How Disney's child actors survived depression and drugs

Disney has always been a breeding ground for big Hollywood stars. Think of celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, or Selena Gomez (the latter starring in 'Only Murders in the Building' on Disney+).

However, despite their successes, many of Mickey Mouse's children faced addictions, depression, and other problems throughout their careers. Let's see who they are in the following gallery.

This is Demi Lovato with other cast members of Disney's 'Sonny with a Chance' in 2009. Soon after her entry into the world of Disney the young actress / singer would start using drugs. By 2012, she was clean, but six years later she would relapse.

In 2018, Demi Lovato was hospitalized for an alleged drug overdose. She barely survived and later told several media that her nervous system was affected by the intoxication. Opening up about her private live, the star also talked about her struggles with bipolar disorder.

Lately, she seems to be doing well. She's had some relationship ups and downs, including a discontinued engagement with actor Max Ehrich, but overall she appears to have come out of her crisis stronger than before. In 2021, Lovato released the documentary 'Dancing with the Devil' to describe her hardships.

Britney Spears is an important member of the Mickey Mouse Club and, unfortunately, also an example of what can go wrong if you are under too much pressure, too young.

At a young age, the beautiful singer faced problems of stress, depression and substance abuse. There were so many relapses that she found herself in a rehabilitation clinic before she could resume her musical career. Spears also lost custody over her two sons.

In 2008, Britney was placed under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie Spears. It was a very restrictive situation, in which she could not even make personal life decisions about marriage and children. Fans were worried about the star and began the now-famous hashtag "FreeBritney."

In 2021, after a long legal procedure, the star finally gained more freedom. She celebrated that freedom with her then-fiancée Sam Asghari and with her followers on Instagram. Her posts on social media sometimes appear a little unhinged, but everyone agrees that Britney was right to get her basic freedoms back.

Image: Britney Spears / Instagram

Selena Gomez is a big Disney star who has had to face depression, Lupus disease and, according to Hollywood Life, drug addiction.

Some sources claim that her constant health problems and her past relationship with Justin Bieber were causes of her depression.

Recently, Selena Gomez has focused more on acting again instead of singing, and she's had success with the Disney+ series 'Only Murders in the Building.' However, occasionally, she also scores a big music hit, for example with 'Calm Down' (2022).

Zac Efron is one of the big stars emerging from the Disney complex. His debut in 'High School Musical' made him the guy of the moment.

In 2013 we learned that he had gone into rehab to fight his addiction to alc0h0l and c0ca1ne. The star managed to get out of that unhealthy lifestyle, however, and he's made some series in the Australian outback about wildlife and nature.

Image: Zac Efron/ Instagram

In addition, Efron began appearing in several new movies, such as the survival thriller 'Gold' and the remakes of Stephen King's 'Firestarter' and 'Three Men and a Baby'.

With films like 'The Iron Claw' (2023) and 'A Family Affair' (2024) in which he shares the screen with other stars like Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates, and Lily James (photo, HBO), it seems like Zac Efron has gotten back in the game.

There is little, if anything, left of the Miley Cyrus who debuted with Disney. Her transition from girl to teenager involved the singer's public mar1juana use.

Nowadays, Miley appears to be sober, but... she is living a rocky love life. She dated Liam Hemsworth for years, then married him in December 2018, only to announce their separation eight months later.

After Liam, she dated several people in 2019 and 2020, including her now-ex Cody Simpson. Professionally, she is rocking the world though, with hits about her personal tragedies like 'Flowers' (2023).

This is Lindsay Lohan at the 1998 premiere of 'The Parent Trap.' She's another star who enchanted movie fans as a child but would soon get into trouble.

In 2007 it was revealed that she had problems with drugs, alcohol, and bad relationships. In addition to all this, she had legal problems, disturbances from paparazzi, and a series of missteps that drove her to the limit.

Image: a collage of Lindsay Lohan's mug shots, Getty

Nowadays, Lohan appears to have recovered, though, and she is reaching a new audience with her TikTok videos. Moreover, she's become a doting mom and reignited her movie career with the sequel 'Freakier Friday', together with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Christina is from the same generation as Britney Spears, and just like Britney, she had problems with drugs and alcohol. As she told the magazine Health: "I experienced a lot of trauma in my childhood," which caused her to struggle with "depression and anxiety."

In 2011, Aguilera was arrested for intoxication. She tried to get clean, relapsed, and went into rehab.

Now Christina Aguilera finally seems to have some peace. To go back to her Ecuadorian roots, the singer released the Spanish-language album 'La Fuerza.' She was also a coach in 'The Voice' from 2011 to 2016.

The curse of the Disney children goes as far back as the middle of the twentieth century. Basically, to the beginning of Disney. Young Bobby Driscoll jumped to fame in 'Treasure Island' and became an instant star. However, adulthood in Hollywood took its toll.

Addicted to narcotics, he was sentenced to prison. Unable to overcome the drugs, he died broke in 1969 at the age of 31.

Hillary Duff was another victim of the so-called Disney 'curse'. The 'Lizzie McGuire' girl has faced problems with anorexia and alcohol from a very young age.

Nowadays she is sober and happy with her family and career. She's reunited with Disney+ for the sequel to 'Lizzie McGuire.'

The actor Michael Mantenuto, star of 'The Miracle,' took his own life at age 35.

The actor could have had more Hollywood appearances, but he allegedly suffered from a serious depression.

Lee Thompson Young rose to fame in the 1990s on the Disney Channel with 'The Famous Jett Jackson'.

After starring in 'Rizzoli & Isles,' the actor took his own life in 2013. He was only 29 years old.

Shia LaBeouf starred in the Disney series 'Even Stevens'. He would become one of the most controversial Hollywood stars over the years.

LaBeouf, known for problems with alcohol, has been arrested several times for criminal and disorderly conduct. According to Page Six, there have been eight arrests since the mid-90s, among others for stealing and public intoxication.

The problems for LaBeouf are not over yet. Media like the New York Times and Insider have reported on several incidents involving LaBeouf fighting. Some of them involve his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs, who is suing LaBeouf for abuse, and others are about he infamous brawl between him and fellow actors Scott Eastwood on the set of 'Fury'.

Joe Jonas is famous, along with his brothers, for Disney's 'Camp Rock'. He also appeared as a musical guest in 'Sonny with a Chance' (photo). Unlike the other Jonas brothers, Joe lived a wild and festive life for some time.

Joe later confessed to taking drugs and said it was Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato who put him up to it.

Nowadays, he seems to have settled down, although his love life isn't perfect. He and actress Sophie Turner got married and had two children together. In 2023, they split up.

Singer-actress Lalaine appeared in the show 'Lizzie McGuire' for 65 episodes and then disappeared. While the studio never revealed the causes of her absence, fans on social media speculated that she had a fight with Hilary Duff. Showbiz media like TMZ added to the story that she had been flirting with illegal substances.

In 2007, Lalaine was arrested for possession of drugs (amphetamine), but she was released because she had no previous criminal record. Her Hollywood career was over, however.

Lalaine had talked with Hilary Duff and Disney+ about appearing in the sequel to 'Lizzie McGuire,' but it didn't work out. She did have a role in the movie 'Definition Please' in 2020.

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