7 Celebrities with Hearing Loss

If you don’t know anyone else who suffers from hearing loss, you may have felt that hearing loss only affects you. On the contrary, studies show that 28.8 million American adults could benefit from the use of hearing aids.

Hearing loss really can affect anyone, for a variety of reasons, and that includes celebrities!

Several celebrities have spoken out about their experiences to help decrease the stigma around hearing loss.

Whoopi Goldberg, perhaps best known for her performance in contemporary classics such as ‘Sister Act’ and ‘Ghost’, suffers from hearing loss and wears hearing aids. She is a proponent for prevention, as she claims that her hearing loss is a result of listening to loud music over several years – something that a lot of us can relate to! (AARP)

Even former Presidents can suffer from hearing loss! Saxophone-playing Mr Clinton suffered from hearing loss for years, but tried to ignore it. He was eventually diagnosed with a high-frequency hearing deficiency, which is one of the most common types of hearing loss. He has admitted to having a tough time hearing during noisy political rallies, but he is currently treating his hearing loss through the use of two in-canal hearing aids.

Halle Berry: a name synonymous with beauty and glamour. Ms Berry also suffers from hearing loss, but it is a direct result of domestic violence, through which she lost 80% of her hearing in one ear. Her story is a reminder that not all hearing loss comes simply from getting older, and is further proof that any sort of stigma around hearing loss is ill-founded.

William Shatner is probably best known for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in ‘Star Trek’, but this role also showed him the importance of taking steps to prevent hearing loss. When he was playing Captain Kirk, there was an explosion on the set, which he now considers to be the cause of his tinnitus. He now supports research for a cure to tinnitus and is a member of the American Tinnitus Association.

Another on-set mishap led to a loss of 40% of Robert Redford’s hearing in his left ear after he filmed ‘All Is Lost’. As part of his role as a sailor lost at sea, Redford spent several days filming scenes in water. All of this exposure led to a severe ear infection, which permanently damaged his hearing. Robert Redford provides yet another example of how important prevention can be, especially if you spend a lot of your time swimming or sailing!

The political satirist and talk show host Stephen Colbert has suffered from hearing loss throughout most of his life. When he was a child, he was required to undergo an operation to remove a tumor in his ear, which also resulted in the removal of his eardrum! He is now entirely deaf in one ear as a result.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Rush Limbaugh currently uses two cochlear implants to improve his hearing. There is some speculation (ABC News) as to what caused his hearing loss, but one thing is for certain – his use of hearing aids has allowed him to stay in the game and continue his long-running political radio show.

No matter what your background, job or age, hearing loss is a lot more commonplace than you may think. You shouldn’t hold back from talking to others about your experiences. You may be able to help someone else in preventing their hearing loss too!

For more information on these celebrities and their hearing loss, visit: Everyday Hearing, Age UK Hearing Loss, ATA.org, or The NY Times.