Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by delusions of grandiose, a lack of empathy, and the need and desire for constant praise. Therefore, it can be argued that many celebrities and public figures are narcissistic because as you will read, they share many characteristics that could be interpreted as narcissistic.
According to psychiatry professor Drew Pinsky’s study, famous people suffer from narcissism at a higher rate than the general public. To many, this would not come as a surprise considering the fact that over recent years, the word ‘narcissist’ has been thrown around like confetti. The assumption is that narcissists are vain individuals who can’t get enough of themselves.
But the reality is that they are desperately insecure, and for the famous person, the face they wear in public does not match the inner turmoil they endure. Here is a list of famous narcissists now and in history.
Disclaimer: This article is not a statement of facts, none of the people mentioned have been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. However, they do display narcissistic tendencies in their behaviour.
10 Famous Narcissists
Fact About Narcissism: There is a positive side to narcissism; people with narcissistic personality disorder can be charming, intuitive and intelligent.
Let’s take a look at some of the famous people who show personality traits that suggest narcissism. Most of them show grandiose thinking and exaggerated self-importance, many believe or fantasise about the power they have, most believe they are special, need to be admired and feel entitled.
Many dictators and criminals had or have narcissistic personalities as well as the Hollywood celebrities; some are negative role models and some are positive. Hitler and Stalin both had grandiose self-images as did Casanova, Marquis de Sade, Peter Sellers, and the heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard. Other likely suspects are Madonna, Margaret Thatcher, Paris Hilton and O.J. Simpson. Here are just a few of the many famous narcissists
Donald Trump: According to developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, Donald Trump is a classic narcissist. Other experts have argued that it would be very easy to diagnose him with the disorder because he displays so many of the conditions symptoms, such as his domineering character and his willingness to demean people with no remorse.
Niklas Bendtner: The Danish striker is quoted as saying, “If you ask me if I am one of the best strikers in the world, I say yes.” He believes this to be true despite the fact that during a top-flight season he has not scored more than nine goals. From his comment, it appears that he has one of the common narcissistic symptoms of delusions of grandiose.
Jose Mourinho: Known for tooting his own horn in public, the infamous football coach Jose Mourinho once stated, “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m a European champion and I think I’m a special one.”
Larry Page: The American internet entrepreneur and computer scientist is one of the co-founders of Google. Experts believe he inhabits an alternate universe and seems to live in the future. His employees have described him as ‘terrifying’ during their interactions with him because his expectations are way too high.
Mark Zuckerberg: Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook has been referred to as a ‘productive narcissist’ by psychoanalyst and anthropologist Michael Maccoby. Productive narcissists are visionaries with a desire to change the world. They are aggressive, and competitive, and believe that they don’t need to follow the same rules as everyone else.
Kenya Moore: The ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star feels the need to get involved in everyone’s business. Kenya believes that everything she says is of exceptionally high importance and slows down her speech intentionally to emphasize this.
Draya Michele: The American media personality, fashion designer, model, and actress suffers from a case of exceptionally high self-esteem and during an interview with US Weekly stated, “I’m an Aquarius. Yes, I believe we are superior.
Joseline Hernandez: The reality TV personality refers to herself in the third person and sincerely believes she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Hernandez believes she is indestructible, and despite the many rumours that continue to circulate about her personal life, her response is always the same, “It doesn’t matter cause I’m a bad b**ch!”
Rick Ross: “Am I really a narcissist because I woke up to a bowl of lobster bisque.” One of his albums is titled, ‘Mastermind’ in which many of his songs are spent boasting about how great he is. The American rapper is very confident in himself, and sees nothing wrong with telling the world how awesome he is.
Tiger Woods: In his biography ‘Roaring Back – the Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods’; author Curt Sampson describes Woods as a pathological narcissist whose relationships were purely transactional. If you couldn’t help him achieve his goals, he didn’t want to have anything to do with you.
Ted Bundy: This psychopathic serial killer had a number of characteristics of a narcissist like grandiosity and manipulation. He was also self-centered and enjoyed being in the public eye.
10 Narcissist Celebrities
Fact About Narcissism: Narcissists suffer from an empathy deficit, they are not capable of empathy in the same way as people who are considered mentally stable.
Kim Kardashian: Kim Kardashian has been accused of being narcissistic for many reasons, but one of them is that she uses her children as narcissistic supply. In a 2019 Instagram post, she films a video of her asking her children to tell her how much they love her.
Kanye West: Media reports claim that the world famous rapper has an over inflated opinion of himself. West is probably one of the most famous narcissists; he has referred to himself as, “The new Kurt Cobain”, and believes his music is so fantastic it can cure cancer.
Mariah Carey: Narcissists have a tendency to engage in odd behaviors that are uncommon amongst the general public. Mariah Carey has publicly stated that she takes her baths in milk.
Madonna: The world renowned singer seems to have a habit of shamelessly stealing the limelight, and she has been pulled up on it on more than one occasion. Her public tributes to Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson both focused more on herself than on these iconic figures.
Tom Cruise: News reports suggest that Tom Cruise was responsible for brainwashing Nicole Kidman’s adopted children against her, and that is the reason they no longer have a relationship. He is one of the many famous people with npd/narcissism. Narcissists are known to turn people against you when they break up with you.
Justin Bieber: Reports suggest that the American singer continuously engages in reckless behaviour with no consideration given to those around him. Additionally, he once stated that the late Anne Frank would be a Bieber had she been alive today. Critics argue that a statement of this nature is inferring that his name is so important, someone as noteworthy as Anne Frank should be connected to it.
Kylie Jenner: Socialite and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner has been accused of being completely self obsessed. Apparently, her constant positing of selfies on social media teaches young girls that physical appearance is the most important aspect of a woman.
Drake: The Canadian rapper Drake was accused of being a narcissist after he sent out a social media post paying tribute to Barak Obama leaving office. His farewell note included a photo shopped picture of the former president in which he had given Obama his beard and hairstyle.
Beyoncé: The most famous female vocalist in the world was branded a narcissist after her documentary, “Life is but a Dream.” She was accused of being out of touch with reality, and living in her own fantasy world.
Angelina Jolie: The American actress has been accused of craving attention and desperately needs to be in the limelight. Producer Scott Rudin referred to her as a “spoiled brat with limited talent.”
