20 Celebrities Who Had Tragic Childhoods

You know, for us, growing up, it was hiding the poverty. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 20 Tragic Celebrity Childhoods You Won't Believe. I would change schools two, three times a year, and that was probably the roughest part. For this list, we'll be discussing famous celebrities who had difficult and traumatic upbringings. What do you make of these stories? Let us know in the comments. Jim Carrey Nowadays, Jim Carrey is renowned as one of the greatest comedic actors of his generation, and he has the wealth to go with it. But his early life was a completely different story. Carrey was raised in the Greater Toronto area of Ontario, Canada, and his family became homeless while he was attending high school. All you know is you ended up living in a car. Exactly. Well, you know, I ended up, yeah, sure, and like trying to be the adult and trying to take care of everything. At one point, Carrey lived in a tent with his older brother, which they pitched in a public park on the shore of Lake Ontario. Luckily, the family's financial situation eventually improved, and Carrey found work doing stand-up in Toronto. He moved to Hollywood in 1983, and the rest is history. But you used to go up on Mulholland Drive and park- Yeah, every night. And visualize seeing yourself as- Yeah, I would visualize, uh, yeah, I would visualize- This is when you were broke and poor. Right, having directors interested in me and- Nicki Minaj Onika Mirage was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1982, but primarily raised in Queens, New York. There's an energy in the air that feels very young and alive, and there's something there that makes me feel like I'm back home. Her mother, Carol, moved to the U.S. to attend college, and eventually brought Mirage and her older brother to live with her and their father, Robert. Robert had substance abuse issues and a violent temper, and would hit Carol and his children. When Mirage was five, he burned down their house with Carol inside. I just looked, my house was gone. The house was gone. All of my toys, all of my clothes, all of my memories. I had a lot of hard times in that neighborhood. Fortunately, she escaped. Onika Mirage later adopted the stage name Nicki Minaj, and became a world-famous pop star. Dylan McDermott Born Mark McDermott, this Golden Globe recipient, known for shows like The Practice and American Horror Story, experienced grief at a young age. His mother, Diane, was 15 when she gave birth, and divorced her husband when McDermott was five. That same year, Diane was murdered by a man she was dating. He was a key witness standing on the doorstep of their Waterbury, Connecticut home. He heard shouting, then the fatal gunshot. Her death was originally ruled as accidental. McDermott was sent to live with his grandmother. As a teenager, he grew close with his father, and even worked in the Greenwich Village bar that he owned. It was, you know, the greatest thing that ever happened to me, was working in that bar with my dad. Because, first of all, my dad passed away a couple years ago, but it was just great to be with him. His father's wife, Eve Ensler, inspired McDermott to act. When she suffered a miscarriage, Mark took the name of her unborn son, Dylan. Jay-Z Born Sean Carter, Jay-Z is one of the most successful artists in the history of music, selling 140 million records and being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As a child, Carter was raised in a Brooklyn housing project known as the Marcy Houses. His father left the family when Carter was young. You know, things happen, and you're a result of those things. So you feel, you feel like, boy, dad's not around. It would have been dope if he'd have been able to take me to a baseball game, and all these things, and then life on top of that. At 12 years old, he shot his own older brother, who had a substance use disorder, in the shoulder for stealing his ring. As a teenager, the future rapper sold drugs and was shot at on more than one occasion. Jay-Z ended up getting into trouble selling drugs, and at one point he even shot his older brother because he stole something from him. So he had a pretty tough upbringing. Jay-Z later founded his own Rockefeller Records, and it was through this label that he released his acclaimed debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Corey Feldman A prominent teen actor of the 1980s, Corey Feldman enjoyed incredible popularity thanks to the likes of Stand By Me and The Lost Boys. You think you really know what's happening around here, don't you? Well, I'll tell you something. You don't know ----, buddy. He and close friend Corey Haim became known as the two Corys, appearing in a string of films together. However, drug use saw both their careers begin to crumble. Feldman has alleged that he suffered abuse from his mother, which she denies, and mistreatment from figures in the entertainment industry. My parents would lock me in a room, they'd give me a record, they'd give me a record player, and they'd say, don't come out until you know the song backwards and forwards. And then if they thought I was eating too much, I wouldn't be allowed to eat. If I hurt myself or I scraped myself up, I would get beaten for scraping myself up or injuring myself. More recently, in 2020, he became the subject of misconduct complaints himself. Drew Barrymore Drew Barrymore comes from a long line of actors, including her father, John Drew. He was an alcoholic and mostly absent. However, when he was around, it was, in Barrymore's words, quote, chaotic and violent and scary. She became a star at seven years old with her role as Gertie Taylor in E.T. Kids can see me. However, she was soon caught up in the drug-heavy Hollywood social scene. Her mother would bring her to the famous nightclub Studio 54 instead of school. Barrymore developed a substance use problem and was in rehab by 12 years old. And it was such a scary, frightening feeling, yet it was such an escape from everything else in the world that I became, I had a very liking to it. The next year, her mother institutionalized her in a psychiatric hospital for 18 months. When Barrymore was released, she legally emancipated herself from her parents, moved into her own apartment, and re-established her career. DMX As a child, Earl Simmons suffered asthma attacks that often left him in the emergency room. His father left when he was young, and his mother and her boyfriends would often beat him. You couldn't be too