15 Successful and Famous People With ADHD

Nandini Goswami
9 Min Read

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ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a chronic condition that includes a short attention span, getting easily distracted, making silly mistakes, being unable to concentrate with daily to-do tasks, inability to follow instructions, difficulty organizing things, and many more.

Let’s read about some famous people with ADHD.

1. Famous People With ADHD: Simone Biles

Simone Biles
Simone Biles during the world gymnastics championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

Olympic gold medalist and winner of 19 world championships gymnast Simone Biles have ADHD. It became public after a hacker tried to reveal confidential medical records, which is how we got to know that she takes Ritalin, a widespread medication for ADHD. After this, the Olympic darling tweeted her views about ADHD, and she is not ashamed of having this disorder, and she is not scared to let people know.

2. Famous People With ADHD: Adam Levine

Singer
Adam Levine in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The frontman of Maroon 5 and the ‘Voice’ coach still has ADHD. In an article for the ADDitude Magazine, the singer opened up about his trouble writing songs and recording them in the studio. He said he was unable to focus and concentrate on work. He shared an incident with the magazine when he was 30 and had a few ideas in mind but couldn’t document them due to ADHD.

3. Famous People With ADHD: Solange Knowles

Singer
Solange Knowles at The Town Hall in New York City.

Musical and fashion sensation Solange Knowles also has ADHD.

She opened up about her dilemma of having ADHD. She was diagnosed with this disorder twice, but she didn’t believe the first doctor because she thought that ADHD is a made thing they invented to ‘make you pay for the medicine.’ But then, the second doctor diagnosed her with ADHD as well.

4. Famous People With ADHD: Leonardo Da Vinci

Artist

The Renaissance inventor, architect, painter, mathematician Leonardo Da Vinci also had ADHD. Few sources and studies of King’s College, London, have revealed that the Mona Lisa painter had ADHD.

5. Famous People With ADHD: Channing Tatum

Actor
Channing Tatum at West Hall At Los Angeles Convention Center

Magic Mike actor Channing Tatum struggled with dyslexia and ADHD while growing up. He opened up with the New York Times in an interview, and he shared his childhood struggles with ADHD and talked about how he never considered himself a smart person. He even went on to say how his ADHD seemed significant and at the same time insignificant in between classes with normal children and classes with kids having Down Syndrome and autism.

6. Famous People With ADHD: Emma Watson

Actor
Emma Watson attending the world premiere of “Little Women”  at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

We all know Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.  Watson has never openly talked about ADHD or her struggle with it, but many sources reveal that Emma Watson was diagnosed with this disorder when she was a kid.

7. Famous People With ADHD: Lisa Ling

Journalist
Lisa Ling at the Kelly Clarkson Show

At the age of 40, when she officially got diagnosed with this chronic condition, Lisa commented that her head was spinning. But at the same time, she felt relieved because she knew the cause behind her inability to concentrate for years and was hoping to become better by cure.

8. Famous People With ADHD: Ryan Gosling

Actor
Ryan Gosling at The 24th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Ryan Gosling talked about his struggle with ADHD. He said that when he was a kid, the school kept promoting him to different classes even though he did not know how to do basic things like reading and following instructions.

9. Famous People With ADHD: Will Smith

Actor
Will Smith attends Variety’s Creative Impact Awards

Will Smith is not only an incredible actor; he is a rapper and a producer as well. Smith personally claimed that he has ADHD disorder. According to’ Forbes, Will Smith is the ‘most bankable star’ Naturally, his success despite having this disorder shows that he has ‘will’ power.

10. Famous People With ADHD: Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton at 2020 American Music Awards

Socialite Paris Hilton is living her life with ADHD. In an interview with Larry King, Paris Hilton opened up, saying that she has been diagnosed with ADHD since she was a child and she takes medication, but she did not let this disorder take the upper-hand of her life.

11. Famous People With ADHD: Will.i.am

The lead member of The Black Eyed Peas also has ADHD. He gives all the credits of his creativity to this chronic condition and likes to look at the positive effects because he has figured out a way of working with it. He said music keeps him sane and distracted from this chronic disorder., which is a great positive approach.

12. Famous People With ADHD: Agatha Christie

Writer
English detective novelist Agatha Christie

The expert writer of the murder and detective series and the creator of iconic detective characters like Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie, had never been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD in her lifetime, but she had issues due to dysgraphia. We still get hooked on her books, which definitely bears the evidence that Christie must have mental strength not to let the ailment overpower her.

13. Famous People With ADHD: Justin Timberlake

Singer
The Actor Justin Timberlake attends the movie “Trolls World Tour” at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria.

It is so difficult to believe that such an amazing singer and actor, Justin Timberlake suffers from ‘OCD mixed with ADD.’ He is famous despite this and did not let the disease overpower him.

14. Famous People With ADHD: Michael Phelps

Swimmer
Former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps attending a Panasonic press event for CES 2020 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center

The Olympic champion, Michael Phelps, was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 9, and his mother provided him with willpower and encouraged him to swim. Since then, his mom has been his hero.  Today he holds the record of having the world’s highest Olympic medals in swimming-28 in all.

15. Famous People With ADHD: Dave Grohl

famous people with adhd
Dave Grohl, the frontman of Foo Fighters, performs onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards

In a youtube video of July 2020, the former member of Nirvana revealed his diagnosis with ADHD when he was a kid by explaining his bad performance and an early exit from high school. But this did not deter him from becoming a famous singer and musician.

An estimated rate of 8.4 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults suffer from ADHD. Since ADHD has several common symptoms, it is hard to fathom it. This chronic condition is very common and non-curable. But, proper medication and therapy can improve the state of suffering.

Do you know about any other known personality with ADHD? Let us know in the comment section below. – Top 15 Famous People With ADHD

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