Marilyn Manson: When confronted over the allegation that his music inspired Columbine Shootings, he simply denied any responsibility and stated that the killers needed more attention. Manson appeared self-centered, is exhibitionistic and enjoys being in the public eye.
O.J. Simpson: Simpson lacks empathy and is often envious of others. He also believes that he is special and deserves merit.
Paris Hilton: Paris lives in front of the camera-the world is her stage; she has been arrested for DUI, and seems to lack empathy.
The 5 Most Narcissistic People in History
Fact About Narcissism: Narcissim are not born, they are made; environmental factors play a larger role in the disorder than genetics.
Franklin Roosevelt: Roosevelt has been labelled as one of the most charismatic presidents in American history. According to experts, narcissists are extremely charismatic, and it is this characteristic that makes the disorder difficult to spot because they are able to convince everyone around them that they are perfectly normal.
Lyndon Johnson: The 36th president of the United States wanted to go down in history as the greatest president of America. His biographer Robert Caro referred to him as an exceptionally empty person who couldn’t stand to be alone and needed constant approval, affection, attention and companionship.
Nero: Donald Trump has been described as the modern day Nero. The famous Roman ruler bought complete devastation, and misery to the Roman people. He was known for craving attention and fame.
Alexander the Great: Critics argue that he served with a narcissistic leadership style because he failed to carry out his obligations as a statesman, and was more concerned with satisfying his own military passions.
Henry VIII: Experts argue that his behaviour was tantamount to that of a modern day serial killer, and have also labelled him as a psychopath. However, he was also very charming, selfish and ruthless, which are all characteristics of a narcissist.
5 Historical Narcissistic Leaders
Fact About Narcissism: Narcissism is rooted in self loathing and low-self esteem due to childhood trauma.
Adolph Hitler: Experts believe that Adolf Hitler was a pathological narcissist who so believed in his own superiority that everyone else should be put to death. He managed to kill millions of Jews during the Holocaust.
George Washington: George Washington was the first president of the United States. He has been accused of being a narcissist because he had an over-inflated confidence in his own judgements, and he strongly believed he earned his achievements. Many have argued against this.
Richard Nixon: The 37th president of the United States has been described as having an out of control ego. He openly referred to himself in the third person, and hated former presidents getting recognition for their achievements, namely John F. Kennedy.
Robert Mugabe: The late president of Zimbabwe wore clothes with his face on it, he was a vile villain who killed thousands, and destroyed the livelihoods of many more. Everything had to be done his way, and if it wasn’t, he went on a warpath. Narcissists are known for their controlling nature.
Josef Stalin: Experts describe the former leader of the Soviet Union a malignant narcissist. He ruled the nation with an iron fist and terrorised the people with his unpredictable behaviour. In classic narcissist style, he would have citizens tortured, he would then have them rescued and reward them.
5 Famous Movie Characters With Narcissism
Fact About Narcissism: Narcissim is a spectrum disorder; in other words, some people are more narcissistic than others.
Miranda Priestly: The lead character in the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ was an egomaniac who was obsessed with her physical appearance. Priestly was cold, and demanding, and expected perfection from her employees. Anything short of the best was met with intense criticism.
Jenna Maroney: Is the lead character in the television series ‘30 Rock’, shesuffers from delusions of grandiose. Maroney believes she is entitled to special treatment and that everyone around her should worship her. However, her achievements are not worthy of the recognition she thinks she is due.
Violet Weston: Violet Weston is a character in ‘August: Osage County’, she is emotionally abusive and cruel. Weston is also heavily addicted to narcotics, all of which are character traits of a narcissist.
Gilderoy Lockhart: Described as ‘everyone’s favourite narcissist’, this character in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ is described as a pathological liar who tells so many lies that he believes in his own stories. He is also convinced that he is someone of grand importance to the world.
Zaphod Beeblebrox: Zaphod Beeblebrox is a fictional character in the TV series ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.’ One of his many quotes that display his narcissistic character is, “If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.” He is also an extrovert, untrustworthy, irresponsible, clever and imaginative.
Final Thoughts
Everyone admires celebrities, public figures and industry leaders for their massive success. The entertainment industry is a multibillion dollar machine driven by those who buy into the image of high profile people.
But from the information presented, it is clear that they all have their own challenges to deal with. As much as we all love pointing the finger at self-obsessed narcissistic celebrities, the reality is that narcissism is a crippling condition steeped in desperately painful feelings of self-loathing, and insecurity.
These people have had terrible childhoods, case in point Madonna; she lost her mother at the age of five. She was forced to take care of her younger siblings and grew up before her time. Psychologists argue that such treatment during childhood stunts emotional growth, and this can cause narcissism during adulthood.
What we see in public, is not what is displayed in private. Despite their millions and billions, many of them are suffering more than we could possibly imagine.
Wo do you believe is missing on these lists?
Such a great article until you threw it all away with Manson. Unless of course, you can provide a rationale basis/evidence that his music did inspire/make the shooters.
I think this lists several people who are more easily conceptualized as antisocial psychopaths. It’ pretty accurate to say that all psychopaths are narcissistic, but not all narcissists are psychopathic. There are many benign narcissists in the world who consider themselves a bit above others while also avoiding behaviors or comments that make them look like assholes. While some people on this list (e.g., Alec Baldwin) are very good examples, others (e.g., Marilyn Manson) don’t really fit the bill.
Well there is no real explanation of why Manson is on the list. The one listed makes no sense and was totally out of context. I remember Manson being asked that question and his responses were both reasonable and considered. (Look it up)
Taking quotes out of context, having no rational and then saying the individual has a mental disorder is probably a sign that the author has a mental disorder.
O.J. Simpson is a classic narcissist. He is a cruel, sadistic sociopath who got away with double murder. Who could forget what he did to Nicole, using his brute strength to beat her so mercilessly. Now he’s getting what he so richly deserves. I hope that bastard dies in gaol.
Absolutely!
People with NPD tend to do something called projective identification. They tend to project their own narcissism to others and lot of times write articles about narcissism.
It’s also interesting the way N’s always seem to pop up even at any mention of the subject, and sorta “self-identify” (sometimes pedantically)… as if to say, “what, is everyone talking about ME again?!” ;-p
No…in projective id unwanted feelings are induced in others…the two ppl have to be in a relationship ….
I agree with you,i suspect a few of the so called self proclaimed experts on narcissism on youtube,are themselves narcs and have like a cult following,so if you ddisagree with them,they will block your feedback and call you a troll!!
