Adversity is something many of us face in our lifetimes, it can be really heavy on us or it can motivate us to go further in life or push past it. Many successful individuals came from hard backgrounds or had to face difficult life situations to get where they are. Let’s talk about some of them today. Here are 5 celebrities who turned their lives around and overcame adversity.
Oprah Winfrey
While we know Oprah as a motivational speaker and rich celebrity that helps others as much as she can, this woman had a ton to go through of her own in her childhood and early life as well. Winfrey was not only assaulted repeatedly as a child but also a runaway, teen mom to a baby that passed away, and so much else. While she found some success in high school and college which later led to her career, the first many years of her life were very harsh.
Simon Cowell
We know Simon from his time starring on shows like American Idol with a unique personality and often hard to please affect, but he has a lot more in his career too. Cowell had a hard time finding footing in his music career for years. This includes two failed attempts at starting his own music records company, before finally finding success in the third and slowly reaching the status to get to fame and fortune.
Eminem
Another music face in this list, Eminem has had quite the rollercoaster life to be able to reach his success and fame as well as keep it. His family and home life growing up was incredibly difficult with many hardships including poverty, and as his music lyrics have spoken to Eminem also faced many setbacks in his own behavior, relationships, and family over the years while he found fame little by little too.
Joaquin Phoenix
Finding acting success takes time and effort, and can have a lot of unique backgrounds. Joaquin grew up traveling with his family who fronted a religious cult that has since been facing many misconduct allegations and disbanded. His family eventually moved away and disbanded from the cult, finding solace in music which later led him to talent agencies and working towards fame; a not so easy road as well.
Leighton Meester
A star in big name shows like Gossip Girls, Leighton Meester has spoken up some about her struggling early life. She was actually born in a prison since her mother was put behind bars for assisting in a drug ring, and her mom was still in jail for 16 years following Leighton’s birth which meant the young girl had a childhood distanced from her in Florida and later L.A. to pursue acting as a career and dream.
If you’re going through hard times yourself, you’re certainly not alone. And learning about some of your favorite names in the world of fame and their past can be really motivating to help get through this to the other side. Often, our hardships are what form us into who we are as well as help us reach where we need or want to be in life. And this shows in these 5 people.