You know what’s mad? Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, sports and music have ADHD. And I’m not talking about the ones “who might have”; these are people who have admitted to having ADHD.
ADHD doesn’t make life easy while you’re growing up. You’re the kid who can’t concentrate in class, you forget your homework, and you get told off for fidgeting. But just take a look at these celebrities with ADHD — they used all of that boundless energy to create something amazing.
Tom Holland
So Tom Holland just went ahead in September 2025 and told everyone he has ADHD & dyslexia. The “Spider-Man” actor said that sometimes blank canvases freak him out a little bit when he’s preparing for roles. But you know what? He works through it using play and creativity. His mum and dad didn’t make him feel rubbish for struggling at school.
They simply said, ‘Do your best.’ Now he’s engaged to Zendaya and starring as one of Marvel’s most beloved superheroes. Not bad, eh?
Simone Biles
This woman is very talented. Seven Olympic golds. Twenty-five World Championship medals. When her medical records were hacked and released by them in 2016, she could have hidden away. No, instead she went on Twitter and was like, ‘Yeah, I have ADHD; I take medicine for it.’ They diagnosed her when she was a kid, and she’s never been shy about it. That takes guts.
Barry Keoghan
This Irish lad from Saltburn always knew he had ADHD, but didn’t learn about it until he was in his late twenties.
In 2023, he told Esquire his brain used to be something of a traffic jam — well, hectic. When he started on medication, it calmed down a little bit. One car goes, then another. He said more adults need to talk about this because it’s not just a kid thing.
Ed Helms
You know him from The Office and The Hangover. Got diagnosed as an adult. He got pretty emotional talking about it on a podcast in July 2025. He read a book called Driven to Distraction, and he started crying because it was too real. He said being diagnosed had given him a compass, even as he was struggling to put the pieces together. You have to give him credit for being so straight up.
Lisa Ling
This journalist was filming a TV show about ADHD when she realised, Hang on, this is me. She was 40 when she had that test. Turned out she had it. She said her head was spinning but that she felt relieved. For years, she had been kicking herself for her inability to concentrate; now she finally knew why.
Sam Fender
The Geordie singer believes his ADHD is a superpower. When you’re in that kind of hyper-focused state, it feels like nothing else has any relevance. He’s written plenty of songs in that state. He’s really proud of having ADHD and doesn’t perceive it as a bad thing. And the truth is, when you actually listen to his music, you can hear that intensity.
Hilaria Baldwin
Hilaria wrote about being neurodivergent “since she was a kid” in a book she published in May 2025. She always had to work twice as hard as everyone else. She was embarrassed by it as a child.
Now it’s become less stigmatised, so she can talk about it without feeling embarrassed. That shame she hauled around for years? She’s letting it go.
Nelly Furtado
Nelly got diagnosed after caring for her two youngest kids, who are six and five now. She’s been dead open about it in 2025. She told TODAY.com that ADHD can be absolutely rubbish at home but brilliant when you’re creating music.
She’s got inattentive ADHD and reckons playing instruments six days a week as a kid kept her on track. Now she’s learning how her brain works and wants other people to understand theirs too.
Busy Philipps
Got diagnosed about six or seven years ago. Since then? She’s had the best years of her career. Funny how finally understanding what’s going on with your brain can actually help you do better work. She’s been quite vocal about the whole thing.
Michael Phelps
The most decorated Olympian ever. Twenty-eight medals, 23 of them gold. His mum was brilliant when he got diagnosed at nine. If he didn’t want to read books, she’d give him sports pages instead. Swimming became his way of coping with ADHD.
The routine and structure gave him something to channel all that energy into. Without ADHD, maybe he wouldn’t have become the swimmer he is.
Zoe Saldaña
The Avatar actress didn’t know she had dyslexia and ADHD growing up. She felt isolated, like something was always a bit off. Dance and acting helped her feel at peace. She reckons feeling like an outsider actually helped her land those sci-fi roles.
She won a Golden Globe and an Oscar in 2025 for Emilia Pérez. One of those young celebrities with ADHD who’s absolutely smashing it.
Will.i.am
The Black Eyed Peas member told Britain’s Sunday Mirror that his ADHD traits—always moving, thinking about loads of things—work great in studios and creative meetings.
