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18 Famous People With Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Who are the most famous celebrities with BPD? 

Introduction

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a long-term pattern of “abnormal behavior” that is characterized by an unstable sense of self, emotions, and relationships with other people.

About 1.7% of American adults have BPD in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

A history of abuse, trauma, and neglect during childhood is frequent in patients with borderline personality disorder.

Common symptoms of BPD include:

  • unstable career plans, aspirations, and goals;
  • hostility;
  • risky, impulsive, dangerous, and self-destructive behaviors;
  • strong feelings of worry, anxiety, and depression;
  • highly changeable moods which can last for a few days;
  • a persistent fear of rejection and abandonment;
  • a history of unstable relationships which can change from intense love to intense hate;
  • difficulty feeling empathy for other people;
  • feelings of boredom, isolation, and emptiness;
  • having a distorted sense of self.

Note – to be diagnosed with this disorder, the patient must experience at least 5 of the above symptoms.

Treatment for BPD may involve individual or group psychotherapy.

Dr. Perry D. Hoffman, the co-founder of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder, said,”People with BPD can get out of the mental health system. It’s not a lifelong diagnosis.”

List of Celebrities, Actors, and Other Famous People With Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD):

1) Amber PortwoodAmber Portwood

In 2017, Amber revealed she suffers from BPD. She said in an interview:

”After seeing my current psychiatrist for a couple of months, he diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder.”

Portwood went on to say:

”When I got the diagnosis, I wanted to keep it a secret. While everyone knew about my other diagnoses – I’ve had anxiety since I was a kid, for as long as I can remember – I guess it was tragic to think I had another mental disorder.”

2) Emma Forrest

Emma Forrest

© Getty Images

Forrest is a British-American film director, novelist, and screenwriter. Emma has been diagnosed with BPD and bipolar disorder.

3) Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

© Getty Images

She was a British singer-songwriter who skyrocketed to fame as a result of the multiple Grammy Award-winning album ”Back to Black.”

Many thought that Amy had many borderline personality disorder traits, including the fact that she covered up her problems with drugs and alcohol.

4) Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall

© Getty Images

He is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.

In an interview, Brandon said:

”After a couple of years of volatile behavior, I found myself at Mclean Hospital, where I was diagnosed with BPD.”

5) Darrell Hammond

Darrell Hammond

© Getty Images

He is a stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist who is best known for his spot-on impression of former president Bill Clinton and his long stint on Saturday Night Live.

When he left Saturday Night Live, Darrell was the oldest cast member in the show’s history.

In an interview with reporters before a talk in Baton Rouge on Nov. 4, 2014, Darrell opened up about his difficulties with mental health issues. He said that doctors over the years had diagnosed him as having multiple personality disorder, major depressive disorder,  borderline personality disorder, manic depression, and schizophrenia.

6) Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson

© Getty Images

He is an American actor and comedian who is best recognized as one of the main cast members on the show ”Saturday Night Live.”

Pete has spoken openly about his mental illness. In addition, he responded to the ignorant shaming via an Instagram story. He wrote on Instagram:

“I’ve been getting online bullied and in public by people for 9 months.”

Davidson continued:

”I’ve spoken about BPD and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don’t want to be on this earth.”

He believes that losing his father at age 7 to the terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers had a significant impact on his mental health.

7) Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

© Getty Images

She was an American comedienne, singer, actress, and model who became one of the world’s most enduring iconic figures.

1961 was the year of her last film appearance in the drama The Misfits, which was co-written by Arthur Miller, her husband at the time.

Marilyn Monroe suffered from depression, low self-esteem, addiction, and fear of abandonment.

Interestingly, her mother Gladys struggled to cope with bringing up her children and had a turbulent mental state.

8) Doug Ferrari

He is an American comedy writer and stand-up comedian based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

BPD destroyed his marriage and career and Ieft him homeless in San Francisco for almost a year. He said for CNN:

”It took three years and three therapists, and being clean and sober, before I ever heard of ‘Borderline Personality Disorder.”

Doug also said:

”The disorder got in my mind and said, you know, things like ‘If she [his wife] hangs up the phone one more time, I’m going to break something.'”

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9) Madison Beer

Madison Beer

© Getty Images

Madison Beer has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

“The BPD community is very loving and accepting and I have met a lot of friends in it already,” Madison told Belfast Telegraph. ”I am really lucky that I have such an amazing therapist who has helped me navigate it.

