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Stars Who Have Bipolar Disorder: Selena Gomez, Halsey & Celebs With The Diagnosis

By:
November 2, 2022 2:30PM EDT

Celebs like Selena Gomez have bravely talked about living with bipolar disorder. Learn about the stars who are destigmatizing the disease by coming out as bipolar.

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Stars With Bipolar Disorder: Selena Gomez & More

Stars With Bipolar Disorder: Selena Gomez & More
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Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that affects millions of people across the world, stars included. It’s estimated 4.4 of Americans deal with the disorder during their lives.

Though there is much stigma associated with the mood disorder – which is characterized by periods of depression and high-energy “manic” states – many high profile people have bravely opened up about their struggles with bipolar disorder.

One celeb champion of mental health is Selena Gomez. In April 2020, she told her fellow former Disney star, Miley Cyrus about her bipolar diagnosis. Speaking during an appearance on Miley’s Instagram show, ‘Bright Minded,’ the singer said, “Recently, I went to one of the best mental hospitals in America, McLean Hospital, and I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that I was bipolar.”

Looking back on her diagnosis during an appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show in Nov. 2022, Selena recalled, going to McLean, which is “one of the best hospitals” in the “mental health space.” “I was able to say my diagnosis out loud for the first time,” she told Kelly. “And it gave me such strength, and — it wasn’t easy.”

Selena isn’t the only star who has dealt with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. See whole else has opened up about their mental health, right here.

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Halsey

Halsey
Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutter

Always unfraid to speak her mind, Halsey has also shared her struggle with bipolar with her fans and followers. “I know I’m just going to get f**king depressed and be boring again soon,” she told Rolling Stone in 2019 about being in a manic state. “And I hate that that’s a way of thinking. Every time I wake up and realize I’m back in a depressive episode, I’m bummed.”

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Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato
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Demi Lovato – who has been candid about her battle with substance abuse, alcohol and bulimia – has also spoken on the record about having bipolar disorder. “When I finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was a relief in so many ways,” she told BP Hope magazine in 2014. “‘It helped me start to make sense of my bipolar depression and the harmful things I was doing to cope with what I was experiencing.”

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Kanye West

Kanye West
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

Kanye West has been vocal about having bipolar disorder on social media and in interviews. In 2019 he eloquently described what it’s like to have the mental illness during a chat with David Letterman on the Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

“It is a health issue,” the rapper told the comedian. “This – it’s like a sprained brain, like having a sprained ankle. And if someone has a sprained ankle, you’re not going to push on him more. With us, once our brain gets to a point of spraining, people do everything to make it worse.”

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Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher
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When it came to talking and writing about having bipolar Carrie Fisher was one of the celebrity pioneers. The Star Wars actress – who died in 2016 at the age of 60 – was a warrior who fought to destigmatize the disorder.

“I have two moods,” she told Diane Sawyer on ABC News in 2000.”One is Roy, rollicking Roy, the wild ride of a mood. And Pam, sediment Pam, who stands on the shore and sobs… Sometimes the tide is in, sometimes it’s out.”

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Russell Brand

Russell Brand
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Outspoken British comedian and actor Russell Brand is not shy about anything – including his past substance abuse, eating disorder and bipolar. He has discussed his mental health and addictions in his standup comedy shows and many books, including Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions.

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Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Lewis
Michael Buckner/Variety/Shutters

Black-ish star Jenifer Lewis spoke about coming to terms with having bipolar disorder in her 2017 memoir, The Mother Of Black Hollywood. “The only thing you can do for anyone else is to share your story of well-being,” she told the New York Times in a 2018 interview.

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Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

British comedian, actor, author and raconteur, Stephen Fry is so committed to raising awareness about bipolar disorder that he filmed a two-part BBC documentary about having it. In the 2006 doc, Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive he interviewed other sufferers including British pop star Robbie Williams, Carrie Fisher and actor Richard Dreyfuss.  

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Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse
Kevork Djansezian/AP/Shutterstoc

The late Amy Winehouse’s alcoholism and drug addiction have been well documented. The Londoner’s battle with bulimia and bipolar disorder, however, has not received as much press attention.

The “Back To Black” Grammy Award winner who died of accidental alcohol poisoning in July 2011 once spoke about dealing with mental illness on Britain’s The Album Chart Show. “I do drink a lot. I think it’s symptomatic of my depression,” she said. “I’m manic depressive, I’m not an alcoholic, which sounds like an alcoholic in denial.”

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Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones
David Fisher/Shutterstock

Catherine Zeta-Jones has received treatment for her Bipolar II disorder. (Bipolar II involves having shorter cycles between depression and mania. Bipolar I is characterized by more prolonged periods of the emotional extremes.)

“After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her Bipolar II disorder,” her rep said in a 2011 statement after news of her treatment was leaked to the press. “She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films.”

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Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey
Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Sh

Mariah Carey spoke to People magazine about having bipolar disorder in 2018. “Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” she said. “It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love – writing songs and making music.”

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