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Typically, when we look at celebrities or just any type of famous person, we imagine that everything should be going smoothly in their lives. They have plenty of money, they have a good job, they aren't lonely, and everything like that — you get the gist.
Until you notice that one celeb can't hide the fact that everything might not be as good as we might think. Whether it's something they say, something they do, or how they look, it just gives away that they're a human, after all. And an imperfect one at that.
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#1
Christina Applegate has shared that she has MS with particularly vicious symptoms that have caused severe physical degradation.
I feel so bad for that poor woman, and I sincerely wish her and her daughter the best.
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#2
Bruice Willis. Losing your mind is probably the worst thing that can happen to you.
Mel in Georgia 1 hour ago
It's a terrible thing to have happen to their family, too. A friend's mom has Lewy Body Dementia and trying to take care of her at home is a nightmare for everyone. It's one of those horrific diseases where d eath would be a blessing for all. As much as we mourn Robin Williams, I can understand why he did what he did.
#3
I think Michael J. Fox is in a lot more pain than he is admitting, judging by recent photos.
Bored Jellyfish 1 hour ago (edited)
Having known someone with early-onset Parkinson’s, MJF’s really managed to live a pretty good and productive life with it for a long time! But yeah, it’s a devastating disease and he knows what’s coming. I can’t imagine how hard that would be.
Typically, when we look at celebrities, we see a polished image of glamour and success – someone that we know is a human, but seems a little bit above the common folk. That’s due to the fact that celebrities tend to build their reputations, or in other words, “brands”, on various attributes that create a whole “myth” about them.
For example, this research proves that famous folks, who convey rather positive attributes like sophistication, competence, sincerity, and excitement, tend to be viewed in a better light.
#4
A few days ago I would have said Liam Neeson. The man said he'd been taking *any* work that came his way in order to not think about his late wife, Natasha Richardson.
However it looks like maybe Pamela Anderson might have had some effect on him and he may have found someone to help with his broken heart...after 16 years I hope so.
#5
Wesley Schultz (lead singer for the Lumineers) told the crowd of over 50k people in Denver last night that his little brother Sam unexpectedly died 9 weeks ago at age 39. Wesley said these last 9 weeks have been the highest point of his life in terms of his career but the lowest point of his life otherwise.
At the same time, those who appear rude or are viewed negatively in any other way might be viewed less favorably. Granted, it should be kept in mind that these aspects vary from field to field – some places might be more forgiving of negative traits than others.
Either way, the fact that celebrities like to present themselves in a certain way still stands. And yet, that doesn’t actually mean that they’re some kind of ethereal being – they’re just people. Each celebrity is still human, even if their status isn’t in any way similar to ours.
#7
Michael Bolton has a glioblastoma, and if you've ever known anyone who has had one, you'll know just how awful it is.
#8
Will Smith. He thinks he's got it well masked, but he's acting bizzzaaaaa!
PrestoChango0804 replied:
He’s acting insane it’s more uncomfortable now than minutes after the slap.
#9
Jojo Siwa, it just seems like she really doesn’t know who she is and is only defining herself by what the people around her want her to be.
SweetCheesySpaghetti 1 hour ago
She is no different than any teen turned young adult, except that she's famous. Everyone expects so much of her, failing to realize that she's no different than we were/are/will be at her age.
That means that they can still struggle with various “human” things, just like us. For example, mental health. Even having fame status or a lot of money doesn’t completely shield anyone from such struggles.
Many celebrities have opened up about their mental health throughout the years. Here, Prince Harry has revealed he has PTSD, which he got after tragic events in his life. He had dealt with grief, panic attacks, severe anxiety, and emotional numbness.
He isn’t the only one who is open about his struggles. Ryan Reynolds has spoken about his “lifelong experience with anxiety,” while singer Demi Lovato has mentioned that she suffered with substances.
#11
Neil Diamond, who is in an advanced state of Parkinson's.
His life was about concerts and touring and he was an amazing performer.
He is still writing music, but it must be devastating for him to have to give up what he loves to do most.
#12
Not sure he’s doing it secretly, Justin Bieber doesn’t look like he’s having a nice time.
KatSaidThat 2 hours ago
Pretty sure if you had his life and then developed a chronic disease, you would also not be having a great time.
Not to mention the cases of celebs suffering from physical issues, too. Like Selena Gomez, who has been very vocal about her lupus diagnosis, which even drove her to need a kidney transplant. Or Gaten Matarazzo, who not only has cleidocranial dysplasia in real life, but represents it on screen by playing Dustin on Stranger Things, who has the same diagnosis.
For many more examples, check out today’s list. It's made of netizens’ opinions about celebrities, whose currently might not be experiencing the best chapter of their lives.
So, as all of these examples show, a whole shining famous person façades might be hiding rather nefarious stuff behind it. Sometimes they hide it so well, it can be hard to believe – but that’s just kudos to the person for managing to hide it so well.
#13
Ariana Grande, she just looks unwell.
salvatore067892 replied:
Back in her earlier days of her music career she used to post a lot on tumblr and would post what she ate daily and it was very disordered and not enough for her at all! (yes she’s petite and petite woman don’t need as many calories but she was a very physically active girl so she would’ve needed more). With that in mind I can’t imagine what her diet looks like now, it’s so concerning.