If he had a normal desk job, he’d be terrible at it. But in music? Perfect. He doesn’t take medication. Just uses strategies to manage it.
Justin Timberlake
He’s got ADHD and OCD. In 2008, he declared, “You try living with that.” It’s obviously been difficult for him. Yet he’s still somehow become one of the biggest names in entertainment. Sometimes you’ve got multiple things going on, and that makes everything more complicated.
Howie Mandel
He’s got both ADHD and OCD. Didn’t even get his high school diploma. But his parents were supportive, his wife’s supportive, and he’s turned it into part of his comedy routine. He’s been a spokesman for campaigns about adult ADHD. Taking control of your own story—that’s powerful.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson’s ADHD is something the ADHD Foundation confirmed she’s had since childhood. She was diagnosed and medicated while filming the Harry Potter films.
Watson earned straight As at GCSE and A-Level, then got a degree in English Literature from Brown University. She’s been a UN Goodwill Ambassador. Properly accomplished.
The fact that she managed all that whilst dealing with combined/hyperactive type ADHD shows how capable people with the condition can be when they get proper support.
Paris Hilton
Diagnosed as a kid. She’s been living with it for years and says it’s got easier to manage as she’s grown older. Getting diagnosed young meant she could learn strategies early on.
Channing Tatum
The Magic Mike star has been honest about struggling with ADHD at school and still dealing with it as an adult. He’s starred in loads of critically acclaimed films. It doesn’t just disappear when you grow up, but you can still achieve whatever you want.
Ryan Gosling
Had trouble reading as a kid. Got diagnosed with ADHD. He was bullied at school because of his struggles. His mum homeschooled him and encouraged him to act. Now he’s been in The Notebook, La La Land, and Barbie. His mum’s support changed everything for him.
Greta Gerwig
The Barbie director says her ADHD gives her enthusiasm, creativity, and energy. She doesn’t see it as negative. She sees it as something that helps her work. That perspective—seeing ADHD as a source of creativity instead of just a problem—changes everything.
Trevor Noah
The comedian and former Daily Show host has talked about his ADHD. His quick wit and jumping between topics? That might actually be helped by the way his brain works. Famous actors with ADHD, like Trevor, show that it can be an advantage in certain jobs.
What Does This All Mean?
Here’s the deal: these celebrities with ADHD aren’t thriving despite their condition. I’d say a good portion of them would say that it has actually helped them. That level of hyper-focus when they are passionate about something, and that creativity and different way of thinking — all of that can come with ADHD.
But let’s be real. ADHD is hard. These are people who have talked about how much they’ve struggled at school, felt different, and had a really hard time with stuff to do with everyday. Some take medication; some don’t. Some were diagnosed young, others late in life. There is no correct way to address it.
The brilliant thing is the fact they are speaking out. When Simone Biles wins Olympic gold and Tom Holland stars in a “Spider-Man” movie, and then they tell you that they have ADHD, it makes things easier for people who’ve just been diagnosed. It shows them they can still do whatever they want to do.
The number of women getting diagnosed in midlife has shot up. A report from 2023 said that over half of people with ADHD are diagnosed after they become adults, and more than half of them are women. That’s because ADHD presents differently in women.
Instead of being hyperactive, they are frequently overwhelmed by scattered thoughts and a sense that it is impossible to get everything done. These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression for years before someone figures out that what’s really going on is ADHD.
When celebrities like Lisa Ling, Busy Philipps, and Nelly Furtado talk about being diagnosed later in life, it helps other women recognise themselves. It permits them to get help.
Some celebrities deal with both ADHD and autism, showing that brains work in all sorts of ways. The more we talk about it, the better we understand that being neurodivergent doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It just means your brain’s wired differently.
The Takeaway
ADHD doesn’t define you. It does not put a ceiling on what you can do. If you want to be an athlete or actor, or musician with ADHD, it means you just might need different strategies.
Many of these celebrities have spoken about the importance of support, from parents and partners, but also doctors and therapists. Some use medication; others don’t. It’s about finding what works for your brain and not being ashamed to ask for help.
So the next time anyone tells you ADHD will hold you back, think about this list. Recall Tom Holland studying his lines. Remember Simone Biles winning gold. And remember all these people who’ve shown that having a brain that works differently can actually be your biggest strength.
ADHD isn’t the end of the story. It’s just part of who you are. And that’s alright.
