Alia Bhatt diagnosed with ADHD: 10 global celebrities with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common neurodevelopmental disorder, is usually spotted when a child starts having problems paying attention in school. It was the same with Indian actress Alia Bhatt, who while sharing her ADHD diagnosis, said that she used to “get zoned out from a young age”. She is not the only famous person with this condition, which is marked by persistent symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity. Right from famous actors to singers all over the world, there are many celebrities with ADHD, which may hamper daily life.

Alia Bhatt on ADHD diagnosis

ADHD usually affects children and teenagers, but many adults also have this disorder, according to the US National Institute Of Mental Health. In an interview with The Lallantop, Alia Bhatt opened up about her diagnosis and the symptoms of ADHD that she experienced. “I used to get zoned out from a young age. I used to get zoned out in the classroom or during conversations,” she said. “Recently, I did a psychological test and found out that I am high on the ADHD spectrum. I have ADHD,” she added about her ADHD diagnosis.

Famous celebrities with ADHD

Apart from Alia Bhatt, there are more celebrities with this disorder:

1. Fahadh Faasil

In May 2024 during an event in a school, Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil shared that he was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 41. “While walking through the school premises, I asked whether it is possible to cure ADHD. I was told, if diagnosed during childhood, it is possible. I asked whether it could be cured if diagnosed at 41. I am clinically diagnosed with ADHD. I have some traits of the disorder,” he said.

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2. Paris Hilton

American socialite-model-singer Paris Hilton was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. In fact, her new song is titled “ADHD”. “Step into my world where chaos becomes clarity. My new music video #ADHD takes you on a journey through the fragility and strength that make me, me,” Hilton wrote on Instagram alongside clips from the music video.

3. Emma Watson

Emma Watson, popular for playing Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” film series, was reportedly diagnosed with ADHD when she was nine years old. She takes medicine to help her with the disorder. “When I am on it , I can focus a bit more and it helps me organise my day because I have so much going on,” said the British star, according to the Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

4. Adam Levine

In 2019, American singer Adam Levine of the band Maroon 5 wrote in the Additude Magazine, that he has struggled with ADHD throughout his life. “It was hard for me to sit down, focus, and get schoolwork done.” In adulthood, he had “trouble sometimes writing songs and recording in the studio. I could not always focus and complete everything I had to.” But he accepted that ADHD is not a bad thing, and “you should not feel different from those without ADHD.”

5. Channing Tatum

Hollywood star Channing Tatum said in a 2014 interview with The New York Times that he was prescribed medication for ADHD after having troubles in school. “I have never considered myself a very smart person, for a lot of reasons,” he said. “Not having early success on that one path messes with you.” The “Deadpool and Wolverine” star is a successful actor now, but he wishes that the school system could have found a way to help him when he was younger.

6. Mark Ruffalo

The “Avengers” star Mark Ruffalo, now 56, told the Child Mind Institute in 2020 that he was diagnosed with ADHD as well as dyslexia and depression when he was younger. These conditions made the Hollywood actor feel “strange and unique and freakish” in school. He said, “I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.” After he grew older, he realised there’s help and “there are ways to deal with it and to manage it and to overcome it.”

7. Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig, who helmed the blockbuster “Barbie”, told The Guardian in 2023 that she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. She said, “As a kid, my mum was like, ‘Let’s sign her up for every activity. Let’s tire her out.’ I have always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm,” She was interested in everything, and “had a really active imagination. I had a lot of really deep feelings. I was emotional.”

8. Britney Spears

Pop star Britney Spears has not openly shared her struggles or ADHD diagnosis. But in her “The Woman in Me” memoir, Spears, 42, shared that Adderall, the ADHD medication, was her “drug of choice.” She claimed the medication “made her high”, and it gave her a “few hours of feeling less depressed.”

9. Will.i.am

In 2021, rapper Will.i.am wrote about his battle with ADHD in the Additude magazine. The Black Eyed Peas star wrote, “I have ADHD; I admit it. I have got all these thoughts running around in my head at the same time as I am doing other things. I can’t seem to stop or slow down. But the good news is, I know how to control it.” He shared that she does not control ADHD with medication, but with music. “Music brings control to my thoughts. When I write music, I make order out of disorder,” he wrote.

10. Lily Allen

Actress and singer Lily Allen, who grew up in London, moved to New York City in 2020. The 39-year-old shared that she was diagnosed with ADHD while staying in the US. She told The Times in 2023, “I have actually just been diagnosed with adult ADHD.” Allen was not surprised by her diagnosis, as it “sort of runs” in her family. “And it (the diagnosis) is only because I am here in America where they take these things slightly more seriously than they do in England.”