The Biggest Celebrity Confessions Of 2023

The following article contains mentions of sexual abuse, drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts.

In the age of social media, most things aren't private, especially for a celebrity. The rich and famous are often bombarded by paparazzi cameras and questions about their personal lives to get the inside scoop: who are they dating, who are they hating, what's next, etc. Fans and haters alike post their theories about why a singer gained weight or overanalyze a selfie to determine if that celebrity got work done. The age of privacy is almost dead. Fortunately, entertainers and influential people manage to deny the public certain parts of themselves until they are ready to come forward about them on their terms.

Dozens of celebrity confessions have already shaken up the world. Rolling Stones member Keith Richards inhaled his dad's ashes, Grammy-winner Harry Styles has four nipples, and "All About That Bass" singer Megan Trainor has side-by-side toilets for her and her husband. Some admissions have been much more tragic. Child actress Jeanette McCurdy disclosed her extremely abusive relationship with her late mother in her memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died," Demi Lovato had a crippling heroin addiction, and Amanda Seyfried suffered from severe panic attacks caused by her life in the limelight. Throughout the years, celebrity confessions continue to run the gamut, and 2023 was no exception.

The Smith family has maintained an ambiguous public image for years. Fans lived in disbelief that actors Will and Jada Pinkett Smith were happily and healthily married. Maybe they were for a time, but in her new memoir "Worthy," Pinkett Smith offered a deep dive into their relationship, including the shocking revelation that the two have been separated since 2016.

In 2016, the couple was separated, during which Pinkett Smith dated singer August Alsina. They reunited for a "Red Table Talk," publicly patched things up, and got back together. But behind the scenes, the two were still split. In October 2023, Pinkett Smith sat down for a Today exclusive interview with Hoda Kotb, where she confirmed that, although not legally divorced, the Hollywood power couple decided to live completely separate lives. When asked why they didn't share their marital status with the public, the actress explained that they weren't ready to bring it to the public since they were still figuring it out.

Pinkett Smith disclosed that by 2016, the couple was tired of trying to keep up their fantasy romance. Some may recall that Smith shared a similar sentiment in his 2021 memoir but did not reveal their separation. And yet, they still are not divorced, "We just got deep love for each other," she told People, "And we are going to figure out what that looks like for us." Smith has yet to comment on his wife's memoir.

The KarJenners have always been coy about their cosmetic procedures, something that Kylie Jenner, the youngest and arguably most successful daughter, has been regretful of. Now, Jenner is speaking openly about her alterations and even came clean about wishing she'd never gotten some of them done at all.

In the Season 3 finale of their latest reality show venture, "The Kardashians" (via Us Weekly), the makeup mogul sat on the couch with her best friend, Stassie Karanikolaou, and admitted to getting her breasts augmented only a year before having her first child. She was only 19 and still healing from the surgery while pregnant with her and Travis Scott's daughter Stormi. While she confessed, Jenner swooned over her natural breasts and shared regret over their modification. Not only did this confession confirm fan suspicions of breast enhancement surgery, but it also showed a refreshing side of the Instagram star: her maternal side, "I would be heartbroken if [Stormi] wanted to get her body done at 19," Jenner shared with Karanikolaou, "She's the most beautiful thing ever ... I wish I could be her, do it all differently. I wouldn't touch anything."

King Kylie isn't the first sister to express grievances over her cosmetic decisions. The eldest, Kourtney Kardashian-Barker, admitted in 2011 to regretting her breast implants. Hopefully, a healthier dialogue about cosmetic surgery will ensue.

Rap music has always been a mix of sexy glamorization and raw vulnerability. Megan Pete, known better by her accurate stage name Megan Thee Stallion, has gained fame from the prior but has been slowly getting more into the painful and personal. But her single "Cobra" is the deepest dive into her emotional struggles yet.

"Cobra" is Pete's first self-produced single since legal battles with record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, just one of the many trials the Hot Girl endured in recent years. On the track, Pete spat bars about her rock bottom, explicitly detailing depression, alcoholism, self-harm, and a cheating boyfriend, all while being the breadwinner people rely on, "I'm sittin' in a dark room thinkin'/Probably why I always end up drinkin'/Yes, I'm very depressed/How can somebody so blessed wanna slit they wrist?" This track marks the first time Pete has publicly shared suicidal thoughts. In her August 2023 Elle spread, Pete said her depression started after the backlash she faced about the Tory Lanez shooting. She thought no one cared about her anymore and spent a lot of time crying, but she bounced back like a true hot girl. 

Pete explained the song's title as a metaphor. She posted on Instagram, "They gracefully shed their skins in hopes to heal from their past and during the process are very vulnerable. We, too, can gracefully let go of the past and focus on being the baddest hotties we can be."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org

Actress and singer Ariana Grande has been quite vocal about beauty and beauty standards as of late. When she started filming for the movie adaptation of the hit musical "Wicked," she changed her hair and brow color, forgoing the classic winged eyeliner she used to rock every day, and noticeably lost weight. Followers criticized these changes, especially her weight loss. On TikTok, she addressed criticism by recommending everyone stop talking about other people's bodies. She said the people believing she was healthier before she lost the weight were mistaken and she is now at a more appropriate weight for herself.