Insulting the story writer over one particular anomaly is a sign of a mental disorder…
Their is no such thing as a benign narcissist. If they are interacting with people (which they must or they have no identity as it is the identity of others they use, steal and seek to destroy) they are destroying people. Domestic partnership with a narcissist is the largest form of domestic abuse. As any person who has dated one. They are destroyed. Many end up with PTSD, loss of identity, loss of their jobs, homes, businesses. Goodle search and read some of the devastating stories of the victims. Many ask, “why don’t they just leave”. Part of the narcs ploy is to seek, destroy, and make their “mates” addicted to them, all under the guise of love. They are master manipulators and are as control hungry of their mates life as Hitler was of Germany and the world. Their is no such thing as a benign narcissist.
I don’t know. Maybe benign is not a befitting term to describe someone on the highest end of the narcissism scale; a person who also comes from a background of privalige and has some kind of authority/power etc. But given the commonality of narcissitic traits, I’d say that it’s definitely not as black and white as you paint it. With respect to the abuse you may have endured, or your friends/family who may have been through an ordeal, just remember that not all narcissists are ‘full blown’ powerful/successful or good looking (even if they think that they are), rendering them relatively harmless on a societal level. Their condition falls on a spectrum, in a very similar way that autism does.
As both an autist and a victim of narcissistic abuse myself (who later inadvertantly learned/mimic’d some bad narcissistic habbits), I have done extensive independant research on the topic as part of my therapy, and have come to the informed conclusion that simply labeling them as ‘evil’ is counter-intuitive if your desire is genuinly to help humanity cope with this complex condition. Also, somewhat ironically, cutting people out or belittling them is precicely one of the reasons why narcissists are concidered to be abusive. So if we can learn anything from them, it’s to not act like them.
having a mother who was a narcissist till the day she died, and not realising how badly she was hurting me, I did everything I could to win her approval, which I never got, whilst my lazy brother robbed her blind and could do no wrong in her eyes, indeed he was her golden child. Only towards the end of her life did I realise that she was one of those self centered, manipulative, selfish women using triangulation for everything and the further I looked back in my life and looked at her actions and comments, the more convinced I was that I had been with this woman wasting my love on her. She died and left everything to her useless son and left me with nothing but a note saying what a terrible daughter I had been to her (despite being the one who looked after both her aND my dad who had had cancer for 5 years)… so even after death, I am still plagued by her tyranny.
I believe my mother is a benign narcissist : just because the bad bully manipulators get the spotlight those are the ones you’ll find online. So you are self selecting for your narrow definition. People like my mother don’t show up online because they don’t leave a wake of destruction.
In her case, a performer since childhood, she needs an audience to feel good; might be a full auditorium or 2 people at the dinner table or a group of kids to tell stories to, and she will hold court. Stories are all about her, her thoughts and insights are the most important thing, So she mostly attracts around her people who want a leader, a teacher, someone who seems to know it all, or have some special insigh into life. She thinks she does so they believe her because she pulls it off with total self confidence.
So she has a following, but I wouldn’t call it a circle of friends. They are admirers or people who just find her entertaining to visit with. Most likely also consider her odd, quirky, self centred but not in a mean way, in a way you can walk away from.
I think her narcissism extended to her children, she loved us as an extension of herself, we were inside her circle – she was special so we were special. I see that in Trump and his total admiration that his children; likely because they are HIS children, so he projects that they are as special and gifted as he thinks he is.
Even this benign kind, I don’t think it’s a happy state, as the superiority and selfcentredness means you have a disconnect with everyone else, and isolation because people may like to watch you or go to a party with you but they aren’t going to get close.
So narcissism doesn’t have to involve being mean to everyone else, if you think you are their leader or savior, or greatest entertainer and if you have enough talent or charisma that people will follow you.
I imagine if you think you’re the bees knees and no one else does, you might develop a the more mean and manipulative variety of narcissism
Did your mother lack empathy?
I know a few people who are full blown narcissists. One way to easily narrow it down with people you know is 1- they are not hard to get along with, they are IMPOSSIBLE to get along with 2- very few, if any, have “old friends” they have known for years because the “friends” eventually get fed up with everything about them and go out of their way to avoid them 3- when you least expect it, they will turn on you. Really low class people who are pretty much despised by all who really know them. All the narcissists I know are despised by their own family members and all their “friends” are recent. “He’s not that bad if you really get to know him” LMAO That is the problem, you don’t know him/her. If they have use for you, they will go out of their way to hide their true colors but they ALWAYS come out, sooner or later. I avoid them like the plague.
This is the best explanation yet. My mother was that exact description, and the phrase “you don’t know her” came up a lot.
That was my mother too. and nobody knew the real her she covered her tracks so well, playing the victim when confronted with truths, I only regret one thing….. not being able to tell her that I hate her.
Really good explanation. I’ve seen that with my brother
Jim C that is the overt narcissist but the most dangerous is the covert. These people are shy, quiet, usually introverted and have even their families fooled. Who knows their ability to be cruel and destroy are those who date them. They are masters at gaslighting, blaming, smear campaigns, turning it around to be viewed as the victim of the domestic abuse they caused and inflicted. They are the nicest people in the world and everyone loves them and nobody suspects a thing. All their ex girlfriends are “crazy” at least that’s what they say about them, after they have devalued and discarded them like a piece of used trash. 1 in 7 people are this type of narcissist. Those who walk among us.
So true!
Good post, Jim. It’s absolutely true that they have a way of suddenly turning on people, even if they’ve known them and been friendly with them for years. Their friendships are temporary and utilitarian.
Strange that He and his music is claimed to be responsible for these shootings (as if art blocks the brain and its thiking and etical capacity) While The gun themselfes is not seen as an inspration to take life (when in fact it is a weapons sole purpose). So can an organisation like NRA be narcissistic ? – I think so.
I agree. Manson has given thoughtful, sensible responses to accusations. He hasn’t displayed any of the traits of NPD, unless you count being in the spotlight as a performer whose style is more goth & theatrical than most mainstream artists.
10-year follow-up, here!
Manson has been accused of LOTS of abuse. I love counter-culture and alt-culture, but he’s always seemed like a faker, desperate for attention. (To me, at least. True artists don’t have to try so hard to be artsy or weird.) …But if you want examples of *abuse,* there are a plethora of people who have come forth — starting in the late ’90s / early 2000s. Evan Rachel Wood being the most recent.
