8 celebrities who have openly discussed their battle with sex addiction

From A$AP Rocky to Jada Pinkett Smith, countless celebrities have held their underwear up and confessed to believing they have a sex addiction.

Sex addiction — sometimes referred to as compulsive sexual behaviour or hypersexual disorder — is a condition where a person becomes unable to control persistent sexual thoughts, urges, or behaviours despite negative consequences in their life.

While “sex addiction” is widely used in popular culture, the medical and psychological communities often prefer terms like “compulsive sexual behaviour disorder” (CSBD). The condition is officially recognised by the World Health Organisation in the ICD-11 classification system.

Common signs can include:

• Obsessive sexual thoughts that interfere with daily life
• Repeated sexual behaviours that feel difficult or impossible to stop
• Using sex, pornography, hookups, or masturbation to cope with stress, loneliness, anxiety, or depression
• Continuing behaviours despite damage to relationships, work, finances, or mental health
• Feelings of shame, guilt, or loss of control afterwards

Importantly, having a high sex drive is not automatically the same as sex addiction. The key distinction is compulsive behaviour and harmful consequences, not simply frequency of sexual activity.

Experts believe compulsive sexual behaviour can be linked to:

• Trauma or emotional distress
• Anxiety or depression
• Substance abuse disorders
• Impulse-control difficulties
• Neurological reward-system patterns similar to other addictions

Treatment may involve:

• Therapy (especially cognitive behavioural therapy)
• Support groups
• Addressing underlying mental health conditions
• Medication in some cases

Here are eight celebrities who have openly admitted to addiction.

Russell Brand

• The comedian and actor has spoken extensively about addiction, including sex addiction, in interviews and his memoirs. He has described compulsive sexual behaviour as part of a broader addictive personality.  

Tiger Woods

• Following his highly publicised 2009 scandal, Woods entered therapy for sex addiction and publicly acknowledged seeking treatment.

David Duchovny

• The X-Files star publicly entered rehab for sex addiction in 2008 and later discussed the experience with the media.

Jada Pinkett Smith

• On Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith admitted she believed she had “a sex addiction of some kind” when she was younger, describing obsessive behaviour patterns.

Lamar Odom

• Odom discussed his struggles with sex addiction in interviews and in his memoir, connecting it to deeper emotional and substance abuse issues.

Andra Day

• The Grammy-nominated singer revealed she battled both sex and pornography addiction, saying she wanted to avoid glamorising hypersexuality in her work.

A$AP Rocky

• In an interview on Untold Stories of Hip Hop, Rocky openly referred to himself as a “sex addict” and said the behaviour began in adolescence.

Ozzy Osbourne

• Osbourne’s representatives confirmed in 2016 that he was receiving treatment for sex addiction amid reports about his personal life. 

Written by VavaViolet Magazine's Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Sophie Blackman