Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez and Other Celebs Who Had Secret Rehab Stints

The list also includes Demi Lovato, LeAnn Rimes and Zac Efron

By Corinne Heller Mar 15, 2017 5:24 PMTags

This week, the notoriously private Ben Affleck made a surprise public announcement: that he had recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction.

In a statement posted on Facebook, which he rarely uses, he said the issue was "something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront," adding, "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be."

Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner share two daughters and a son. They had made headlines almost exactly one year ago when they announced they had made the "difficult decision to divorce." They two have yet to end their 11-year marriage formally and are co-parenting.

"I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do," Affleck said in his statement. "This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery," his message concluded.

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Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck: Romance Rewind

Affleck is one of several celebrities who has undergone rehab secretly and voluntarily.

See which other celebs had undergone secret rehab stints:

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Rehab and Therapy in Movies & TV

Selena Gomez: In January 2014, the singer secretly completed a two-week stint at an Arizona rehab center. Her rehab stay was not connected to issues with drugs or alcohol, a source had told E! News.

Gomez had checked in after a photo surfaced of her riding Segways with ed-boyfriend Justin Bieber near his home, prompting speculation that he may have prompted her rehab stay.

Gomez then took a break from the spotlight. The following year, she revealed she has lupus, an autoimmune disease, and had undergone chemotherapy.

"I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy. You're a--holes,'" Gomez told Billboard. "But I was angry I even felt the need to say that."

"It's awful walking into a restaurant and having the whole room look at you, knowing what they're saying. I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again," she said.

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Selena Gomez's Best Looks

In 2016, Gomez announced she's decided to take some time off to focus on her health and the side effects of her lupus—which include anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Two months later, it was revealed the singer had been seeking aid amid her battle with depression and checked into a rehab facility in Tennessee. She underwent treatment for 90 days and took a break from social media as well.

"During that time I did not have my cellphone," Gomez said. "It was the most refreshing, calming, rejuvenating feeling. Now I rarely pick up my phone, and only limited people have access to me."

Demi Lovato: She made headlines in 2010, at age 18, when she punched a backup dancer on her tour with the Jonas Brothers. Her rep then announced the singer had left the tour in order "to seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues." She spent three months in rehab, where she was treated for bipolar disorder and bulimia.

In 2013, it was revealed Lovato had checked into a sober house. She remained there for about a year. Lovato had said she sought treatment for substance abuse, including a cocaine addiction.

In a 2016 interview with American Airlines' American Way magazine, Lovato recalls how she used to self-medicate with alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin.

"I lived fast and I was going to die young," Lovato says. "I didn't think I would make it to 21." 

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Demi Lovato's Best Looks

American Way says the singer took her last drink in January 2012 and continues to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Lovato recently celebrated five years of sobriety.

A source told E! News the star still has some struggles, but has the support of many people in her life.

"It just gets better with each day," the source said. "Demi has a strong mind and determination to keep it up. Each day is a celebration."

Splash News

Zac Efron: In 2013, E! News learned exclusively that the actor had completed a stint in rehab to treat substance abuse five months prior.

"He's healthy, happy and not drinking," a source told E! News at the time. "He's taking time to focus on working."

Efron told The Hollywood Reporter a year later that he joined Alcoholics Anonymous and also has been seeing a therapist.

"I just started going," he said. "And I think it's changed my life. I'm much more comfortable in my own skin. Things are so much easier now."

"It's a never-ending struggle," he added.

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Cory Monteith: Remembered By Friends & Costars

Cory Monteith: In 2011, the Glee star spoke about his past serious drug addiction. In March 2013, it was revealed he had voluntarily checked himself into a treatment facility for substance abuse. He completed the stint a month later.

About three months later, Monteith died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol in a hotel room in his native Canada.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Imagesfor SXSW

Jon Hamm: It was revealed in early 2015 that the Mad Men star underwent treatment for alcohol addiction at a rehab facility in Connecticut. Hamm's rep said he sought help "with the support of his longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt."

"Life throws a lot at you sometimes, and you have to deal with it as much as you can," he told Australia's TV Week. "I've been very fortunate that throughout the most recent 24-hour period, I've had a lot of family and friends support me."

It was announced in September of that year that Hamm and Westfeldt had split after 18 years together.

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Demi Moore: In later January 2012, the actress was hospitalized after she suffered seizure-like symptoms during a party at her Hollywood Hills home. Days later, she gathered her belongings and was whisked off to a rehab facility in Utah. A source told E! News she was being treated for addiction issues and an eating disorder.

"It became clear to her that her way of coping with her stress was not working and she needed more help," the source said.

A month later, it was revealed Moore had left the facility.

Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Tori Praver

LeAnn Rimes: In 2012, the singer surprised fans when it was announced she had checked into a treatment facility to seek help for "anxiety and stress," one day after celebrating her 30th birthday.

Rimes said on 20/20 that it was "the best birthday gift I could ever give myself." She said transitioning from a teen country sensation to an adult pop star had taken an emotional toll on her.

"People look at you and go, why are you struggling? You know...no one can quite understand why you hurt so badly," she told Katie Couric. "I wasn't a kid. It's as simple as that and so complicated at the same time. [You] like to see your kid be a kid, you know. And I didn't get any of those things. So I feel like everything was kind of ripped from me and given to me and handed to me on a plate at the same time."

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