Also probably meant they needed more attention, that the guys had never had any or had any parental guidance at all, and that they were more psychopathic and falling under the spectrum of Antisocial Personality Disorder than NPD as even APD lack empathy. Anywhere were bullying has taken place and driven a child to feel such anger (as it was said they were) would cause a personality disorder and thoughts of revenge if it was traumatic enough for them. Especially if they were also on any meds for ADD or ADHD etc. Who knows.
I would also say that Manson’s success (re his target audience) is based around him being as he is – weird and almost psychotic persona, and possibly could be an act, but as an act, it’s not condusive to show his “feelings” or too much in the way of “empathy” in any interview as he would come across as human and that’s not the whole point with his “persona”.
The very fact he showed empathy towards the actual perpetrators to me illustrated that he was be able to get beyond hating them and feel sorry for them knowing possibly that they had to be troubled in some way. It’s a given he would have felt for the victims, but sometimes society can be cruel in rejecting people or having that “mob mentality” if you study the psychological affects of mobbing, and drives people to do desperate things when they are pushed into a corner and also neglected by their families? Or not guided properly by their families.
He would bite the heads off puppies whilst performing live. I would suggest this might make him someone antisocial/ narcissistic..
Manson never harmed any animals whilst performing live. Don’t believe every rumour you hear in the media.
I agree with Matt. Manson indicates that he thought that the shooters were neglected and if someone had noticed their repeated cries for help then their aggression could have been minimized. So yeah they needed more attention but not in an arrogant way that you have claimed. In addition, your references are cringeworthy, especially for someone that claims that they attended a university.
Well, that’s a pretty good list. However, you somehow forgot LEANN RIMES!!!!! OMG!!! SHE’S THE WORST YET!! You also left out Omarosa, Justin Bieber, Niaomi Campbell, Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers died
@Casey, Check out the date in Wendy’s post, Genius. Rivers died 4, September 2014.
Rivers was FAR from a narcissist in the real life. On stage, it was all an act, an extreme stretch of a memorable alter ego.
Also, Marilyn Manson and Elvis certainly don’t belong here. Other than that, the listing seems accurate.
Joan Rivers was hilarious and as subtle as a sledge hammer. She was coarse but just sooo funny!
justin bieber is typical for his age, many his age have narcissistic tendencies and then grow up.
He needs his arse kicked in. He’s a loose cannon and as mad as a cut snake ????
I dont think marlon manson is cold harted.I could be wrong.If anything his stlye and persona might be his spirits way of spoofing the narr people and collective society.Good behavior does not get noticed much.Neither are nice kids noticed that much.Maybe its because most people are spiritualy dead zombies.If someone is driven nuts by the society they are in theres a chance they will go nuts on the society they are in.People need to know and take seriously that all life should be honered.They should also know that every body does not express love the same way.Horror movies often show what can happen when you scape goat a person.Most people that get picked on are nice,they are thought to be a safe target.Any human being if abused enough will get angry Temporary insanity.Some, the true narrcicist are already angry and they carefully target certain people.People that are disturbed by goth,or alternative clothing and make up are usually just terrified of who they actually are.
I agree with you totally. I have no problem with bands that sound similar and look similar to Manson. In fact, it does show what can happen if you scapegoat a person.
America, as a matter of fact, is the most scapegoating, narcissistic and ruthless nation ever. We hate ourselves but love the ideals depicted on magazine covers. We could care less about our fellow man or what is going on in the rest of the world, but we all tune in for American Idol. Even most American Christians are this way, unfortunately.
However, scapegoating a person can also turn someone narcissistic, as I do indeed agree with the article that Adolf Hitler is narcissistic and so is Paris Hilton, OJ Simpson, and Marilyn Manson.
I know so about Manson because I was a fan of his music until 2009 before I became Christian. I know that none of his original bandmates are with him anymore, that he has alienated most of his fan base, that he his fine with being called Antichrist Superstar, but when someone vilifies him for something he actually did wrong – watch out! Most narcissists do act nice when they are with people that like them, but when they feel competition from someone or are told they are wrong, they throw a hissy fit.
I agree that the Colombine massacre was due to bullying and scapegoating, not Manson. However, Manson still belongs on the list because of his character and treatment of those closest to him.
How about Tom Cruise, Jesse James, and Lance Armstrong?
Lance Armstrong, THE narcissist. Perfect example!
This article is ridiculous. Many of the people on your list were cold blooded killers. They weren’t just simply showing narcissistic traits. They were sociopathic, which is not the same thing as being a narcissist. Yes, the traits may be similar, but I assure you it is not the same. And in response to Marilyn Manson and what he said about the columbine shooting. He didn’t “simply deny responsibility.” What he was saying was that, rather than blaming a tragic event on a rock star (which, by the way, if you remember everything negative at the time, the media automatically blamed Manson.) Rather than blame a rock star, they should really look at, and try to fix the source of the problem. Which has only gotten worse. What he said was the truth. There was never any real evidence that the shooters even listened to Marilyn Manson. I’m not denying that Manson has narcissistic traits, but that statement alone does not suggest to me that he has a narcissistic personality disorder.
Also, it should be noted that narcissism is something that everyone has the capability of showing. Everybody is narcissistic at times. Having the disorder is something different, and the occasional public mishap of many celebrities is not efficient evidance that they have the disorder.
It is a spectrum disorder. My father has it. There is such a thing as a narcissistic Sociopath– which my father is. Arrogance and malignant narcissism are two totally different things. So a narcissist can absolutely be a sociopath or a psychopath.
I agree, though, that people can’t be easily labeled with a personality disorder without testing. However, when you look at the dsm criteria and a person fits every point, it’s difficult not to make that assumption. I guess I’m sensitive to it since I grew up with it but I see it all over Hollywood and in politics. Many presidents and presidential nominees show, at the very least, a number of narcissistic traits, if not the full blown disorder. Donald trump appears to be a narcissistic sociopath and Hilary Clinton appears to be narcissistic as well. On the Hollywood front, Tom cruise definitely shows traits of a malignant narcissist. His scrutiny of Brooke Shields’ depression and his projections on her were just awful. I can’t even stomach his movies anymore. I agree with OJ being on the list 100%! Talk about a lack of empathy, gaslighting, projecting…!