10) Princess Diana

Princess Diana

© Getty Images

She was the former consort of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the mother of the heir second in line to the British throne, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

During her life, Princess Diana spoke about her depressions, her bulimia, her suicide attempts, her self-mutilation, and her chronic feelings of loneliness and emptiness.

Her death sparked widespread conspiracy theories and media attention.

READ MORE: Famous People With Waardenburg Syndrome

11) Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith

© Getty Images

She was an American actress, model, and television personality who first gained popularity in Playboy when she won the title of Playmate of the Year.

Nicole also starred in the E! reality show – ”The Anna Nicole Show.”

Dr. Nathalie Maullin said she believed Anna Nicole Smith had BPD and was addicted to several prescription medications.

12) Courtney Love

Courtney Love

© Getty Images

She is an American songwriter, actress, singer, and visual artist who spent time in reform school and became a stripper at age 16.

Love formed Hole in 1989 and was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. 

In her book, Kim Gordon writes about her encounters with Courtney Love. According to LoudWire, Kim even suggested Love might have a borderline personality disorder:

”No one ever questions the disorder behind her tarantula LA glamour – sociopathy, narcissism – because it’s good rock and roll, good entertainment!”

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13) Joe Tracini

Joe Tracini

© Getty Images

Tracini is an English actor and presenter who starred in the Boomerang children’s sitcom My Spy Family and the BBC Three comedy series Coming of Age. His TV career started in 2004 when he was a guest on ”Prove It!.”

According to EDP24, Joe lives with borderline personality disorder.

14) Nikki Hayes

In 2015, Nikki spent 5 weeks in a psychiatric ward where she was diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

In 2017, Nikki wrote for Independent:

”I have lived with BPD most of, if not all of, my life. It first manifested enough to have medical intervention in my teens but working with psychiatrists and channelling back it is most likely I have had it all of my life.”

She has revealed in an interview:

“One of my biggest supports has been my husband and due to BPD and the way it can make you act out, unfortunately, we separated earlier on this year.”

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15) Scott Levy ”Raven”

Scott Levy ”Raven”

© Getty Images

He is 4-time ECW World Tag Team Champion and 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion.

Raven has histrionic, borderline, and narcissistic personality disorder. He said in an interview:

”Because I have narcissistic personality disorder, I have histrionic personality disorder, I have borderline personality disorder, I’ve been diagnosed, I have a lot of emotional, mental issues.”

Scott went on to say:

”It stems from me not being abused as a child, but being neglected as a child. That was just as bad, if not worse than abuse.”

READ MORE: Famous People With Anxiety

16) Mikaela Spielberg

Mikaela Spielberg borderline personality disorder

Kate Capshaw (C), and daughters Mikaela George Spielberg (L) and Destry Allyn Spielberg – @Getty

She was adopted as a baby by Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw.

Over the past few years, she has struggled with alcoholism, borderline personality disorder, and anorexia, all of which she says are the result of childhood sexual abuse.

Mikaela also announced her plans to break into the world of adult entertainment. Mikaela said:

”I’m doing this, not out of an urge to hurt anybody or be spiteful about it, I’m doing this because I want to honor my body in a way that’s lucrative.”

17) Darren Day

Darren Day

© Getty Images

In 2020, Darren Day opened up about his borderline personality disorder diagnosis.

“Two years ago, I was diagnosed with bipolar and then during lockdown, I’ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder,” Day said for DigitalSpy.

18) Donna Rose

Donna Rose bpd

Donna Rose of Saracens celebrates after their victory during the Allianz Premier 15’s Final between Saracens Women and Exeter Women at Sixways Stadium – @Getty

Donna Rose is a Welsh Rugby Union player who has been outspoken about her experiences of living with BPD. “Every day I doubt my ability, I question am I good enough? Why me?” Rose told BBC.

