Soberheroes: Elton John
In the 1980s, when AIDS was first emerging, Sir Elton John was a wicked cocaine fiend. But he rose from addiction as a superstar performer and AIDS activist.
SoberHeroes: Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor is the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails, an industrial rock band whose instant classic Pretty Hate Machine debuted with a roar in 1989. Sober now, he has struggled with depression and social anxiety for years and is a notorious alcoholic and addict. He writes about it in his music.
Ben Affleck: Playing Batman But a SoberHero No More
Ben Affleck fell off the wagon. After 12 years of sobriety, the Batman actor decided to imbibe again for his role in Gone Girl, playing a character who is hungover all the time. Affleck is an alcoholic. The Oscar-winner entered rehab in 2001 at the age of 31. Affleck battled alcoholism throughout the 1990s, culminating in his check-in to rehab at Promises, the same rehab that treated Robert Downey, Jr. Affleck was married to fellow Hollywood star Jennifer Garner, but she pulled the plug on the relationship, fed up with Ben’s drinking and gambling.
SoberHeroes: Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper stole my heart — not in The Hangover movies but in Silver Linings Playbook, in which he gave a strikingly accurate portrayal of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder. But a little known fact about Cooper is that he is a recovering addict. In sobriety, he’s become a master at his craft.