I wish there was greater awareness of mental illness. It makes me sick that the cycle continues yet we glorify it in Hollywood, sports and politics. It turns my stomach. These people are paid big bucks to glorify themselves and often get away with downright abuse. It’s disgusting.
Oh, and one more thing, don’t be fooled by noble acts!!! Narcissists often try to appear to be noble or rescuers for the adoration they receive. Some have noble charitable causes. Some even go so far as to adopt children so as to appear noble but abuse those children behind closed doors. Sometimes the “pillar of the community” is the sickest sociopath you’ll ever meet…
Don’t know that I’ve ever read something, from someone who I am assuming is not a practicing physician in this area, be more correct & for the most part, on the money!
I totally agree with your summation and the entire point of view. Well done.
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I was diagnosed with NPD years ago & just recently decided to look into it. Never cared much for shrinks. I’ve been in recovery for alcoholism & drug addiction & am now dealing with this ‘personality quark’. Looking at a lot of different resources. Does anyone have anything positive to say on the issue?I’m tired of being compared to the Devil. Not very much ‘mental health’ on these websites.
Lee,
The most important thing is to learn empathy. Look for the empathy in every situation. Then decide if your actions were fair to the other person from their point of view. When you can do that without trying, you will have beaten NPD. Not as easy as it sounds, but you can do it.
I’ve only known one person who became famous, and back then she was the biggest narcissist I’d ever met or would ever meet. It scares me to think that ALL famous people are just narcissists. But she’s also gotten a lot of flak from the media for her narcissist treatment of others, so maybe not all famous people are narcissists.
Axl Rose… Disagree with Manson, as well.
Manson is a narcissist, not even because of the Colombine shooters and his reaction to them. All you have to do is listen to one of his top songs, “The Beautiful People”
“Hey you, what do you see?
Something beautiful something free?
“Hey you, are you trying to be mean?
When you live with apes man it’s hard to be clean?”
That song and the entire album “Antichrist Superstar”, which it comes from, is a narcissist’s manifesto, as are all his albums. He even goes as far on the song “Cake and Sodomy” to call himself “the God of f%^#”. He supposedly hates how people view him as a villain, yet he enjoys the persona of being one.
I agree the reference is off, but Manson is full of himself. Just look at how much his record sales have declined. On THE TWINS OF EVIL TOUR, which he shared with Rob Zombie, he claimed he could “kick [Rob Zombie’s] a%#!”. Also, he never even gave Scott Mitchell (his co-founding band member) the cold shoulder by not even crediting him with the guitar work on Antichrist Superstar. The list goes on and on…
I know because I used to be a big fan of his until 2009 before I gave my life to Christ, as I was a big fan of narcissism until I went to Christian counseling.
Obama is a narcissistic through and through.
You’d better look up the definition of narcissism debbie… Obama is the exact opposite. You just don’t like him ..obviously!
Obama is a blatant narcissist who also scores in the psychopathic range of the PCL-R.
I agree with you, Deb Mac. Obama is always being dissed as a narcissist by the “cabal”, He is anything but a narcissist.
Ya know, with everything you folks are saying,whatever your assumptions are about whomever,does it really matter to those that are actually living with,or n a relationship with a N. Not really,cause y’all aren’t the ones who are living with a self centered,greedy, vebally abusive person,who thinks only of what they want and how to get it. None of which affects you folks that are saying this or that person is a N. Y’all need to stop! Who gives a flying _____- what celeberty,or whomever is one? I certainly don’t, because I don’t have to live with them,and I won’t be with his one much longer! Moral of this,” If you find yourself in relationship with a N GET THE HECK AWAY FROM THEM!!!!! You are not gonna change them because they are of the oppion that EVERYTHING that goes wromg, is wrong in their world is your fault. They hide money,other relationship,their real personalities from outsiders, ect.! Everything that is good is for the N ! OMG, you have decide if you want a peaceful life’with a chance at a normal relationship or heck just PEACE and taking care of yourself, and finding some degree of happiness, cause you are never gonna be happy with a N! That’s a FACT!!!!! Heck they need you around to put you down so that they can feel better about their selves! So to those who have gotten away, are planning to get away, I say GOD’ speed! To those that choose to stay, Y’All have my empathy!!!
Karl Marx, maybe?
I agree with debbie. Narcissists wear a mask of decency and empathy. I also feel that Obama is a narcissist. I am not totally sure because he seems to have a harmonious marriage. That would argue against it. But everything else is there.
This list is silly. Narcissism isn’t a label to stick on people we don’t like. It is a condition that deeply effects those who are close to it. Obama a narcissist, Marilyn Manson, Paris Hilton? You can’t know someone well enough through TV and the Internet to make that kind of evaluation. To really know someone as a narcissist you have to have a close relationship with them, your father, your mother, your partner, your supervisor, etc.
Just because a sociopathic mass-murderer has narcissistic tendencies doesn’t make them a ‘narcissist’. Sociopathy is a different level and it just clouds the definition of narcissism to include them in this list.
I would add Zahi Hawass (famous egyptologist) to the list. He is a narcissist if there ever was one. Seriously, watch a few of his documentaries. He is absolutely repulsive to watch and openly admits that everyone is beneath him.
And I really don’t think that marilyn manson is a narcissist, he just likes pretending to be one. But I could be wrong.
Please people, as it says in the 2nd paragraph, this list doesn’t include everyone: “Let’s take a look at [some] of the famous people who show personality traits that suggest narcissism.” There’s other lists online too.
Obama is a narcissist to the core.
Look up the definition if you disagree.
It is the primary cause of his failed presidency. He doesn’t listen. He doesn’t learn. He always blames others. In his mind he is never wrong. He prefers adoring crowds at fund raisers to managing people and making decisions.
Nacissists make good dictators but awful POTUS.
I believe Obama does listen. I also believe so many congressmen are undeserving of being listened to. Perhaps the entire political environment is so toxic that people with any shred of humanity left are largely repulsed by it and thus, only narcissists who love hearing themselves talk are the only ones willing subject themselves to this environment.
Obama, Bush, Clinton… All Narcississts…
Joe I could not agree with you more. It is our government officials such as Congress and Senators that are narcissists. I am amazed at the people who fail to notice that our country is based off of the “Capitalistic Ideology” which if you ask me creates narcissists. And that is why there is such a lack of balance in our society. Power, money and the need to feel far more superior than others is a reflection of our leaders. That is why 3% of our countries riches belong to those who have control and do not know what empathy really is.