Here’s a quick recap of the famous people with borderline personality disorder (BPD):

  1. Amber Portwood
  2. Emma Forrest
  3. Amy Winehouse
  4. Brandon Marshall
  5. Darrell Hammond
  6. Pete Davidson
  7. Marilyn Monroe
  8. Doug Ferrari
  9. Madison Beer
  10. Princess Diana
  11. Anna Nicole Smith
  12. Courtney Love
  13. Joe Tracini
  14. Nikki Hayes
  15. Scott Levy ”Raven”
  16. Mikaela Spielberg
  17. Darren Day
  18. Donna Rose

Featured image credit – Getty Images

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Sandy

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Having been diagnosed with BPD, Bipolar1, PTSD and ADHD I have some knowledge. BPD is a very specific diagnosus, and is not diagnosed over weeks or months. Narcisstic Personality Disorder and BPD can not exist together , they are on the opposites ends of the scale. People with BPD beg for somethinf, anything to lessen the emotional overload which often results in attempted and successful suicide attemps, . As far as Amber Heard, she in all likelihood has NPD. And like any good Narcissist researched the most devastating mental or emotional disorder and found BPD. Of course this is my opinon, but for someone with BPD, she tries awfully hard to be noticed. People with BPD just want to be "like everyone else". In the real world, therapists need specialized training to not only diagnose, but prescribe any therapies for people suffering from BPD. I am considered Emotionally disabled by SSA, I will never be able to work again. I can't function day to day without collapsing due to my Emotional pain. Neither could Naomi Judd, who took her own life because of her struggles with BPD.

Heather

Friday 26th of May 2023

@Sandy,

I'm so sorry, love. I got diagnosed with bpd this year at the age of 40. It's honestly been so hard and so exhausting for so long, but at least I finally know what the hell is wrong with me. Look after yourself. You are worthy of love ❤️

Jared

Sunday 29th of January 2023

First, regarding the comment below…” Name any person who ever lived and an expert could make an argument that they had BPD, and another expert could make an equally convincing argument that they did not have BPD”…might be a comment on the behavior of some experts but not accurate for BPD. The “D” stands for disorder, not typical behavior in everyone. It might appear that this is more common place partially because the media covers, and movies are made about, sad, mad and bad people. The lives of these people capture attention of people who do not share those lives. Second,..” It’s as vague as astrology.” BPD is a clinical disorder with diagnostic criteria in the DSM. These are well published on the internet, and can easily be misapplied to someone, but in a clinical setting with trained diagnosticians who work with BPD clients and patients, the process of making a diagnosis is not like looking at star charts. Because the criteria are available to the public, they can be misused by untrained people, but that does not mean everyone can be called BPD. Third, it is important to remember that having a BPD diagnosis is not just having some features from the list of BPD symptoms. You must have….a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-esteem and emotions, and marked impulsivity that are present in a variety of daily contexts, plus at least 5 of the 9 symptoms for the list in the DSM. It must be a disorder that causes serious problems in daily life in the usual social domains. The confusion can result when personality feature, or traits, are interpreted as a disorder. All people have a personality, and most people have some personality characteristics that are in the lists of DSM personality disorders. A disordered personality is when too many of them occur together, with enough intensity to cause a pattern of problems at work, school,, socially and interpersonally. Trained professionals who see people daily in their work setting who are living with BPD should be making diagnoses. BPD Information on the internet might be helpful for lay people to get help for those suspected of having BPD.

lucky

Sunday 9th of July 2023

@Jared, hello jared ty for your voice of reason and logical dissection of the posts here

Bad ass

Saturday 25th of June 2022

Hi, I enjoyed learning about people with different features ,carry on doing tests and well done

Fred

Friday 21st of January 2022

Name any person who ever lived and an expert could make an argument that they had BPD, and another expert could make an equally convincing argument that they did not have BPD. It's as vague as astrology.

Jshdkaljr

Thursday 20th of June 2019

Wow did you really have to throw Adolf Hilter into the mix? People with BPD have a difficult enough time convincing other people they’re not monsters. Obviously anyone like him has some kind of personality disorder going on but this is at the extreeeeeeeme end of the spectrum and was fueled by amphetamine use and all the people around him who supported him.

Jay R Medina

Wednesday 21st of August 2019

It's true though, Hitler exhibits ALL the symptoms, from the rampant hypocrisy, to the way his inner circle had to walk on egg shells, to the way he'd reframe EVERYTHING in his favor and against others, to his brutal lack of sympathy for those he looked down upon.

BPD didn't make him racist, that was the culture of Vienna he grew up in, but it DID make him as brutal as he was about his racism. Without his BPD, the holocaust probably wouldn't have happened.

And you'll have to forgive me for not having sympathy for evil people.