confident. And, you know, in my situation, confidence would get you a beating. Expression would get your ass whooped. It got so bad that at 14, he would sleep on the streets in clothing bins. It was also around this time that he was tricked into smoking a joint laced with a much harder drug and developed a substance use disorder. Why would you do that? I was 14 years old, and I looked up to you. First person that was a male that I ever wanted to be like in my life. Why would you do that? While in prison for carjacking, he worked on lyrics, and upon release, sold his own mixtapes under the name DMX. Sadly, he battled with substance use throughout his life and died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50. Tyler Perry This famous comedian and actor was born Emmett Perry Jr. A DNA test would later reveal, however, that Emmett Perry Sr. was not his biological father. Perry has recounted how Perry Sr. belittled and beat him until he was 19. How would you describe your childhood? For me, a living hell. You know, I was able to, somewhere along the way, my saving grace was I learned how to leave myself. It was so bad that he once attempted to take his own life. When he was older, he legally changed his first name from Emmett to Tyler. Perry was also a victim of sexual mistreatment. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what was going on or the far-reaching effects of it. But the way I was growing up, I just moved through it. Go on to the next thing. You're okay. The trauma of his childhood eventually became the basis of his debut play, I Know I've Been Changed. Christina Aguilera Christina's father, Fausto, worked for the U.S. Army, meaning that the family moved around a lot, even going as far as Japan. It's really hard for a young girl who doesn't even speak the language there. She didn't have a lot of friends. So she would, her friends would be her dolls, and she would put on performances for her dolls. She would sing to them. On top of this lack of stability, her father emotionally and physically abused her. Her parents divorced when Aguilera was six, and she subsequently became estranged from her father. Aguilera used music to escape her turbulent home life, and her talent was obvious from a young age. I think that's, you know, my childhood and what, you know, I witnessed pretty much every day with the problems between my parents. I think that really was the reason I've embraced music so much. It was just my way of just, like, trying to zone out of reality of what was really going on. This talent took her far, and she's now one of the highest-selling artists in the history of music. Eminem One of the most famous rappers of his generation, Eminem often uses music to therapeutically explore his difficult childhood. Raised by a single mom, they lived hand-to-mouth, on and off welfare, constantly moving from one place to another. He was raised in poverty and frequently pushed around. After three years, in ninth grade, he dropped out of school at 17. In his songs, he has repeatedly spoken ill of both his mother and father. His father left the family when Eminem was young and moved across the country. I never knew him, so... You never met him? Never met him. Never knew him. Do you want to, or...? I don't know. I don't know. Some people ask me that. I don't think I do. His mother, Debbie, is a frequent target of Eminem's lyrics, which accuse her of drug use and neglect. The pent-up anger came out in his songs, and made Eminem the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the U.S. Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson's father, Charles, wasn't around much during his childhood, leaving the family in 1968 when Harrelson was seven years old. It's fairly well known, if anybody's read anything about you or talked with you, that when you were seven years old, your father went off to prison, convicted of murder. His mother did her best to care for her three kids, but the family suffered financial hardships. Harrelson remained estranged from his father until later in life, when he visited him regularly in prison. Charles Harrelson was a hitman, and in 1979, he was hired to kill a federal judge named John H. Wood Jr. He was convicted of the crime and given two life sentences. Charles Harrelson, Woody Harrelson's dad, was found guilty for Judge Wood's murder. Shania Twain The most successful female artist in the history of country music, Shania Twain has sold over 100 million records. As of 2022, she's worth an estimated $400 million. This kind of material wealth is a far cry from what she experienced as a child, however. We were hoping for a miracle, really, my parents. So this puts seeing the hope in them and the sacrifice that everybody made, made me feel, it became a burden. From the age of eight, Twain sang in bars to help her family pay the bills. She's also reported that her parents fought a lot, and that sometimes the arguments resulted in physical violence. In between the violence, you know, everything just went back to normal, right? The next day, everybody just carried on like nothing ever happened. And that is how we all, you know, how I certainly suffered in silence. As a result, she and her siblings briefly moved into a homeless shelter with their mother. Her parents later died in a car accident, leaving Twain to care for her younger siblings. Demi Moore Before Moore was born, her father left her pregnant mother, who was 18 years old at the time. Shortly after Moore was born, her mother remarried, but the couple had a turbulent relationship and divorced twice. Her mother and father both battle alcoholism, move the family constantly ahead of debt, infidelities, thunderous fights. Her stepfather later took his own life. Moore suffered from various medical ailments, including kidney problems and a vision disorder called strabismus. As a teen, she was assaulted. Moore's mother battled substance use issues, and Moore once had to revive her after an overdose. You said your childhood. Was done. Yeah, life-changing moment. She eventually broke off contact with her mother after she walked out early from rehab. Leighton Meester Best known for her role as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester was born in a halfway house, as her parents were both in prison. My parents had been part of a very interesting lifestyle, I guess you could say. They were in prison? Yes. Okay. But everything's fine now? Everything's all good, yeah. They were serving time for their involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica into the U.S. After spending her first three months in the halfway house, Meester was given into the care of her paternal grandparents. Although she received a 10-year sentence, Meester's mother served just 16 months and reclaimed her daughter from her in-laws. Meester has described her upbringing as normal, saying that her mother is always there for her, and that her background has made Meester nonjudgmental and open-minded. The thing, too, about having your parents go through all that, they made a lot of sacrifices so that we could be okay and we could be protected from all that. Ashley Judd This actress comes from a famous family, with both her mother and half-sister being country music artists. Judd's parents divorced when she was four, and she moved all around the southern United States while her mother sought success, attending over a dozen schools. There was something about your childhood that shaped you and wanted you to give back. So what was that? And my strange capacity for emotional extremes. My strange tolerance for emotional extremes. And I grew up in some really extreme situations. Judd is the survivor of three assaults, and one of those awful instances resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, which Judd terminated. The harmful treatment didn't stop there. Judd alleges that she was also sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein, whom she later sued. She says she simply didn't feel powerful enough to speak out publicly and be believed after the incident. Joaquin Phoenix This Oscar-winning actor was the third child of the famous Phoenix family, following his brother River and sister Rain. River is so strong in all of this, but it's not just River. It's how we all grew up. It's mom and dad and what the kind of principles they imparted on us and what they said to strive for. His parents were missionaries for the religious cult Children of God, now known as the Family International. The cult has been accused of mistreating children, but thankfully, the family left when Phoenix was still young, eventually relocating to Los Angeles. However, tragedy struck in late October 1993 when 19-year-old Phoenix witnessed his brother River overdose outside the Viper Room. Phoenix famously called 911 to report the incident, but doctors could do nothing to save his brother, and he died early the next morning. That 23-year-old actor River Phoenix stumbled out of this trendy sunset nightclub known as the Viper Room and died of a massive drug overdose. Charlize Theron Born and raised in the South African town Benoni, Charlize Theron witnessed her mother kill her father in self-defense. I think if you haven't dealt with it, then you're affected, but I've completely dealt with it. Something that happened a very long time ago. An alcoholic, he was frequently verbally abusive. But in June 1991, when Theron was 15 years old, her inebriated father returned home and threatened to kill both Theron and her mother. After he fired shots into the house and Theron's bedroom, Theron's mother returned fire and killed him. Her actions were deemed self-defense, and eventually the family moved to Europe and then the United States. The interesting thing is that she, I don't understand where she got the tools to be the mother that she is because she did not have a mother who was good to her. Oprah Winfrey Perhaps the most famous talk show host in the history of television, Oprah Winfrey is worth billions. This is going to be our year. Today, we're delving into my favorite, favorite subject, spirituality. However, she was raised in poverty, wearing dresses made of potato sacks, and moved around a lot, alternating custody between her grandmother, mother, and alleged father. After suffering abuse from her cousin, uncle, and a family friend, she ran away from home at 13. The next year, she became pregnant, but her son was born prematurely and died. Luckily, Winfrey's life turned around in high school. When that child died, my father said to me, this is your second chance. This is your opportunity to seize this moment and make something of your life. She was popular and performed well, and started doing the news at a local radio station. This, of course, led to her now legendary career in media. Ray Charles The legendary singer was the child of Aretha Robinson, who became pregnant at 15 years old by her adoptive father, Bailey Robinson. The scandal forced her to flee town, and she raised Charles with the help of Bailey's wife. My mom was very, very conscientious. I mean, she saved me from a lot of trauma that I probably would have had, because she knew I was going to lose my sight, so she started preparing me. Charles grew up in poverty and at times lived in a local cafe. When he was five years old, Charles lost his younger brother George in a drowning accident. Also around this time, he started losing his sight. His mother died when he was 14, and the grieving Charles dropped out of school to make a living as a professional musician. It was hard at first, but the work paid off, and he eventually became one of the most respected names in music. But now as I look back though, John, I have to say all those things that my mom taught me when I was a youngster has paid off for me, truly. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications. Kelsey Grammer One of television's most acclaimed actors, Kelsey Grammer suffered numerous tragedies growing up. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, social unrest swept across the United States. Grammer's father was killed by an anti-white cab driver. Grammer was just 13 at the time. So I got to know him a little bit. I spent about three weeks in St. Thomas with my sister, and we got to know my dad a little bit. And then I saw him one more time after that, and he was dead. So that was a strange experience. So I never really had a dad. This came just one year after the death of his grandfather, who passed away from cancer. In 1975, Grammer's sister Karen was kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered, plunging Grammer into depression. Yeah, it's funny. My granddad on my father's side, when I called and told him about Karen, he just said, this family's cursed. Of course, I don't really believe that, but there's something, something that happened. He would later cite this depression as a catalyst for his substance use. Five years after the death of his sister, Grammer's half-brothers died while scuba diving. Grammer went on to name his daughter Spencer Karen after his late sister.