Since the VH1 reality show’s 2008 debut, twelve of its alumni have passed away.
Celebrity Rehab was founded by Dr. Drew Pinsky to counter the tabloids’ depiction of addiction, according to a 2009 New York Times article on the set of the show. Pinsky, 65, was first opposed to the concept of receiving treatment on television. Following the premiere of the first season of the show, the addiction medicine expert told PEOPLE about his friend, counselor Bob Forrest, who persuaded him to get treatment: “He said, ‘I am so tired of people talking about rehab who have no idea what they’re talking about.’” They are unaware of the struggles and addictions that celebrities face.
The VH1 series, which ran from 2008 to 2011, featured a number of celebrities addressing their substance misuse problems in the Pasadena Recovery Center in California with Pinsky. Celebrity Rehab featured prominent artists, actresses, sports, TV celebrities, models, and more throughout the course of five seasons. Regretfully, following their performances on the reality show, twelve celebrities have passed away. Let’s examine their lives in more detail and how they openly discussed their difficulties in an effort to assist others.
If substance misuse is a problem for you or someone you know, please call the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. Please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org if you or someone you know is thinking about taking their own life.
It’s funny how life tricks us, isn’t it? The frontman of Crazy Town, who was well-known for being insane both on stage and, regrettably, off, died in June 2024 at the age of 49. Shifty went in and out of dangerous circumstances during his career, including comas and DUI accusations. It was heartbreakingly obvious how much cocaine and medications affected him. “If I kept at it, I was going to die,” he once said to PEOPLE. My goal is to remain sober.
Tom Sizemore
On March 3, 2023, Tom Sizemore, the guy whose Golden Globe-nominated performances could have you riveted to the screen, passed away. His struggle with drug usage was more tragic than amusing. Paul, his brother, said, “He was bigger than life.” More than anyone I know, he has impacted my life. I am heartbroken by his passing and will always mourn him.
Frankie Lons
Every child’s worst dread is to watch their own mother battle addiction before giving in to it. Frankie Lons, the mother of Keyshia Cole, had a turbulent life. What a horrible irony it was that she died on her own birthday. The emotional Instagram post from Elite Noel, her daughter, stated it all: “My mother in a body bag on her birthday is the worst anguish I have ever experienced! My heart ached so much.
Kitaen Tawny
At the age of 59, actress and ’80s star Tawny Kitaen passed away quietly at her Newport Beach home. Her children Wynter and Raine verified their grief with a statement, “You gave her life every day,” following her diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. We love and miss her, and we are aware that her legacy will endure forever.
McKibbin, Nikki
Do you recall Nikki McKibbin from the inaugural season of American Idol? She was generous enough to give her organs before she went away at the age of 42 from a brain aneurysm. Craig, her spouse, put it poetically: “Even in the end, she is still giving.” An appropriate homage to a giving person.
Jason Davis
At the age of 35, the voice actor that embodied a character in Disney’s Recess passed away from fentanyl overdose. His mother remembered him as a season 4 participant who “had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life.”
Chyna
On April 17, 2016, Chyna, a formidable WWE performer, passed away. The mixture of drugs in her system was the accidental offender. Her life served as an example of publicly facing one’s inner problems while clinging to hope.
Mindy McCready
On February 17, 2013, Mindy McCready, a country music vocalist with a beautiful voice, suddenly passed away. She dealt with alcohol and opioid addictions on the show, and her end was clouded in sadness following the suicide of her boyfriend. A terrible domino effect.
Joey Kovar
Joey Kovar, a reality star from The Real World: Hollywood, passed away suddenly at the age of 29. A life that appeared to be headed toward happiness was ended by opioid abuse. With regret, his brother remarked, “He had turned into such a happy person.” I’m still not really clear what transpired.
Rodney King
On June 17, 2012, the civil rights activist passed away at the age of 47. King’s stress from the vicious assault he suffered in 1991 at the hands of LAPD cops drove him to battle substance usage. Alcohol, marijuana, PCP, and cocaine all had a nasty part in his death; he was discovered drowning in his swimming pool.
Jeff Conaway
The well-known face of Grease actor Jeff Conaway concealed personal troubles. On May 27, 2011, the man who lighted up Broadway and little theaters alike passed away. He battled his addictions all the way to the end, but his job and the people in his life gave him comfort.
Mike Starr
To wrap up this solemn homage, on March 8, 2011, Alice in Chains’ Mike Starr overdosed on prescription drugs. Friends, family, and fans came together for an open memorial service in Seattle to honor a life that inspires people via music.
The sad tragedy behind Lyn May’s face
Chinese-Mexican showgirl Lyn May starred in almost a hundred films, captivating both presidents and viewers. Known as “The Goddess of Love,” her life abruptly changed in the early 1990s when a regular Botox session went horribly wrong, permanently changing the way she looked.
Lyn’s early years were difficult. She was born in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1952 as Lilia Guadalupe Mendiola Mayares. Selling mementos to tourists helped her family financially. Later, she worked as a waitress, where she met the American sailor who was thirty years her older and became her first love. After relocating to Mexico City and having two daughters, the couple’s relationship ended when Lyn accused him of abuse.
Lyn started her dancing career in Acapulco after getting divorced. Television producers were immediately drawn to her distinctive approach, which resulted in appearances on the hit program *Siempre en Domingo*. After she gained notoriety, she was approached by Enrique Lombardini, who extended an invitation for her to participate in burlesque productions at Teatro Esperanza Iris. After initially being apprehensive, Lyn gradually came to love the burlesque look, which made her famous in the Ficheras films of the 1970s and 1980s and earned her the title “Lyn May: The Goddess of Love.” But Lyn’s notoriety declined along with the box office success of these movies.
Reminding everyone of her timeless appeal, Lyn May triumphantly returned to the spotlight in the late 1990s, making appearances in music videos, TV shows, and documentaries. Her public character may have been audacious, but her private life was tragic. In 1989, following her divorce from her first husband, Lyn wed businessman Antonio Chi Su. Together, the couple founded a Chinese restaurant, but their joy was short-lived as Chi Su died in 2008 from prostate cancer. In a surprising admission made in an open interview, Lyn later acknowledged to exhuming her husband’s body and slept next to it while she struggled to deal with her loss.
Lyn May’s life has been full of audacious claims and contentious deeds, such as her assertion that she had an affair with a previous Mexican president, but she never revealed who he was. She wed film producer Guillermo Calderón Stell in 2008, and they remained together until his passing in 2018.
When Lyn revealed she was expecting her 68-year-old fiancé, Markos D1, at the age of 29, in 2021, she grabbed headlines once more. Many people were skeptical of the news and expressed a great deal of curiosity, with many doubting its veracity. Later on, it came to light that the revelation of her pregnancy was a PR ploy to highlight her impending farewell tour.
Lyn May has faced difficulties in her quest for beauty. An attempt at a cosmetic operation early in her career to improve her facial features went horribly wrong. Instead of injecting collagen, a con artist gave her cooking oil injections, which left her face covered in ugly lumps. The fact that the damage was not completely healed after several surgeries served as a constant reminder of her pursuit of perfection.
Even in modern times, Lyn May is still regarded as a fascinating and resilient person. Her narrative is one of not just fame and beauty but also of personal hardship and the will to follow her own path.
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