I have no idea what this has to do with Narcissism or NPD. This is what happens as soon as a topic becomes political opinion. Narcissists are not created by circumstance or their environment. Period. End of story. Greed and egotism taken at face value are character flaws. Narcissism has a pathology all its own.
Read up on it. It’ll give you a clearer understanding.
While there’s no conclusive evidence, Obama does exhibit signs of having NPD. You’re just looking in the wrong places.
On the flip side, having the appearance of being a narcissist isn’t conclusive proof of being a narcissist.
Motive is a key factor but isn’t visible to the naked eye.
Well don’t vote for Donald Trump because he is the ultimate narcissist!
can´t believe people voted for a mega narcissist
Obama is not a narcissist. The only way to claim that is to close your eyes to reality. Failed presidency ? doesn’t listen to others ?? Doesn’t learn ??? Wow !!! You really DON’T have a clue, do you ? You are the reason we have to have instructions on shampoo…
You just didn’t agree with minorities having civil rights.
Obama isn’t perfect, he did things I hate. But he also improved civil rights more than any president since the civil war and voting rights. which are greatly under attack now by really malignant personality. We can only hope and pray that all you that are attracted to police states and forced religion don’t win out.
I’m glad someone has since enough to speak the truth. Thanks Deb Mac. I understand not appreciating someone, but, don’t flat out lie! It takes a long time to build character, but, only a moment to tear it down. Personally, I’m not in the business of tearing down people instead, I choose to lift people up when they deserve it or just need an encouraging word. As for the others, I just pray for them and the instability of there mind. No one’s perfect on this earth, only GOD, THE FATHER! IJS
Although I find your website on narcissists informative, I think you are crossing a line with this list where you have implicated a few celebrities based on weak rationale.
Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto and his entire family all suffer from a degree of
NPD. “Bobble-head” Ford was reciently booted from office and spends his time in chemo therapy fighting cancer. He is paying the price for living the narcissitic lifestyle.
You could add Bill Cosby to this list now as well. He has no remorse about drugging/rapeing women.
Juan Gomeshie….the Howard Stern wanna-be from CBC Canadian radio, is a full blown NPD case for sure.
There is an important trait that is extremely important to be classified as a narcissist. Have a gigantic ego and enjoying one’s influence upon others is not in itself NPD. The most important trait, on top of granfiise self- image, having everything your way, is that the individual must find joy in causing destruction in anotger person’s life if that person poses a threat to their “way”. Another important trait is that they completely lack empathy of any kind.
Most often, those with NPD do not actually have real successes of any kind. They like to think they do. Hitler and Bundy are classic make Narcissists. Paris Hilton may be but we do not have enough proof, though I suspect so based on her lack of empathy or humor. Madonna, no. She has a great deal of empathy and she is truly a self-made woman. She just has a gigantic ego. That In itself is not enough to be classified as NPD.
On the “claim that Madonna used kabbalah fluid to neutralize radiation in a Ukrainian lake”:
I was actually there, at that particularly bizarre event, several years ago, at the Kabbalah Center in Manhattan, on 48th street, between Lexington and Third avenue, and was invited by a dear friend, who was and still is a member.
We went into a large conference type room, and there were boxes of bottled water stacked all around the walls of the room. Kabbalah water that we had to pray on, to infuse with our prayers. All the women were on the right side of the room, and Madonna was in the front row, about three rows in front of me, with some of her personal kabbalist aides, and I was staring her then husband Guy Ritchie, right in the face, across the room, on the left side of this room, where all the men were, and Guy Ritchie was dressed all in white, with a white kippah/ yamukah on top of his head, looking extremely pissed off, that he was even there. We all had to sing from the kabbalah book – and depending on the day of the week of the year, certain prayers and songs and verses are specific for that day.
So there we all were, praying and singing on bottles of kabbalah water from a Canadian bottling source, that was to be sent to Lake Chernobyl, to be poured into Lake Chernobyl, to reduce the radiation in the lake, due to the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown of the reactors, back in April of 1986…
The insanity of the situation I saw around me, including all the stacks of bottled water against the walls all around me in this room, and the fervor and belief (real/ false) of these people, jumping and dancing and singing with hands raised, told me “THIS IS A CULT, AND YOU HAVE GOT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, AND NEVER ATTEND ANOTHER SESSION OF THIS BULLSHIT!!!”
I suspect you have no credentials. Some of these people I absolutely don’t agree with. Elvis? Based on what? He was a drug addict but I don’t know of any malignant self love stories about him. I know he gave strangers expensive cars just to make them happy–he gave away something like seventy new cars. what bullshit to call him this.
Marlon Brando? This guy clearly didn’t give a crap about being in the lime light–he turned down movies right and left as well as interviews. Johnny depp described him as incredibly generous. I think you’re seeing flamboyance as something you’re confusing with the clinical definition of narcissism. He got nothing for supporting native American causes for instance. Narcissism isn’t just any entertainer you see as flashy. Brando and Elvis were both famous for their EMPATHY. Get a clue.
What you see in public is not what you see behind closed doors. Narcissists are sometimes very generous, but there is a hidden motive…they are seeking narcissistic supply of some kind. Elvis may fit the description but only his targets would know the truth about him.
Narcissists also fake empathy. Ask any survivor dumb as. Psychologists are fooled by them.
GET A CLUE!
I’d like to second your opinion the Marlon Brando was not a narcissist. While this is merely one example, its a big one: When he won the Academy Award for best actor, instead of accepting the award and making a usual acceptance speech, he brought in a woman representing the American Indian Movement to speak instead of him. He gave up a big chance to bask in the limelight(the bread and butter for narcissists) and instead brought attention to an important Civil Rights issue. This example alone demonstrates his belief that there are things more important than oneself. While Brando may have had other psychological issues, NPD doesn’t seem likely. Paris Hilton is another I’d have a difficult time believing. While she’s certainly had some bad moments and made mistakes and is likely a bit snobby, she has a conscience and empathy towards others from interviews she’s done or shows she’s been in. Quite a few times during the Simple Life, she is the one pulling the duo back and telling Nicole that something is wrong or not nice.
