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Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a disorder that affects children who were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. FAS leads to brain damage and developmental problems, as well as other intellectual impairments. With the upsurge of awareness regarding alcohol use in recent times, more and more severe fetal alcohol syndrome celebrities are opening up about their specific conditions.
Despite the fact that the consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome differ from child to child, they are irreversible. This indicates that the effects of FAS can remain throughout adulthood.
Most of the time, you can tell if a baby has fetal alcohol syndrome by looking at the specific male and female fetal alcohol syndrome face structure and physical features. For example, a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome will have small eyes, a short, upturned nose, a thin upper lip, and smooth skin between the nose and the upper lip. Joint, finger and limb deformities are prevalent. It is common to observe slow physical development before and after birth. These people may have had smooth skin between the nose and upper lip (no crease), small eye sockets, and flattened cheekbones throughout childhood.
In addition, fetal alcohol syndrome can disrupt a fetus’s growth and neurodevelopment, which can have long-lasting consequences. This damage can spread and affect visible body parts such as the lips, eyes, fingers, and toes.
While some of the symptoms of FAS may not be identified or discovered, even through intimate interaction with those who have it, the reality remains that there are a large number of famous people with FAS. The majority of people manage this ailment with the use of medicine or surgery, while others exhibit few evident symptoms.
Alcoholism does not selectively target its victims. Throughout the years, there have been hundreds of celebrities and famous people with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Here, we will disclose some celebrities with FAS, some of whom you never knew to have this condition.
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders is a prominent American activist and politician recognized for his contributions to U.S. politics. He served as the U.S. representative for Vermont from 1991 to 2007 and is now the junior U.S. senator.
Sanders was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on September 8, 1941. Sanders is also suffering from hernias, diverticulitis, gout, and a cyst on his vocal cords, in addition to fetal alcohol syndrome.
Due to features like small eyes, lack of impulse control, and poor social skills, his FAS was eventually diagnosed. Sanders is believed to have acquired the condition due to his mother’s heavy alcohol use during pregnancy.
Therefore, Sanders funds FAS groups and alcohol treatment facilities. He has also publicly urged his supporters to seek treatment for alcoholism if they are pregnant in order to protect their unborn children from fetal alcohol syndrome.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix, an American actor, activist, and producer is one of many famous people with fetal alcohol syndrome. On October 28, 1974, he was born to Arlyn Bottom and John Lee. Despite his birth into a pious family, he and his four siblings had a difficult life due to their alcoholic mother.
A closer inspection of Phoenix’s face reveals a scar from his upper lip to his nose. This is a sign of a microform cleft lip, an oral or facial deformity that arises in early pregnancy in unborn children. Phoenix is among the many celebrities with FAS who were born into an alcoholic household.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is one of the most vocal celebrities about having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He notified the Hollywood Reporter in 2018 that his mother was hooked to painkillers. She was extremely ill in multiple ways. She was also attractive, but she was the daughter of alcoholics and had problems. Carrey admitted further that he had many abandonment issues as a result of his mother’s persistent addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout his youth.
While he adds that his mother was present as often as possible, she was absent mentally owing to her dependence on painkillers. Jim Carrey allegedly experiences involuntary facial contortions, joint deformities, and uncontrollable sporadic seizures as a consequence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but despite these reported severe effects of FAS, he remains one of the most famous comedians of all time.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has fetal alcohol syndrome, albeit to a lesser extent than some well-known celebrities. No one would ever realize that Witherspoon had FAS based on her acting performances in The Man in the Moon and Legally Blonde.
Witherspoon was born on March 22, 1976, to Mary Elizabeth and John Witherspoon. Unfortunately, like the other stars on our list who were born with fetal alcohol syndrome, Witherspoon’s mother drank frequently during her pregnancy.
The Hollywood celebrity displays classic FAS symptoms, including a slight upper lip, a deformed cranium, and learning impairments. On top of these physical traits, Witherspoon is infamous for her mood swings and poor personal cleanliness. Despite this, she continued to pursue her dreams.
Peter Bowers
After being diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, renowned DJ Peter Bowers discussed his challenges with learning and loneliness in an interview with BBC. Bowers had learning issues as a child as a result of his mother’s frequent drinking during pregnancy, and he exhibits common traits of persons with the disorder, like a thin upper lip and small eyes. Despite these obstacles, Bowers harbors no ill will toward his mother, and he has overcome the effects of FAS to become one of the most famous DJs.
Daniel Radcliffe
While he initially waited till he was 19 to declare that he suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome side effects, actor Daniel Radcliffe is now arguably the most vocal about FAS side effects in the public eye. He disclosed his dyspraxia to the Daily Mail, a popular British tabloid, at the age of 19, along with this information. Dyspraxia is a deficit of coordination that made it challenging for the Harry Potter actor to properly tie his shoes or write.
Daniel has been quite open about his diagnostic process and the symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as a grownup, after falling behind in school and enduring significant difficulties. He has had a great deal of success in raising awareness for FAS, stating that it is grossly underdiagnosed in comparison to other learning impairments like dyslexia and ADHD.
Even though FAS is frequently unrecognized as a learning impairment, Daniel informs the public that 6 to 10% of all children exhibit evidence of dyspraxia, a coordination disorder caused by alcohol use by a pregnant mother.
Morgan Fawcett
Morgan Fawcett, a 19-year-old Tlingit flutist with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), has a condition that is difficult to believe. He has three studio albums, a non-profit organization called One Heart Creations, and a speaking career.
Morgan was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder at the age of 15. He feels compelled to spread awareness about FASD among Native American youth and the general public. Morgan has promoted FASD awareness in school assemblies, colleges, churches, community colleges, hospitals, and other venues. In addition to offering flutes to at-risk adolescents and impoverished individuals, he has launched a flute program that has distributed over 650 Native flutes to those in need.
Kate Hudson
The daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson has shown enough symptoms of someone with FAS, and her own activities as a pregnant lady have triggered many debates and raised concerns when she was found consuming the same thing that contributed to her problem. Frequently, Hudson has herself in hot water for her unpredictable conduct and questionable choices, which are similar to those her famed mother and stepfather have made for themselves.
In addition, Goldie Hawn’s distant behavior while carrying Kate Hudson significantly influenced the eventual separation and divorce between herself and Bill Hudson. This is mentioned in an interview with the Daily Mail of the United Kingdom. Moreover, Kate’s delivery problems were so severe that it is still considered a miracle that she survived.
Madonna
Not only is Madonna’s physical look indicative of a lady battling FAS, but her actions also demonstrate this. She, like nearly every other celebrity who is known for taking their artistic expression to lengths, has taken this chaotic behavior into her personal life. There is a swarm of documented evidence indicating the woman’s FAS condition is there, even though she appears to be able to make things work for the most part.
Resource References:
- Celebrities with FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), Banyan Treatment Center. Available at: https://www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/2022/06/29/celebrities-with-fas-fetal-alcohol-syndrome-chicago.
- This is what it’s like to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, SELF. Available at: https://www.self.com/story/what-fetal-alcohol-syndrome-is-like.
- 7 celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome, Oasis Recovery Center. Available at: https://www.or-nc.com/celebrities-with-fetal-alcohol-syndrome.
- Celebrities born with fetal alcohol syndrome, Celebrity Toob. Available at: https://celebritytoob.com/celebrities-born-with-fetal-alcohol-syndrome.
