Luke Andrews, Senior Health Reporter, Dailymail.Com
Updated on June 23, 2024 at 01:45 and June 23, 2024 at 01:47
They promote green juice cleanses, sunrise yoga classes and wellness retreats, but behind their healthy images, some “it” celebrities are hiding a bad habit: smoking.
America's best friend Jennifer Aniston was a heavy smoker early in her career, but was spotted lighting up a cigarette again on her 53rd birthday.
And world-famous supermodel Bella Hadid appears to have started smoking again after being photographed smoking while sunbathing in Cannes, France.
Statistics show that fewer people than ever before are smoking traditional cigarettes: 5% of 18-24 year-olds will smoke in 2022, a quarter of the 19% who did so in 2011. Meanwhile, just 12% of adults now smoke, half the number a decade ago.
But experts fear that as celebrities once again glamorise the deadly habit, smoking could become “fashionable” again and attract a new wave of young people.
Former New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett previously said: “When young people see glamorous stars smoking and flouting the law, it undermines the progress made towards denormalising smoking.”
Public health officials and campaigns have emphasized that tobacco-related health effects are well documented.
Numerous studies have linked tobacco to an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease, while users also report unpleasant side effects such as bad breath, yellowing teeth and greying of the skin.
With the average pack costing between $8 and $12, or roughly $3,000 a year for a pack-a-day smoker, a tobacco habit can take a big toll on your wallet.
In the United States, It is illegal for people under the age of 21 to purchase tobacco. Now there are anecdotal reports of teenagers starting to smoke again, claiming the habit is “cool.”
They are smoking as part of a rejection of health culture and a revival of the 1980s, The New York Times reported.
And seeing your favorite stars smoking doesn't help either.
Below, DailyMail.com introduces some of Hollywood's top stars who are still shining bright today.
Ben Affleck: No smoking in front of kids
Amid rumors of the breakdown in his marriage to Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck may be lighting up more cigarettes than ever before, as stress has been found to be a major risk factor for smoking.
According to Marca, the 51-year-old started smoking in 2002 and was smoking a pack a day at the time.
Lopez was reportedly initially open to the practice after their “fairytale” wedding in 2022, but changed her tune in April of this year.
A source told OK! magazine in April: “Jennifer Lopez loves Ben but is sick of his nasty cigarettes.” At first she put up with his smoking because it was his only vice and she didn't want to nag, but she couldn't take it anymore.
Smoking can cause bad breath, stain your teeth and nails, and can be unpleasant for your partner.
Affleck's ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, also thinks cigarettes are “gross” and banned him from smoking in front of their children.
Affleck tried to quit acting in 2005 while pregnant with her daughter Violet, now 18.
However, he was photographed smoking again in 2017, and has been spotted smoking again this year, including while picking up his kids from skateboarding and while on a morning walk, where he was pictured holding a pack of cigarettes.
Natalie Portman: From Marijuana to Cigarettes
Recently single Natalie Portman is no stranger to playing smokers, and has played many of those roles in her previous roles.
However, the habit seems to be showing up in his off-screen life as well, with the actor occasionally seen enjoying a cigarette.
Portman, now 42, has admitted to being addicted to marijuana and cocaine during her college years.
While at Harvard, she previously said, “I smoked marijuana every day. I cheated on all my tests. I smoked yai (slang for cocaine).”
She also appears to have smoked cigarettes at some point, but has never spoken publicly about her habit.
However, in 1994, at the age of 13, she was adamant about her smoking habit, saying in an interview, “I made my co-stars quit smoking,” referring to Jean Reno, her co-star in the film Léon.
Portman added: “I told him it was uncomfortable…I told him it was uncomfortable for the people around him and it was not good for him.”
But she appears to have changed her mind after being pictured smoking a cigarette with Paul Mescal outside a London bar last month.
She was also photographed catching up with friends and smoking a cigarette during a night out in New York City in November amid her “separation” from “cheating” husband Benjamin Millepied.
Dua Lipa: I tried to quit to save my voice
Singers often go to great lengths to protect their voices, including drinking plenty of water, avoiding caffeine and staying away from air conditioning.
However, that doesn't appear to be the case for global pop star Dua Lipa, who is a smoker.
Now 28, she said she finally quit smoking earlier this year to protect her voice.
However, this came after he suffered from laryngitis (an infection of the vocal cords that can cause the voice to change) in 2021 and then unsuccessfully tried to quit smoking the following year.
