Behind the Glamour: Celebrities and Their Smoking Habits

Curious to know which celebrities still smoke in private?

Celebrities in Hollywood are known for their glamorous lifestyles and meticulously manicured public images. But behind the red carpets, designer outfits and perfect smiles, many stars are still hooked on cigarettes.

Let’s look at the surprising list of stars who smoke in private.

The Smoking Problem

The numbers tell a mixed tale. Celebrity smoking has declined overall, but not nearly as fast as the general population.

Smoking rates in the US have plummeted, thanks to public health campaigns and increasing taxes on cigarettes. But among celebrities, the habit persists. New research by the American Lung Association estimates that approximately 18% of celebrities still smoke cigarettes and these numbers have remained relatively stable in recent years.

What you’ll learn:

• Why do Stars Still Smoke Despite the Health Risks
• The Most Shocking Celebrity Smokers You Never Knew About
• How Social Media is Glamorizing Smoking “Cool” Again
• The Real Impact on Their Careers and Reputation

The Shocking Stars Who Still Smoke Cigarettes

Some of these names are truly shocking.

Jennifer Lawrence, Gwyneth Paltrow and even Wellness Guru types like Jennifer Aniston. It’s quite a headscratcher when you think about it. Celebrities who can afford the world’s top health and wellness consultants can’t kick the habit.

But the statistics that blew me away…

Approximately 30% of celebrity smokers are actors. 25% are musicians and 20% are athletes. The entertainment industry has the strongest grip on smoking.

Dakota Johnson was caught smoking in 2017 at the Met Gala in a controversial bathroom photo. Jenna Ortega became a viral meme in 2023 after her mother (who is a nurse) took to Instagram with warnings about her daughter’s health.

Lady Gaga candidly admitted to smoking 40 cigarettes a day at one point before she quit “cold turkey.” She described it as “brutal,” but started again while making the movie House of Gucci.

The Reasons Celebrities Continue to Smoke

Here’s the unfortunate reality.

Despite having access to the world’s most expensive health and wellness programs, stars continue smoking for several reasons:

• Stress relief. The entertainment industry is notorious for being incredibly high-pressure and demanding.
• Social influence. On film sets where many other actors smoke, picking up the habit can be common.
• Image and character. Smoking roles often lead to real-life addiction. It becomes part of their personal image.
• Rebellion. Many stars want to push back against the “perfect” images they are supposed to portray.

Think about it — if you’re under public scrutiny 24/7, smoking may feel like one of the few “normal” things you can do. Many celebrity smokers mention it as a way of coping with career stress.

Acting and filming roles also trap some stars into smoking. Cillian Murphy smoked an astonishing 3,000 cigarettes during filming for the movie Oppenheimer. When asked, the actor told The Guardian: “My next character will not be a smoker.”

Meet the “Cigfluencer” Trend

Here’s an interesting development.

Celebrities don’t even hide their smoking photos on social media anymore. Instagram has a dedicated account called @cigfluencers which has more than 57,000 followers simply posting photos of celebrities smoking cigarettes.

The social media account which glamorizes smoking culture posts both modern and retro smoking photos of A-listers lighting up. The account’s owner Jared Oviatt even gave an interview recently praising actress Anya Taylor-Joy for her smoking “effortlessness.”

Health experts worry that this type of glamorization makes smoking look cool again, especially with young social media users. Stars with huge followings posting these photos are just as guilty.

Some celebrities have even been caught with specific brands such as Canadian Cigarettes.

The Real Health Effects of Smoking For Celebs

OK let’s take a serious minute.

The numbers can’t be ignored. Smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that globally one in five adults consume tobacco products. That is down from one in three in 2000 but still staggeringly high.

Celebrities are not immune to these health effects:

• Increased risk of lung cancer.
• Cardiovascular problems. Cigarette smoke narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
• Respiratory diseases. Smoking causes emphysema, bronchitis and chronic asthma.
• Premature aging (bad for people who rely on their looks).

The real danger is the normalization and glamorization of smoking to celebrity fans. Public health experts point to youth being especially impressionable to the behaviors they see from their idols in the media.

Stars Who Quit Smoking Successfully

There is also a list of A-listers who have given up the smoking habit.

Matt Damon says he quit smoking cigarettes through hypnosis after a hypnotist opened his eyes to the physical effects of cigarettes on the body.

Ashton Kutcher picked up Allen Carr’s book “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” and hasn’t had a cigarette since.

Prince Harry quit smoking before he married Meghan Markle. Multiple sources credit “Meghan is a beautiful influence on Harry.”

Popstar Adele managed to quit smoking cigarettes, and says she has never felt better since making that life choice.

Social Media and the “Cool” Factor of Smoking

Here’s what recent research shows.

Smoking among the stars has changed dramatically in the age of social media. It used to be that you might catch stars smoking in candid paparazzi photos. But today some famous people are actually posting photos of themselves smoking on Instagram for all to see.

For some reason, Instagram content from celebrities smoking directly to millions of fans is incredibly powerful. The comments prove it. One Instagram post of singer Dua Lipa showing off cigarettes got a comment that read: “The fact that you smoke occasionally is super sexy.”

The concern is that these glamorized, filtered photos of celebrity smoking are being seen by young fans who would otherwise never be exposed to cigarettes.

The Impact Celebrity Smoking Has on Careers

Does it actually hurt star power to smoke?

So far, smoking has not significantly dented the careers of celebrities. A-listers who smoke still get major roles and earn huge salaries.

It is harder to secure sponsorships with health and wellness brands when you are a known smoker. Selling yoga products while smoking a cigarette is an uphill battle.

Actors also mention physical performance struggles when smoking, especially for those action stars who do their own stunts.

The Future of Smoking and Celebrity

Is this the end of the celebrity smoking trend or just the beginning?

Smoking rates in the general population are steadily falling. But it is not translating to the stars. Celebrity smoking is having a renaissance. Netflix’s popular show “The Bear” features characters that smoke. And “Cigfluencers” on social media are glamorizing the habit more than ever.

Public health researchers worry that a strong enough celebrity smoking trend could reverse decades of hard work to reduce youth smoking rates. The influence stars have over fan behavior is well studied.

On the other hand, celebrities are also speaking openly about how difficult it is to quit and the health impacts they face. Hopefully, more transparency about the real struggles with nicotine addiction may give fans a better idea of what smoking is really like.

Final Thoughts

Stars smoking is a modern cultural contradiction. On one hand, these are people who can afford the most expensive health and wellness programs in the world. Yet they still are slaves to their nicotine addiction.

Celebrities are just human. They face the same stresses, peer pressure and temptations as the rest of us. The only difference is that their every move is magnified by the media and on social platforms. Celebrities can influence millions of fans.

We should be a lot more compassionate about stars who try to quit and honest about how hard nicotine addiction really is.

For smokers and non-smokers, the health effects are the same. Despite what the Instagram filters make it seem, smoking is far from glamorous in the long run.