Sanjay Dutt to Robert Downey Jr: Celebrities who spoke up about their battle with drugs

Behind the glitzy and glamorous facade of the film industry, lies a dark and dreary world full of stories of drugs and substance abuse. Be it Hollywood or Bollywood, many stars have gone down that path, and while for some, it has been a point of no return, others have come out with triumphant tales to tell. With the support of their loved ones and rehabilitation, several stars from Sanjay Dutt to Robert Downey Jr. have gone on to speak up about their battle with drug addiction and help remove the stigmas around the topic.

Photo: Instagram

There was a time when Sanjay Dutt was considered as one of the bad boys of B-town. As the tabloids would tell, he also went on to become one of the first stars to ever go on record about his drug addiction and help others overcome their battles with substance abuse. Speaking about the same at an event, he stated that his battle with addiction went on for about 12 years. On seeking professional help, he shared that his doctors were surprised that he was even alive after he told them all the kids of drugs he had consumed. However, after taking the long road to recovery, he has only one motive now, that is to be "high on life", do good and be a good father.

Photo: Sanjay Dutt Instagram

Robert Downey Jr's battle with substance abuse is nothing short of an inspiring one. The star who is known the world over as the Marvel superhero Iron Man once had to battle his own demons - alcoholism, cocaine and heroin addiction - and even spending prison time. However, with the help and support of his wife, he not only got clean and recovered from his addictions but also went on to achieve great personal and professional highs, including becoming one of Hollywood's most loved and highest-paid actors.

Photo: Robert Downey Jr. Instagram

Prateik Babbar shocked everyone when he stated that he got involved with drugs when he was just 13 years old. The actor bravely took on rumours and allegations when he came clean about his struggle with alcohol and substance abuse. In a raw tell-all interview, he even claimed that his addiction reached a point where he would try out anything he got his hands on. In 2017, Prateik was happy to announce that he was sober after spending some time in rehab.

Photo: Prateik Babbar Instagram

Demi Lovato had a brush with death in 2018 when she allegedly had a drug overdosed while trying to quit her addiction. The singer and actress, in her YouTube documentary 'Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated', detailed the frightening extent of her substance abuse. "I was sneaking cocaine on planes, I was sneaking it in bathrooms, sneaking it throughout the night. I went on a bender of like, two months, where I was using daily. I would fake my drug tests with other people's pee,” she admitted. However, after a lot of support from family and friends, the beauty is better than ever and is currently getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Photo: Demi Lovato Instagram

Fergie, who was a member of the band 'Black Eyed Peas', has often spoken about her battle with substance abuse. The singer came forward to share her struggles in a conversation with Oprah, where she revealed that she started taking ecstasy and later went on to take crystal meth. Sharing the effect the drug addiction had on her life, she went on to state that her life slowly started to "spiral down.” She also shared that it took a lot of "therapy and soul-searching" to discover why she started taking drugs in the first place.

Photo: Fergie Instagram

Multi-Grammy Award, Golden Globe and Oscar-winning singer, Lady Gaga also has a past with substance abuse. The singer opened up about her addictions and admitted that the pressure of fame often pushed her over the edge. Going on record, she stated that she was addicted to marijuana and various substances since she was young.

Photo: Lady Gaga Instagram