9 Most Infamous Celebrities' Meltdowns

Even though there is no excuse for how they act, not all celebrity meltdowns are caused by simple bad behavior. Another 22 million Americans have problems with substance abuse, according to the National Institute of Mental Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. And mental illness and drug abuse don't care if you're a man, a woman, a celebrity, or just an average Joe.
Some celebrity meltdowns are caused by ego or being weird, but others are caused by something more serious. We've made a list of famous breakdowns that may have been caused by mental illness or drug or alcohol abuse. Let's start with Margot Kidder, the "Superman" star who became homeless and later became a spokesperson for psychiatric disorders.

1. Billy Joel

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Billy Joel's '70s and '80s were productive. He released hit albums and married Christie Brinkley. His 1987 tour in the USSR made the news. Not for his music but for a performance outburst in which he smashed an electronic piano and microphone stand. The world rarely heard "Piano Man" because the singer/songwriter attempted suicide by ingesting furniture polish in 1970. His suicide attempt failed, and he sought depression treatment. Since then, she's battled despair and alcoholism.

2. David Hasselhoff

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Alcoholism affects 17 million Americans regardless of gender, color, or celebrity position. Alcoholics lack self-control. Addiction involves craving, withdrawal, and needing more and more to feel its effects. David Hasselhoff and Pamela Bach started divorce procedures and a custody struggle in 2006. In 2007, a video showed David inebriated, ranting, and eating a burger in a hotel room leaked online and became public Entertainment. After the footage was revealed, the actor apologized and said he was a recovering alcoholic.

3. Mariah Carey

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Her voice ranges from alto to beyond soprano. Most singers have a three-octave range. Tommy Mottola, then-president of Columbia Records, discovered her at 18 and published her first album in 1990. Four No. 1 singles. She was popular.
Mariah's world cracked in 2001. She left Mottola and Columbia Records, then made a surprise cameo on MTV's "Total Request Live," where Mariah handed out free popsicles while removing an oversized T-shirt. Mariah told screaming fans and hosted Carson Daly, "You enjoy this" Whether Mariah's MTV performance was a publicity gimmick or a sign of her instability, she was hospitalized for a "physical and emotional collapse" afterward. She was free after two weeks of psychiatric care.

4. Martin Lawrence

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In 1995, Martin was hospitalized after an outburst on the set of his directorial debut, "The Thin Line Between Love and Hate." Tisha Campbell, his "Martin" co-star, accused him of sexual harassment, battery, verbal abuse, and threats in 1996. The same year, Martin's wife accused him of physical abuse and issued a restraining order (they divorced in 1997).
Martin was arrested about this time while carrying a 9mm Beretta. Fought. He was spotted holding a gun and yelling at visitors on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles.
He was exhausted and dehydrated after the Ventura Boulevard incident. Others, including his ex-wife, blame his unpredictable conduct on marijuana, alcohol, and psychiatric drugs. Others cite bipolar disorder. Martin confesses he smoked marijuana and was treated for depression, but a three-day coma caused by heat exhaustion while jogging in heavy clothing prompted him to clean up his act.

5. Courtney Love

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Lorde. She's talented and outspoken. Courtney is so different from us that it's hard to identify a meltdown. She's battled heroin, cocaine, prescription drug addiction, drug charges, and treatment. She supports feminism, gun control, and gay rights. Courtney Love is a fighter. Courtney admits to being eccentric on her blog but rejects mental disease labels. She can't be tamed in interviews, onstage, on Twitter, or Facebook.

6. Britney Spears

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By 2002, Britney had three successful albums, featured in the (flop) film "Crossroads," and had broken up with Justin. Next? Madonna was kissed. She briefly married a childhood buddy. She dated Kevin Federline while his girlfriend was expecting. Britney married Kevin in 2004. Sean Preston and Jayden James were born in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Britney filed for divorce two months after her second son's birth. Her parenting skills were questioned with the birth of Sean Preston, but Jayden James sent her public life into a tailspin. The new mom went to clubs and rehab, shaved her head, and was in a series of automobile accidents, including a hit-and-run. She must take parenting classes and obtain drug and alcohol treatment. She lost custody of her sons after being admitted to a psychiatric facility in 2008.

7. Robert Downey Jr.

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The story of Robert Downey Jr.'s fight with addiction has been told many times in the news. His long-term drug addiction became public in 1988 when he went to rehab for the first time. It went through the roof when he was found sleeping in the bed of his neighbor's son, and it has kept him in the news ever since.

8. Mel Gibson

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Ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva was verbally abused on tape. He stopped for DUI and called the female officer a "sugary" name and shared his anti-Semitic views with the male cop. Is Mel Gibson evil, or does he have a problem? Mel has admitted to a long-term battle with alcoholism and spoke briefly about his highs and lows in a 2002 interview. Knowing the basis of the problem is the only way to treat mental illness and addictions.

9. Charlie Sheen

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No one knows if Sheen's 2011 media frenzy and public rage were caused by substance misuse, mental illness, or both. His unpredictable, violent, and drug-abusing behavior is well-documented. He denies taking drugs or alcohol during his current meltdown and has passed supervised drug testing. He dodges inquiries regarding mental illness and bipolar disorder but says what he thinks.