I think any list of celebrity narcissists would have to include Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton, Bing Crosby, Britney Spears, Steven Segal, Lindsey Lohan, Miley Cyrus, several of the Kardashians, and most of the “housewives” on tv. And despite the good he did for MDA, Jerry Lewis. Narcissists often wear a mask of “goodness” and fool many people for a long time. Donating money/time to worthy causes does not erase the fact that one is a narcissist. In many cases…even huge donations of money are a drop in the bucket for the super wealthy. Look around them…in their families…in their private lives. Do they leave a wake of destruction in the people around them? Are they needy attention suckers? Being talented and/or wealthy, or “generous” does not negate the true nature of a narcissist.
I am positive that the writer of article is wrong about Narcissistic Diagnosis,for the few people in above List. The example of error,IS :Charli Chaplin .He was very interested in people,had good sense of Empathy particularly for poor and deprived people. Also,I do not believe that Elvis was more narcissistic than other celebrities in the field of entertainment. I should mention that I am an expert in mental health field
I strongly feel George W. Bush fits here. Showing up on an aircraft carrier with a huge banner stating mission accomplished when the Iraq war was just getting started was symptomatic of narcissistic tendencies, or maybe just typical dry drunk behavior associated with such alcoholics like Bush.
Joe, I agree with that statement also. Most will never admit it but Bush Jr. was exactly one of the two. I also must admit when I lived in Texas it was not uncommon to find a lot of the men there with the same mentality. When I lived there women where to be viewed as a trophy and nothing more. The women there were very big Diva’s. Texas is now known as mini Hollywood because so much plastic surgery is in demand there. I thank God I live in another state because my views never fit any of theirs.
He didn’t put the banner on the ship, the crew did. It takes more than one incident to make the diagnosis, there has to be a pattern and a dearth of empathetic responses. George W had a long term marriage, two children, a record of supporting charitable causes and an emotional connection to both of his parents. Narcissists lack those. Being an alcoholic is not a symptom and being sober for decades, which he was, certainly doesn’t.
You miss the boat Robert !
Narcissistic can be in long term relationships absolutely… I’ve been married for 36 years and have 4 sons ! Oh yes they do charitable work absolutely… but it’s not genuine… they give and give to others but not to their wife & family… mine gave material things to control & manipulate me but to help me with projects , cooking or cleaning absolutely not ! Narcissistic need the outside world to validate their self worth and when they can’t get it they turn to addictions like alcohol to give them that untouchable bulletproof feeling that high … if it’s not alcohol it could be pornography consumption or drugs or something else .
It’s hidden and often can’t be seen unless it’s behind closed doors … sheep’s in wolves clothing!
Russell Brand is a perfect example as has stated on film that he always felf that he was born into the wrong family and that he should be famous.
Why isn’t Mariah Carey on this list?
Miley Cyrus?
I think one of the biggest names in history is missing from your list. Queen Victoria was without a doubt a Narcissist. She had no empathy to her children what so ever and treated them with contempt.
She certainly had no empathy for the Irish.
But so did Eleanor Roosevelt. I liked her before I saw the specials on PBS She felt “traumatized” by her father’s problems, but had many kids with a very charismatic man anyway. She blamed her “live-in” mother-in-law for “interfering” in raising those children she ignored, who all had severe problems? Please!
Why volunteer in Appalachia, but give little attention, or reject her own children? This “poor little rich girl” is not a beloved person in history, but NOT to me. She made bad choices, then wanted something else. She never should have married or had kids. Capable of speaking up, she needed to kick out Sara Delano if she was truly “in the way”, or get divorced. She never did so, because she did not love herself, want to take care of her children, and was jealous of FDR’s charisma and those attracted to him. Why shouldn’t he return love to other women? He loved his kids, but did not marry the right woman. Yikes.
My father-in-law met her when he was stationed in the jungle during WWII. She called the troops animals because they hadn’t been able to properly brush their teeth
I think you need to go back to the text books. Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder though similar are not interchangeable, neither is sociopathy or psychopathy.
Basically, a narcissist has an inflated ego and sense of self importance. Their character is based on fully believing how awesome they are. People with NPD look like they have an inflated sense of ego, but underneath it is a fear they aren’t good enough and self loathing. A Narcissist does not have self loathing.
What about Angelina Jolie? She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in the 1990’s!
Barbra Streisand is the biggest nacissist of the lot Always insist in being photographed from the left side because it’s her best side And talking about herself as a great artist In fact ALL she talks about is herself She’s also notoriously difficult to work with Claiming that she’s controlling and domineering because she’s a perfectionist
As others have pointed out, Marilyn Manson does not exhibit traits of narcissism, and his inclusion in this list casts doubt over whether or not the rest of the people on this list were similarly under-researched.
Read Robert Hare and Hervey Cleckley…Experts on psychopath. It will debunk all your uneducated comments and myths on the topic.
You could also add Nicolae Ceaușescu to that list. He evicted thousands of Bucharest dwellers, effectively making them homeless, to build his extravagant Palace of the People – the largest civilian building in the world. I visited Romania last summer and found the Romanians to be lovely, friendly people. But when you mentioned the name of Ceaușescu their expressions and complexions completely changed.
You could add many dictators to the list.
But on to Ceausescu… His forced breeding policy brought needless poverty and misery to his country, and deepened social schisms. And (mostly) because he wanted more siblings as a child? Another motivation was a racist one: increase the proportion of ethnic Romanians to that of gypsies. The Ceausescu regime should be required reading for those who believe that communism is incompatible with racism and sexism.
Lance Armstrong– textbook. John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Kardashians (duh). Bill Cosby (victim???), Mel Gibson. Bill Clinton (although I like him.) Tom Cruise (dork).
Lee harvey oswald????
Was a high ranking cia agent and spy
To clump him as a lone nut narcsissist is 30 yrs behind in common knowledge info
He was a committed Communist. Not CIA. And he was the lone shooter.
Marilyn Manson did not say, “They needed more attention”. He was asked, “if you could say anything to the Columbine shooters, what would you say?” He responded with, “I would not say anything to them, I would listen to what they had to say, which is what no one bothered to do?”
Please add Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is already on the list
Someone once wrote an entire book just on the cars Elvis Presley gave away. Narcissism? I don’t think so. He had empathy–he would see someone looking longingly at a car and buy it for them. I have no idea where you got this idea. Because he dressed flamboyantly? Are you kidding me? He was strange, drug addicted, a world class insomniac, deeply insecure and scarred from a childhood of grinding poverty but he was no narcissist. Puh-lease. You don’t sound like a professional at this but just an interested amateur.
yes, thank u!!! ikr!
