Justin Bieber’s Heavy Drug Use And Other Former Teen Celebrities Who Struggled With Addiction

Whether you’re six or sixty years old, you probably know who Justin Bieber is. Love him or hate him, it is undeniable that Justin Bieber is one of the most popular musicians in the world. In an Instagram in early September, Bieber shared a post to his more than 119 million followers revealing that he was involved in heavy drugs. According to the emotional post, this started when he was 19 years old and caused him to make bad decisions in his life. Bieber also said that the insane pressure and responsibility of being a superstar at such a young age contributed to his struggles.

Bieber started his music career at the very young age of 13 when he was discovered singing cover songs on YouTube. After a few successful songs, his fame became unstoppable. Now at only 25 years old, he is a multi-millionaire with dozens of hit songs in his name, not to mention millions of fans scattered all around the globe who call themselves “Beliebers”. He was considered a child prodigy and he was adored by fans of all ages because of his cute pop songs and boyish looks. However, as he grew up in the spotlight into his teens, Bieber himself acknowledged that he turned into one of the most judged, ridiculed, and hated celebrities.

According to Bieber, even if he had a lot of money, cars, achievements, and awards, he was still unfulfilled. He said that being told by many people that they loved him went to his head and he never learned the fundamentals of responsibility because he was given whatever he wanted. He became resentful, disrespectful, and angry. Bieber admitted that it had taken him many years to bounce back from his terrible decisions and mend his relationships through the help of extraordinary people around him.

Bieber’s experience is not something new. There have been many Hollywood celebrities who have struggled with drugs and alcohol early in their lives. Here are some former teen celebrities who had substance addiction struggles.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore is well known for her leading roles in romantic comedy films such as “Never Been Kissed”, “Wedding Singer”, and “50 First Dates”. For younger audiences, she is known for recently starring in a Netflix original series “Santa Clarita Diet”. But before these projects, she rose to stardom way back in 1982 when she starred in Steven Spielberg’s film alien movie, “ET” at age seven. As early as the age of nine, Drew’s mother started taking her to nightclubs where she started using drugs and alcohol. At age thirteen, she was already going to rehab but was fortunate to become sober at age 14. Now in her early 40s, the actress who still enjoys an active acting and producing Hollywood career, said that she would not recommend becoming a child star to anyone as it is a recipe for disaster.

Britney Spears

At age eight, Britney Spears was already doing commercials and Broadway shows.At age 11, she starred in Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club alongside Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. It was when Britney was 16 years old, however, when she achieved global superstardom after the release of her albums - “Baby One More Time” and “Ooops! I Did It Again”. She continued to become one of the best-selling artists of all time. While Britney is famous for her music achievements, she is also infamous for her personal struggles. Britney was reportedly using drugs and had been admitted to rehab several times. Her public erratic behavior led to her health and finances placed under a court-ordered “conservatorship” in 2008. This means that all her health and financial decisions have to be managed by her father and another conservator. Now, more than ten years after, Britney is still under this conservatorship at 37 years old and is now requesting the court to end this restraint.

Miley Cyrus

The child of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley rose to fame when she starred in Disney Channel’s TV show “Hannah Montana”. The TV series is about a regular teenager who leads a double life as a famous pop star. After five years and 98 episodes, Miley moved on from being Hannah Montana and pursued being a popstar herself. As a singer, she had numerous hits including “The Climb”, “We Can't Stop” and “Wrecking Ball”. Miley has admitted using drugs including cocaine and molly but said that her preferred drug is weed.  She is recently in the news due to her breakup with her husband, actor Liam Hemsworth.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato is another celebrity who started her career in Disney. She was given a huge break when she starred in the TV musical “Camp Rock” at only 15 years old. She went on to create studio albums and had hit songs like “Give Your Heart A Break” and “Skyscraper”. Demi Lovato famously suffered from a relapse in 2018 when she was found collapsed due to an overdose. The opioids that Demi took were reportedly mixed with fentanyl causing the overdose. Demi Lovato’s drug overdose took place after six years of sobriety. Now, the pop star shared that she continues to work on her recovery.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, help is available.

Contact Anaheim Lighthouse today.