Though they are on the top of the world now, things weren’t always so glamorous for these 10 celebrities. From drug abuse to literal abuse, these celebs rose from the ashes to create the life they wanted for themselves.
#1 Madonna
While this Material Girl appears to have it all on the surface, from the outside looking in she’s had a pretty hard life. At 19, Madge was raped on a rooftop. Her marriage to Sean Penn was also allegedly riddled with both physical and emotional abuse.
#2 Jim Carey
Before he was the comedic success that he is today, Jim Carey was a far cry from Hollywood royalty. While life never consisted of the finer things of life when Jim was a child, things went from bad to worse when their low income family became poor. Jim’s family began living in their van and Jim’s dad even drove him to comedy clubs. Jim went on to become one of the best known comedic actors of our era and, in an interview, said that his now late father inspired him to live out his dreams.
#3 Angelina Jolie
It’s no secret that pre-Brad Angelina was a bit on the strange side. According to one man who claimed to be Angelina’s previous drug dealer from her younger years, she was once addicted to heroin and cocaine. The man also claimed that Jolie kept photographs of corpses in her home.
#4 Woody Harrelson
Woody may be world famous these days but he grew up with quite a rocky past. Woody’s dad was a contract killer and allegedly murdered a judge. Woody spent a lot of time at the prison and even tried to get his dad set free. Sadly, Woody’s father passed away before he could see this come to fruition.
#5 Oprah Winfrey
Fans of Oprah know her best as the inspirational guru who never had children. But the truth is that Oprah’s rocky past is what pushed her into her destiny. After being molested by several family members, Oprah became pregnant at the age of 14 and ran away from home. The little boy passed away not long after his birth. His legacy lives on with each life Oprah touches.
#6 Charlize Theron
Charlize’s star is burning bright but as a kid she felt like she was fading fast. Charlize witnessed her mother shoot and kill her father who had threatened to harm the two of them. Charlize’s mom didn’t go to prison because the act was deemed self-defense. However, the traumatic experience is still off limits in interviews with the press.
#7 Robert Downey Junior
It’s no secret that this talented actor has had his share of trouble with addiction. According to Downey, it started when he was six years old when his father introduced him to marijuana.
#8 Christina Aguilera
With a beautiful family and a great career, Christina Aguilera is on top of the world but things weren’t always too rosy for The Voice judge. Growing up, Christina says that she was abused by her father. The two have been estranged for quite some time now.
#9 Johnny Depp
The Pirates of the Caribbean phenomenon is one of the most sought after and quirky stars on the planet, but long before he was in demand he was growing up in an abusive home. Johnny turned to drugs and alcohol to cope – a habit that followed him into his career.
#10 T.I.
While you’d expect that a lot of rappers exaggerate their lives post-fame, it turns out that one star has been quite honest about his upbringing. Not only was T.I. a drug user, he was also a rather well known drug dealer in Atlanta, Georgia.
Whether you started on top or from the pit, one thing’s for certain – there’s nothing you can’t achieve when you stop looking at the ground and start looking up. You can never move forward until you do.
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