Smoking increases your risk of laryngeal infections and can cause inflammation of the larynx, which can lead to changes in your voice and singing difficulties.
“I had laryngitis in December, which prompted me to quit smoking a month earlier than I had planned, but I did manage to quit and am still going,” she said on the podcast.
Doctors warn that smoking can irritate and dry out the vocal cords, changing the way they vibrate and altering the sound that is produced.
Other famous singers who used to be smokers include Lana Del Rey, Adele and Rihanna.
Jennifer Aniston: Shining on her birthday
Contrary to her good-girl image, Jennifer Aniston smoked for many years before revealing that she has since quit.
But in 2022, the actress and health advocate, now 55, was photographed lighting up during a birthday celebration.
Her ex-husband, Justin Theroux, posted a video of the actor lighting up a cigarette, but it was quickly removed from his Instagram Story.
Aniston has admitted that she was a heavy smoker, regularly smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, during the early years of her career.
But in 2007, three years after finishing her role on the hit show Friends, she decided to quit TV, citing that her television habit was affecting her health, energy and even relationships.
She doesn't appear to have resumed the habit on a regular basis, but she also doesn't appear to have given up the lighter entirely.
Bella Hadid: Smoked a pack of cigarettes a day since she was 14
Bella Hadid is famous for her beauty and is one of the most recognizable faces in the modeling world.
But despite her charms, reports suggest she may be taking part in the not-so-stylish habit of smoking cigarettes.
Last month, the 27-year-old was photographed with a cigarette in her mouth while attending the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Fans were quick to respond, with one writing: “Put away those e-cigarettes. Bella Hadid has made smoking cool again!”
Hadid has not addressed the photo or commented on her smoking.
However, the model has previously admitted that she started smoking at the age of 14 and smoked a pack a day.
“Whether it's eating disorders or smoking … I think, 'Oh, this is what all the kids are doing,'” she said.
The model decided to quit smoking in 2017, and made it her New Year's resolution in 2019 to also quit JUUL e-cigarettes.
Many smokers have turned to e-cigarettes as a way to kick the habit, but some end up becoming addicted to them.
Doctors have previously said that e-cigarettes are better than smoking, but because the devices are so new, research is limited and the long-term effects have not yet been documented.
Cigarettes have become increasingly popular among aspiring models because they suppress appetite and help people lose weight.
However, tobacco can also damage your skin, causing it to age prematurely and sag, giving it a grayish appearance. Tobacco can also cause yellowing of fingernails and discoloration of teeth.
Keira Knightley: I rolled cigarettes for my mother
World-famous actress Keira Knightley is also known to be a smoker.
The 39-year-old was photographed smoking a cigarette in London while filming the upcoming Netflix thriller Black Doves in December last year.
The star was reportedly a heavy smoker on the set of the film. According to Elle, she first tried cigarettes at a young age with her mother and playwright Sherman McDonald.
“She came into my room, she rolled me a cigarette, and then she said we had to smoke it together,” Knightley said in a previous interview.
“It wasn't the typical mother-daughter relationship, but we were very close.”
She appeared to quit smoking in 2012 after reportedly berating a director for smoking while filming Can A Song Save Your Life, but recent photos suggest she hasn't continued to do so.
It is not clear at what age she started smoking, but doctors have warned that starting to smoke in one's teenage years increases the risk of addiction, reduced lung development and heart damage.
Sophie Turner: I switched from smoking to e-cigarettes
Sophie Turner has said she has traded cigarettes for e-cigarettes, but in December she was pictured smoking a traditional e-cigarette while having a coffee in London.
The Game of Thrones star was photographed smoking a cigarette in 2018 and was reported to be an occasional smoker, but later began vaping. Her e-cigarette was featured so frequently that fans wondered if it was “stuck” to her hand.
Her addiction was so bad that she would reportedly burst into tears if her e-cigarettes were taken away, with her X-Men co-star Jennifer Lawrence revealing that she cried on set after her e-cigarette was taken away.
However, Turner has not been photographed with either of her children, as her first daughter Willa was born in 2020 and her second daughter Delphine was born in 2022.
And she has not publicly commented on her smoking habits.
Turner is currently in the midst of divorce proceedings from Joe Jonas, filing for divorce in September 2023, causing a lot of stress for the star.
Some smokers turn to cigarettes when they feel stressed, claiming that smoking helps them relax.
