17 Sober Celebrities Who Abstain From Alcohol Or Drugs

Jessica Simpson

In November 2021, celebrity business mogul Jessica Simpson shared an old photo of herself at “rock bottom” to mark four years of sobriety. “I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self respect, and brave this world with piercing clarity. Personally, to do this I needed to stop drinking alcohol.”

Robert Downey Jr.

Things started to go south for Robert Downey Jr. in the mid-’90s. The actor was arrested and jailed several times for possession of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. He couldn’t get his sobriety to stick despite court-ordered stints in rehabs. Eventually, in 2003, he kicked his unhealthy habits for good, and he credits his success to his wife, several programs, yoga, and martial arts.

Naomi Campbell

Models (and most entertainers) are constantly surrounded by alcohol and drugs, and Naomi Campbell has acknowledged that she indulged too much in the past. The new mom isn’t shy about the fact that she has worked with both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to live a healthier life.

Bradley Cooper

In an interview with Barbara Walters, Bradley Cooper opened up about why he decided to distance himself from substances: “I wouldn’t have been able to have access to myself or other people ... if I hadn’t changed my life. I never would have been able to have the relationships that I do. So many things.”

Demi Lovato

After years of indulgence, Demi Lovato nearly lost their life in 2018 when they overdosed on heroin laced with fentanyl. Now, they’re doing better than ever. Presently, Lovato claims they’re “California sober,” which is a slang term meaning they use moderate amounts of alcohol and marijuana. Notably, Lovato released a song just a month before they overdosed called “Sober” (about falling out of sobriety).

Tyler, The Creator

The Grammy winner has rapped about substances, but outside of his art, he doesn’t touch the stuff. Instead, he derives his creativity and energy simply from enjoying what he does. “I just don’t want to drink,” he said in a Fantastic Man interview. “I know that I don’t want to be that drunk guy. But I do know I want to hit a jump on a dirt-bike. I can look at that and say: ‘I want to do that.’ I’ve never seen anyone drunk, like, ‘Damn, I want to be that.’”

Keith Urban

Country musician Keith Urban admittedly used cocaine and drank heavily as his career was taking off in the ’90s. But in 1998, he sought treatment. His first attempt didn’t stick. It wasn’t until he met Nicole Kidman that he was able to ditch everything for good after a stay in the Betty Ford Center. The Grammy winner has now been clean for 15 years.

Amanda Bynes

For years, Amanda Bynes ran into trouble, in part, reportedly due to alcohol and drug use. In 2017, she revealed she was three years sober, but she apparently relapsed at some point, because in early 2020, she stated she was 14 months clean again.

Jamie Lee Curtis

In early 2021, the Halloween talent shared an old photo of herself, captioning it: “A LONG time ago … In a galaxy far, far away … I was a young STAR at WAR with herself. ... With God's grace and the support of MANY people who could relate to all the ‘feelings’ and a couple of sober angels ... I’ve been able to stay sober, one day at a time, for 22 years.”

Eminem

In Spring 2020, Eminem uploaded a picture of the 12-year sobriety coin he earned. He captioned the snap that he is “not afraid,” a reference to one of his biggest hits. The hip-hop powerhouse was once addicted to pills, taking up to 60 Valium and 30 Vicodin per day. At one point, the rapper claimed doctors told him he’d “done the equivalent of four bags of heroin. They said I was about two hours from dying.”

Tyra Banks

Model and TV personality Tyra Banks not only doesn’t use drugs or alcohol, but apparently she never had to give them up either. In an email she sent out to fans, Tyra Banks shared, “I feel like I’ve been very lucky ... I’ve never had any drugs, and I had a little taste of alcohol when I was 12 years old, but that’s about it.”

Ewan McGregor

Actor Ewan McGregor got sober in 2000 after a lengthy addiction to alcohol, and not only has it improved his life, it has also made him better at his job. He claims that now, when portraying people who have also struggled with drug or booze issues, he can relate on a deeper level, which makes his characters richer.

Russell Brand

Comedian Russell Brand was hooked on heroin for many years, and as his addiction caused him to lose friends and jobs. He has now been free and clear of substances for nearly 19 years. Brand even published a book titled Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions that helps readers along the 12-step program, which has been reinterpreted by the star.

Sia

During a radio interview in mid-2020, Sia admitted that when she was addicted to painkillers for about six months, things got so dark that she wrote a suicide note and was ready to take her life. She went on to say that now she “can make a lot of people’s dreams come true, which is the best feeling ever ... That’s the new high.”

Colin Farrell

During a conversation at an Irish film festival, Colin Farrell admitted one surprising aspect about abandoning alcohol and drugs: “After 15 or 20 years of carousing the way I caroused and drinking the way I drank, the sober world is a pretty scary world,” he said. He got sober in 2008, and he’s been comfortable living without substances ever since.

Tim McGraw

One of the most successful country musicians of all time, Tim McGraw had a dark side that few got to see. “I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8:00 in the morning and thinking, ‘I have to wake the kids up’,” he told Esquire. “I went straight to my wife and said, ‘This is where I’m at.’ I was scared.” Faith Hill stood by him, and now he hasn’t had a drink since 2008.

Matthew Perry

Actor Matthew Perry first became addicted to Vicodin after a jet ski accident in 1997, right in the middle of his lucrative run on Friends. He soon picked up an unfortunate drinking habit. He later enjoyed spats of sobriety, relapsing more than once, but now he’s been clean for years. In 2013, he opened the Perry House, a sober home for men.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357).