Her candidness continued in her September 2023 beauty routine video for Vogue, where the "positions" singer went down a surprisingly emotional road while sharing her makeup tips and tricks, "I, over the years, used makeup as a disguise," she shared, "... more and more and more hair, more and more [eyeliner]." Although she still has love for her staple style, she no longer wants hiding to be the intention of wearing makeup. Her confession led to a revealing beauty secret, one that cannot be purchased at Ulta, "[I've] had a ton of lip filler over the years and Botox. I stopped in 2018," While choking up, Grande said she wasn't opposed to maybe getting work done in the future, but for now she wants to see her natural aging progress. 

About her honesty, she said, "If we're sitting here talking about beauty secrets, f*** it." 

At 13, Danielle Bregoli got her fame after appearing on "Dr. Phil" as her mother's out-of-control child. After stealing a "Dr. Phil" crew member's car and being laughed at by the audience, she threatened the crowd, in an infamously iconic way, with, "Cash [sic] me outside, how 'bout that?" Thus was born her rap persona Bhad Bhabie and a life in the spotlight. Since then, Bhad Bhabie has become a highly criticized character, but Bregoli's painful history might explain it. She came out publicly about a dangerous camp for troubled teens that Dr. Phil and her mother sent her to, was having her money stolen by her mother, went to rehab, and experienced sexual abuse.

Six days after her 18th birthday, Bregoli opened an OnlyFans. Her account made $1 million in the first six hours, "It's creepy," she told model and podcast host Emily Ratajkowski about her subscribers, which led to the startling confession, "I was sexually abused as a child ... from when I was three to six and then from when I was thirteen to sixteen." She went on to compare her subscribers, specifically the ones who joined her account the minute she opened it, to pedophiles, but has not expressed regret over starting the page, "Do I think it's a billion percent okay? No. But ... if they ain't gonna find it here, they're gonna find it somewhere." As of this writing, Bregoli has not shared any further details.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

On August 07, 2023, "Let's Make a Deal" host Wayne Brady posted a jovial and well-choreographed TikTok. Accompanied by "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," the video starts with Brady washing dishes and suddenly becomes a grand performance decorated with the rainbow and well-choreographed theatrics and fun that only a true showman would think of. Although highly entertaining, it came with an important message Brady shared in the caption, "As someone who gets to bring joy to others daily on TV, it's been ironic that I don't experience it as much as I'd like ... I've come to see a few truths ... this truth makes me [pansexual] and part of the LGBTQ+ family."

The 51-year-old entertainer told People that he's been attracted to men and non-binary people throughout his life and felt great shame for never pursuing those feelings or being out about them. Brady credited the death of Robin Williams to the beginning of his path to self-discovery, where he started speaking out on mental health issues and exploring his identity. After soul-searching and working in therapy, he came out to his ex-wife Mandie Taketa and their daughter Maile, both of whom support him and his coming out, "I knew coming out would make him happier," Taketa shared. He and his supportive family are set to have a new reality series come out in 2024.

The "Whose Line Is It Anyway" resident singer looks forward to dating but, as of this writing, is focusing on himself.

One of the youngest Grammy winners in the game, Billie Eilish is a worldwide force to be reckoned with. As the world watches her grow up, she's gone through several iterations of herself, from baggy clothes and a creepy album cover to her angelic blonde cover for her sophomore album. Womanhood is something Eilish has been opening up about more. When she started revealing more of her figure, she released a poem, "Not My Responsibility," to tell the world to leave her and her body alone. On her ever-evolving look, she told Variety, "I've never felt like a woman ... I've never felt desirable ... I have to convince myself that I'm, like, a pretty girl." That same publication is honoring Eilish for their Power of Women issue.

There has been buzz about the "Bad Guy" singer's sexuality for years. When she was 17, Eilish was criticized for her song "I Wish You Were Gay." Listeners thought she was queerbaiting, aka pretending to be queer for attention. She denied those claims. In her 2021 music video for "Lost Cause," Eilish is accompanied by girls for a fun and flirty sleepover and captioned the photos on Instagram with "I love girls." Rabid speculation of her bisexuality flooded the internet. Years later, the 21-year-old singer has come out about having an attraction to women. She confesses to Variety about her adoration for women but finds them intimidating because of their presence and beauty. Hey, talk about relatable.

Austin Post's rap persona, Post Malone, became well-known for drinking Bud Lights, smoking weed, and living the rockstar lifestyle. But since the "Beerbongs and Bentleys" rapper became a father, his attitude about recreational drug and alcohol use has changed. During his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Post disclosed his upset over people equating his newfound happiness with being high, "I had my baby, and I'm in a great f***ing spot," he said, "[but] the first thing that happens is [people say] 'Oh, he's on f***ing drugs." The 28-year-old has also lost a considerable amount of weight, which some people attributed to a potential addiction to methamphetamines. Post recognized that some of these assumptions came from people who were genuinely concerned, but others were from people who were choosing to be mean to the new father. On Instagram, Post accredited his weight loss to achieving a healthier lifestyle and finding happiness as a dad (via Stereogum).

Post has also been open about his departure from smoking marijuana despite that being a major identifier in his early career. He told Rogan, "I smoked one bad joint ... ever since then ... I've been, like, watching my life happen." Rogan compared this dissociation to a schizophrenic episode, which Post did not refute. Post said his friends identify this sensation as depersonalization, which could have been caused by smoking regular THC or a joint laced with a narcotic. Either way, the experience inspired a split from marijuana and all hard drugs.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).