Famous People Who Have Been Open About Their Battle With OCD

Academy Award-winning actor and climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio has been associated with OCD due to his portrayal of Howard Hughes in the film 'The Aviator.' Hughes suffered from severe symptoms of OCD. DiCaprio has spoken about minor compulsions that resemble those of OCD, such as avoiding cracks in the sidewalk, the urge to step on gum stains, and the compulsion to walk through doors multiple times. It is unclear whether DiCaprio has been diagnosed with OCD or received therapy. Although DiCaprio's OCD is not as severe as the real-life character he portrayed, he has admitted to struggling with various compulsions, including the compulsion to repeatedly walk through doors and the urge to step on gum stains.

Daniel Radcliffe - The star of the 'Harry Potter' film series, and also a stage and film actor, has spoken about how OCD challenges affected him when he was just 5 years old. Radcliffe said that one of his compulsions was the need to constantly repeat whatever he said, quietly so no one would notice. Ultimately, he was referred to a therapist and encourages others dealing with the condition to seek therapy as well.

David Beckham likes to keep his shirts in order by lining them up in the closet according to their color. While many people may do that, he takes it a step further and does the same for all the food in his fridge. The footballer has three refrigerators, one for food, one for salad, and one for drinks, as shared by his wife Victoria Beckham to the 'Daily Mail'. She said, "In the drinks one, everything is symmetrical. If there are three cans of Diet Coke, I would throw one away for have an even number". "He has that obsessive-compulsive behavior where everything has to match up."

Cameron Diaz opens doors with her elbows just to avoid touching germ-infested doorknobs. The star of 'Shrek' and 'Charlie's Angels' has admitted to cleaning the doorknobs in her Los Angeles home so much that the original paint has faded. She has also said that she washes her hands "many times" a day. However, perhaps her obsession has lessened a bit. In May 2007, she told a reporter, "I think I've come to terms with that."

Jessica Alba - The actress and businesswoman, has said that as a child she battled health problems such as asthma, pneumonia and kidney problems that kept her sick several times a year. Her health problems left her feeling out of control, which led her to feel the need to control other things. "I used to unplug all the appliances in my house. Or I would double check every door in my house to make sure it was locked at night," she said in an article about celebrities with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She added that it was like a panic attack coming over her and she needed to control something.

Charlize Theron said in a radio interview that she has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), adding that the condition "isn't fun at all." Describing some of her obsessions, she talked about needing to keep everything in order and thinking about things that didn't belong in her closets, and the anxiety was so strong that she had trouble sleeping. She also said that having children helped her overcome some of her anxieties.

Amanda Seyfried recently portrayed "Elizabeth Holmes", the controversial founder of Theranos, in the Hulu series 'The Dropout.' Seyfried has also spoken publicly about being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after her role in the 2004 film 'Mean Girls.' In an interview, she shared that she takes medication for the condition and that her decision to speak openly about her struggles did not negatively impact her career.

Justin Timberlake has also admitted to having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He was quoted by the website 'Collider.com' as saying: "I have OCD combined with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). You try to live with it. Both conditions can make life incredibly challenging at times."

Katy Perry struggles with more than just fame or success. The star admits to being an extreme germaphobe and practices "crazy cleaning rituals in her house." She has spoken on occasion about her struggle: "I'm so obsessive-compulsive," Perry said in an interview. "I always want to put things in alphabetical order. I'm also a bit like Howard Hughes with germs."

Camila Cabello, the award-winning singer-songwriter, has said that after being diagnosed with OCD, she was able to manage the symptoms and finally face the condition. "I didn't know what it was," she said in an interview with 'Teen Vogue,' "and when I found out [learned] how to take a step back, it made me feel so much better."