Famous People with OCD: Celebrities, Scientists, and Sports Figures

Famous People with OCD: Celebrities, Scientists, and Sports Figures
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Many people may not realize how many celebrities and other famous people actually had obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). These famous people with OCD triumphed over their diagnosis and went on to success in the performing arts, business, sports, or science. They had various symptoms of OCD.

Marc Summers

Marc Summers, a famous game show host, talk show host, and producer, publicized the fact that he has obsessive compulsive disorder. He is probably best known as the host of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare. In 1999, Summers co-wrote a book with Eric Hollander called “Everything In Its Place: My Trials and Triumphs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,” about life with this condition.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump, perhaps most famous for his catchphrase “You’re fired!” is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and host of the game show “The Apprentice.” Trump has admitted to having borderline obsessive compulsive disorder, which manifests itself as germ phobia. He refuses to shake hands with people (especially teachers), and he will not touch the bottom button of an elevator because of possible contamination.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz, an actress and former fashion model, has publicly admitted to having obsessions with doorknobs. She opens doors with her elbows in order to avoid other people’s germs. Alternatively, she rubs doorknobs extremely hard to clean them, so hard that it dulls the paint on the knob. She also washes her hands many time each day.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio, best known for his portrayal of Jack Dawson in “Titanic,” is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning actor. DiCaprio has obsessions about sidewalk cracks, chewing gum stains, and doorways. He would often be late to filming because he would be retracing his steps in order to avoid stepping on the sidewalk cracks. DiCaprio has testified that he struggles to avoid walking through doorways multiple times and stepping on gum stains in the street in order to prevent his OCD from taking over his life.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt, a famous actress, producer, singer, and songwriter, says she inherited her OCD from her mother. She says that she cannot sleep if there are any closets or cabinets open in the house, and that her mother counts steps.

David Beckham

David Beckham, the British soccer star, revealed that he has OCD in a 2006 TV interview with Tim Lovejoy. He said that he needs everything to be “in a straight line or…in pairs.”

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla, an important physicist whose discoveries explored electricity and magnetism, worked under Thomas Edison and was viewed as a “mad scientist.” Although OCD was not a diagnosis in the late 1800’s, many believe that he had this condition. Tesla hated jewelry and round objects. He had germ phobia and a fixation on the number three. Instead of owning a home, he lived in various hotel rooms where the room number was divisible by three.

References

https://www.magnet.fsu.edu/mediacenter/publications/flux/vol1issue1/documents/magnetmilestones.pdf

https://www.opposingviews.com/i/celebs-with-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-katy-perry-and-megan-fox

https://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/famous-ocd.shtml

This post is part of the series: Facts and Information About OCD

This series includes several articles about OCD, including famous people who had it, and various signs that can help you tell if someone has it.

  1. Understanding OCD: A Comprehensive Definition of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  2. Types of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Characteristics
  3. What are the Best Medications for OCD?
  4. The Link Between Human Genetics and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  5. David Beckham and Donald Trump: Meet the Famous People with OCD