30 Celebs That Seem To Have Completely Lost It, According To People Online

It’s convenient to believe that being a celebrity is all glitter and glamor. Sure, wealth, status, and endless opportunities may create a picture of a perfect life, but it can also mask the psychological effects that come with being a public figure.

Producer Julie Crosby from Cromono International acknowledges that mental health issues in the entertainment industry are widespread and severe. Meanwhile, various studies show that rates of suicide, suicidal thinking, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are significantly higher in show business professionals than in the general public.

Bored Panda reached out to redditor nicknamed Darvelic who started this discussion in the first place. Naturally, we were curious to know what inspired to take such a question online.

"My initial inspiration was Nicki Minaj’s multi-day online rants against Megan Thee Stallion. Although rap beef can get out of hand, I found it bizarrely one-sided and maniacal. And when I heard Nicki’s song, “Big Foot”, I thought, ‘She’s lost it now.’

In truth, while Nicki’s behavior was ugly, it wasn’t out of the realm of her character. The whole drama is trivial. I’m no psychologist but I think someone who’s lost their mind, they’re tangibly self-destructive, alienating, and make you feel as though you’re the one taking crazy pills."

We also reached out to a physician, psychiatrist, and host of the “Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast" David Puder, to find out why some celebrities may struggle with their mental health.

"There is incredible pressure on public figures, and a lot of financial vultures are trying to pull away resources from them without giving them much value. They often don't end up with a good therapist, but rather some shiny gimmick that will "seek to help them", but really just overcharge and take their money and possibly catapult their brand forward. 

I have treated famous people, and no one will ever know who or for what reasons—namely because of the sacredness of confidentiality and also different laws. This might not be the case for celebrity "coaches" or even pseudo-religious movements that prey on famous people.

Darvelic has also wondered about the same thing many times. "I guess you could say it’s social media or our divided political and social opinions — which all certainly play a role. And public figures are just people. After all, they’re not immune. I don’t know, but it feels like a time of great change."

If the redditor were asked this question themselves, they would choose Elon Musk.

"His obsession with Twitter, his engagement with often disprovable right-wing rhetoric, renaming Twitter to X and thinking it’s going to be the Everything App, his erratic use of drugs, his toxic relationships with his exes and many of his children — some born through IVF or surrogacy. I can go on and on, but this is a guy who was once equated with some of the greatest minds of the modern age. Now he’s mirroring Donald Trump. It’s disturbing."

Puder tells us that some warning signs of this happening to public figures can be internal as well as external.

"I think there are the internal aspects, which only the celebrity would know, decreased sleep, inability to focus, anxiety, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, things like that. Public things that might be observed are issues with addiction, leaking out irritability, isolation, or odd statements that seem to hide something underneath."

Celebrities might feel hesitant to reach out for help due to worries about their career or public image. In this case, Puder recommends finding a reliable and professional therapist who can address their concerns.

"I would say that a good therapist will remain 100% confidential, and that can be discussed in the first appointment. They want to find a psychiatrist or some licensed professional who has a private office or does Zoom calls. I would find a psychiatrist/therapist who is ok with being the only person interacting with them (for example, there is not a large front office, but rather just a sole provider who can be the point person). 

I would also look for someone who will keep what we call in psychotherapy, "the frame"- meaning someone who will keep therapy in session, and charge their normal rate for time (I charge the professional athletes/famous people I treat the same as anyone else), and has a private office. My office for example has a waiting room only for me, and therefore they will not bounce into anyone else."

What may help is a good support system, as it’s important to have people around them to whom they can talk and escape from the noise that eventually comes with success. Those who recover the best are the ones who pick up their lives right where they left off. Meanwhile, offering them therapy and a safe space where they can talk everything out can also be very beneficial.