parents. I couldn't face some of my friends at school anymore, because I desperately wanted to have the classic, you know, typical family. Mother, father. I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that.

Through the touring and pressure Cobain continued to write his very personal acutely focused lyrics.Cobain was distressed to find out that what he wrote and how it was interpreted could quite often be miles apart. He was appalled when he found out that Polly a heavily ironic anti-rape song had been used as background music in a real gang-rape.

All of this distress led to his death, documented below:

On March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife on March 3. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol (Love had a prescription for Rohypnol filled after arriving in Rome). Cobain was immediately rushed to the hospital, and spent the rest of the day unconscious. After five days in the hospital, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle. Love later stated that the incident was Cobain's first suicide attempt.

On March 18, Love phoned police to inform them that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love. When questioned by police, Love said that Cobain had never mentioned that he was suicidal and that she had not seen him with a gun.

Love arranged an intervention concerning Cobain's drug use that took place on March 25. Cobain agreed to undergo a detox program. Cobain arrived at the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California on March 30. The following night, Cobain walked outside to have a cigarette, then climbed over a six-foot-high fence to leave the facility. He took a taxi to Los Angeles Airport and flew back to Seattle. Over the course of April 2 and April 3, Cobain was spotted in various locations around Seattle, but most of his friends and family were unaware of his whereabouts. On April 3, Love contacted a private investigator, Tom Grant, and hired him to find Cobain. On April 7, amid rumors Nirvana was going to break up, the band pulled out of that year's Lollapalooza music festival.

On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington home by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system. Apart from a minor amount of blood coming out of Cobain's ear, the electrician reported seeing no visible signs of trauma, and initially believed that Cobain was asleep until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A suicide note was found that said, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were also found in his body. Cobain's body had been lying there for days; the coroner's report estimated Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994. (source)

Mitch Hedberg

Mitchell Lee Hedberg was an stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery. Hedberg's comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes, and observational comedy, mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs. A frequent guest on Howard Stern's morning radio show and "Late Show With David Letterman," Hedberg's résumé also included several television and film roles, including appearances on FOX's "That '70s Show," the NBC comedy series "Ed," and the animated shows "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" and "Home Movies." Hedberg was known to be a drug user, referring to it in some of his jokes ("I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too"). He had long struggled with both alcohol and drug abuse.

Hedberg was arrested for heroin possession in May 2003, after which he returned from a short hiatus to perform on the high-profile Comedy Central Live Tour starring Lewis Black and Dave Attell that September. The 50-plus performances were among the best of his life, but a year later, when he co-headlined a Comedy Central Live Tour with Stephen Lynch, things had deteriorated. Though he began a New York City show by assuring the audience he was "fine, whatever you may have heard," in some cities, Phoenix in particular, he blew his jokes and was unable to do much more than lie on the stage and giggle. "I've definitely learned over the years that you can't do copious amounts of drugs and stay alive," he said earlier that day. "That's not going to happen." Unfortunatly it did, he was found in a New Jersery hotel room.

Hedberg was born with a heart defect for which he received extensive treatment as a child. It was initially speculated that this condition may have played a part in his death until the New Jersey medical examiner's office reported "multiple drug toxicity", in the form of a cocaine and heroin "speedball", as the official cause of death. (source)

If you or someone you know is facing the same problems, please step up and get help before its too late. For more information please check out SAMHSA.gov or DrugFree.org.

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