#14
Sound like Justin Timberlake isn't doing so well.
dmjones6591 replied:
That might just be karma catching up to him
#15
Eric Dane, ALS is one of the worst diseases existent on this planet and based on his interviews it feels like he is really not reconciled with this news, plus he is really young.
I got really sad when I first heard the news of him having ALS, but when I also heard that he's not ready to give up acting and that he just feels so determined to keep on living it really got me depressed.
That’s why many say that while we don’t have to worship celebrities and the ground they walk on, we should still be empathetic towards them. Maybe they once appeared rude, because they were dealing with something behind the scenes, with their mental or physical health, with their relationships, or something else.
Of course, we can hold out on empathy for those who are genuinely terrible people, but for those who are more “neutral” or actually nice, they deserve at least crumbs of compassion.
Do you have any examples you would like to add to this list? You can do so in the comments!
#16
Kanye seems to have some real mental illness and he is so rich when he goes off his meds people can't get him back on because he can just hire goons and anti-intervention himself.
#18
Which Celebrity: Amanda Bynes.
Why do I think this: I've seen vids.
I wish this woman would get the help she needs. My kids used to watch The Amanda Show and she was genuinely funny. She could have been a Kristin Wiig, Vanessa Bayer or Kate McKinnon but the industry messed with her. I'm hoping she gets a comeback if that's something she wants.
#19
Britney Spears. I think it’s been going on for atleast 20 years, and now she’s spiraling. It seems like her mental health is in the toilet, and she can’t really trust anyone around her. Not even her family. It’s a very sad situation, and I hope she gets the help she needs.
#20
Jimmy Fallon. Hard take but I can’t believe this guy is doing well. Something just seems off.
SweetCheesySpaghetti 1 hour ago
His eyes have lost their sparkle. The past few years I feel like he's just been faking it.
#21
Elon musk really has to be severely unhappy.
Jolly-Minimum-6641 replied:
Absolutely. There is not much further he can go, not much more he can really do.
When you have infinite money and have basically completed life, what else is there? His family situation seems to be very chaotic and unhappy as well.
Apatheist Account2 33 minutes ago
Philanthropy? Try to solve a problem like water poverty, lack of medicines, animal a***e, homelessness...the list is endless.
#22
Michael Schumacher, after that skiing accident he just completely vanished from public life. He must be in such an awful state.
KatSaidThat 1 hour ago
He didn't just vanish. We know where he is; we know slightly what his state is. We also know that they have strived to keep it in the family and that should be all we need to know instead of vulturing for details.
#23
KIM KARDASHIAN. She has realized that she’s no longer the *it* girl and has to make way for Sydney Sweeney. Kim had a full-blown meltdown at Jeff Bezos’ wedding over Sydney getting all of the attention.
#24
The cast of any new Marvel movie during shooting. They have to look like super heroes. They do weight cuts like UFC fighters for some scenes.
#25
Lewis Hamilton. Not a fan of the guy really but an f1 fan. He was so hard on himself yesterday, it was awful to see.
anon replied:
He's probably heard that it was just the team and the car that made him a winner when he was with Mercedes a million and one times. I could see that getting to him. He is talented so I hope he doesn't end up leaving F1 on a low note.
#26
Post Malone looks like he hates himself and being a BudLight spokesman on top of appearing to have an alcohol problem probably not a great idea.
#27
Emma Watson. There just sometimes seems to be a sadness about her. I don't know why, and if I did it wouldn't be secret.
Apatheist Account2 32 minutes ago
Maybe she's wondering if backing the trans cause was such a good idea.
#28
I often think about Owen Wilson and hope he's doing ok.
anon replied:
Every time I see him, I just think of the fact that he has a daughter who, while reportedly doing everything legally necessary (i.e. paying child support), he made a decision to not have anything to do with her life. At the time when I read about it a few years ago, he'd refused to ever meet her, his other kids have never met her, and his family has never met her. It'll suck for her to grow up knowing that your dad did everything to make sure you would never touch his life.
And yes, I'm aware that the mom (allegedly) lied about being on birth control or something like that when he said he didn't want more kids, but still, the kid isn't at fault.
#29
Sharon Osborne…🙁
SilverDarner replied:
Seeing the footage of her through the memorial, I have a bad feeling she’s going to be one of those widows who follows their spouse sooner rather than later.
#30
Haley Joel Osment. He seemed like he was in a really dark place after that incident on the ski slopes.
Mel in Georgia 1 hour ago
Had to look this one up: In April 2025, Osment was arrested at a ski resort in Mammoth Lakes, California, for public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance. While under arrest, he was captured on police body cameras using slurs against Jewish people towards his arresting officer, for which he later apologized. Osment was released after booking. In June 2025, he appeared in court for these acts and was sentenced to attend three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week for six months, as well as have twice-weekly sessions with his therapist during the same period.
#31
I think Steven Colbert isnt exactly suffering, moreso bearing the weight of his current symbol in this political climate. He's the canary in the coal mine with the stripping of our first amendment rights right in front of our eyes.
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KatSaidThat 1 hour ago (edited)
This is basically a list of chronically ill people so I am finding it distasteful to say they are quietly falling apart. ETA - not all are chronically ill but some of them have mental illness and that too is not something to just drag in a list for points.
KatSaidThat 1 hour ago (edited)
This is basically a list of chronically ill people so I am finding it distasteful to say they are quietly falling apart. ETA - not all are chronically ill but some of them have mental illness and that too is not something to just drag in a list for points.
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