Today’s subject is a little happier. That’s because the subject, Courtney Love, has struggled with substance use disorder but is still alive.
Love is a successful singer, songwriter, and actress. Most people know her from her rock band Hole, a band she started in 1989. The band gained fame for songs such as “Miss World” and “Doll Parts” and albums such as Live through This and Celebrity Skin.
In addition to her singing career, Ms. Love is also an accomplished actress. She has appeared in a number of movies, including Sid & Nancy (1986) and Man in the Moon (1999). She even earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996).
Clearly, Courtney Love’s an accomplished woman. Sadly, though, Love is also known for her drug abuse. She admitted that she took heroin while she was pregnant with her daughter Frances Bean. The baby was healthy, although child protective services did investigate Love and her husband.
The husband in question was the acclaimed singer and songwriter Kurt Cobain, leader of the popular band Nirvana. Cobain had his own struggles with addiction and depression. He committed suicide in 1994.
After Cobain’s death, Love took on many of the most famous roles of her film career. She also gained notoriety for appearing under the influence of alcohol or drugs in public. In one famous incident, she appeared to be drunk during an appearance on the talk show The Late Show with David Letterman.
In recent years, Love has remained her opinionated self but has appeared to be more sober. In 2015, she appeared on the television series Empire and also returned to The Late Show with David Letterman to joke about her previous appearance.
She has also mentioned how young entertainers have asked her how to handle their own substance use disorder issues. This has prompted Love to joke that she must be some kind of “junkie Auntie Mame.”
Courtney Love’s struggles and successes illustrate the problems that substance use disorder can cause, but also demonstrate that people can recover from this abuse. With any luck, they can achieve success again and be able to laugh.
