Gambling and drug addictions have typically been a male issue the most, however, various online gambling sites, attractive land-based casinos, and sports events held frequently have made gambling addiction a female issue as well. There can be a host of reasons why females play online gambling games or get involved in substance abuse compared to previous years, especially considering the pandemic factor. While addiction does ‘not discriminate, it can affect anyone but celebrities are more prone as they feel tempted at every turn. Unfortunately, many actresses have relied too heavily on gambling games and drugs and developed an unhealthy addiction with time.
Pamela Anderson
This Baywatch actress may be famous on sand but she had lost a whopping $250,000 in gambling. She visited Las Vegas Strip in 2007 and lost millions of dollars in one night at poker. This beach beauty, however, never gave a hint before that she liked gambling games but seeing the massive amount, people made out her love for gambling and that she was addicted to it.
Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight struggled with her gambling addiction for more than a decade. She had even lost $45,000 in one single night in gambling. Gladys was introduced to blackjack by her friend. She didn’t care more about the money lost but focused more on her gambling, ignoring her son’s childhood care. She would wake up with alcohol and used to gamble without realising that her son is in school waiting for her. She reached rehab finally and recovered from her illness.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore was all over the news in the 1990s when she went to rehab at 13. She announced that she was addicted to substance abuse because of her fame, acting family and getting popular at the age of six. She started drinking when she was 9 and moved to cocaine and marijuana quickly. Her teenage years were spent trying to overcome her notoriety and after that, she enjoyed her acting career.
Shannon Elizabeth
Former model and a successful actress from Texas, Shannon Elizabeth is one of the popular gamblers. She is more interested in poker which grew from a hobby to a full-fledged career. From 2006 to 2010, Elizabeth won around 12 poker tournaments and made huge money out of it. Her total winning crossed $235,866, probably more than her acting career at that time.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz is another famous movie actress who loves to gamble. She is popular for many hits like “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, and “Charlie’s Angels”. She had never appeared on television shows but has gambled in her life. What is more interesting is that she donates all her wins to charitable and non-profit organizations.
Demi Lovato
Yet another celebrity and a popular singer who started taking drugs at the tender age of 17 is Demi Lovato. She was just 17 when she first consumed cocaine and whilst her singing career took off, so did her alcohol and drugs. She faced severe mental health issues like eating disorders and bipolar when she addressed her treatment regarding the same in public. Her recovery journey can be found in social media, in her interviews and in her music.
Amber Valletta
Amber Valletta is a popular actress and a model who came forward with her addiction and recovery story in open to help others. She started consuming drugs when she was a child. When she was at the peak of her career in the 1990s, Valletta never missed a day without cocaine and alcohol. She recovered from her addictive nature at 25.
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly is a popular actress and Academy Award winner who lost a great amount in poker due to her gambling addiction. She is known to be a successful gambler and had won big amounts in the past in poker games besides winning World Series. Once, when she lost big, Jennifer became quite stressed and decided to quit the game entirely. However, she was seen at the table after a few days again.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is a prominent author and an actress who became addicted to painkillers she started using the post-cosmetic procedure. However, she recovered from the addiction with the help of a recovery program she joined that supports others falling into similar situations.
Victoria Coreen Mitchell
Although Victoria Coreen Mitchell is not a movie actress, she is popular for her works in a book like “For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker” and “Women Talking About Cars.” Mitchell has been involved in poker and became the first woman to win European Poker Tour, Celebrity Poker Club 2005 and EPT London 2006 besides a few more titles. Her total winning from live tournaments is more than $2,470,000.