I was just telling my friend Peter that his father is a narcissist and refuses to change his stand on admitting that Peter is his biological son. I can tell that William Shatner, peter’s biological father, is a narcissist just by the expression on his face, so I wasn’t surprised to see him on your list of famous people when looked it up on your site. He is in the process of trying to get William to do a court ordered DNA test to prove paternity. It’s very sad when a narcissist refuses to admit or change their views of anything regardlesspaternity. It’s very sad when a narcissist refuses to admit or change their views of anything.
I think this page might lead people to think that NPD is the same as psychopathy. I probably have NPD and I use Buddhism to help me combat my egotism. I don’t identify with people like Hitler. I am able to put myself in Hitler’s shoes but it is scary because, I believe in rebirth and divine retribution. I find his actions unspeakably evil.
To be honest, I’m very disappointed that you didn’t find some better examples of narcissists who have normal traits and are otherwise normal, except from believing they are special compared to others. It is possible to believe that you are special and be very out of touch with the harsh realities of life (which is basically what a narcissist is suffering from, hence no gritty emotions)….at the same time as being an essentially kind and loving person who wishes the best for others.
I’m not just saying this to protect my ego. I actually believe this is true. Before I learned how to have empathy and so forth (by doing Buddhist exercises in compassion) I never on one occasion put another person down verbally. I was sexually promiscuous so in that respect I didn’t have morals. But I couldn’t bear to let another person down, for example in a personal friendship or relationship. I had a very strong desire for the world’s suffering to decrease. Using myself as an example, therefore, I would say that it is possible to be a narcissist and have a big heart, even a sensitive heart.
What many people don’t understand about Narcissists like myself (people who feel they are more spiritual than others) is that, half of our condition is about being detached from harsh realities of life. The other half of the condition is simply being uneducated in the art of displacing the ego.
I may never completely remove the complexes which I have about feeling a cut above other people. But I have greatly improved my personality by spending long periods of time reflecting on the suffering of others, aiming to cherish others not myself, and reflecting on the inherent non-satisfactory of life.
You may have some narcissistic traits, but you do not appear to have full fledged Narcissistic Personality Disorder…if so you would never try to improve your personality or develop compassion.
It’s interesting for me, as I got narcisstic traits, huge opinion about myself on an almost spiritual level, but in the same time I am looking to be empathic. But I can have huge difficulties expressing my empathy. It’s sounds weird: I can feel empathy for others, but less than other people, and if I really become empathic, it can feel like a dam is breaking, I suddenly understand and feel everyone on an empathic level. I got more empathy for people than people got for themselves. Then I’m going back being self-centric, feel like I’m the best fucking guy on the planet. Probably because my way of empathy is a spiritual one and can be exhausting or feel too deep for me.
I don’t think at all, that you got NPD. You might have more problems than others to just be “like everyone else”, but you clearly show empathy and self-critical thinking in your text.
There are tons of other disorders, which have symptoms of narcissism or (seeming) lack of empathy. Autism for example. Or BPD. Probably borderline. Probably many others too. And we are educated to be narcisstic today. We are conditioned to feel special. We are conditioned to believe in the sad truth, that it’s fair, if the winner can take the whole cake. Even if other people suffer from poverty. Our whole society system somehow seems to be made by narcissts.
You just appear to be extremely critical of yourself, which, while a chronic source of pain, is the actually the antithesis of NPD.
You have the ability to introspect.
People with NPD are pathologically incapable of self reflection.
Gwen Stefani should be #1 on this list. The woman kissed her own wax figure at Madam Tussauds on the lips and constantly takes pics of herself on social media and needs constant admiration.
No. That is not what NPD is. It is much more than conceit.
Your list left out Yoko Ono. She has a grandiose self-image and thinks of herself as a gifted musician and originator of the conceptual art movement. She used John Lennon for her own person gain of fame, fortune and celebrity, and has no empathy for others.
I would actually have to disagree with Madonna. While she might be out of the limelight, when she was young she wrote the BOOK on self promotion for the talentless. She has an IQ of 155. She was a young woman with very little talent who made herself a superstar based on her self promotion which in turn led to making a BUNCH of money. She still has no talent.
Joseph Stalin was a sociopath more so then a narcissist, the first four on your list were absolute sociopaths, don’t confuse them with narcissists. I would also have to disagree with Elvis and I think you are off base with Alec Baldwin. Look at the facts, AB marries beautiful woman (Kim Basinger), KB turns out to have serious mental health issues, they divorce, she actively keeps from seeing his daughter to the point of spending 1.5 million dollars to attorneys and he acts out.
How you could leave Lance Armstrong off the list perplexes me. The guy was not only a cheat, he destroyed peoples lives over a bicycle race. To this day when I see someone wearing a yellow rubber bracelet, I think narcissist until proven wrong.
Spot on
Manson isn’t a narcissist. Just read some interviews and videos on him before jumping to conclusions. The Columbine shootings he felt bad about but is blameless for, as he had nothing to do with them. That was a stupid ass person who just so happened to like his music.
I find it no coincidence that Donald Trump has narcissistic disorder How easy this can be used by other That is what worries me.
British rock singer Gary Numan. Notorious over here in the UK for his shocking self-obsession. Manipulates his fans with the “little old me act” but we haven’t forgotten the stuff he spouted in the past. Hides behind Asperger syndrome excuse which is an insult to me because he never been diagnosed.
Jesus H. Christ. You fucking left off Barack Obama. How do you do this? How do you possibly leave him off this list?
In what ways would you suggest Obama fits in this list?
He thought he was God, recreating boys into girls and men into women.
Harry styles as well
Leave it out
I think all people who run for political office, must be Narcissists. They must think highly of themselves.
My eldest son is solid malignant somatic NPD & I cannot begin 2 explain the hurt, deception, manipulation and ‘lying’ (since age 5) 2 his mother & I (who in turn believes EVERYTHING her child (29) says to her). I always thought it was someone else trying 2 ruin our relationship, happiness & sanity but it was him all along. He terrorizes his young wife, bullies her & gaslighting & pejorative projection has become her reality. Too young, imature (22) & insecure 2 attempt life on her own; we both hurt for her, & r waiting 4 the day ‘the call’ comes concerning her safety, sanity & FREEDOM & we WILL b there 4 that young ‘lady’. My youngest allows his brother 2 rub off on him by lying to Mom & I & being indignant when called on it, I hurt so deep inside when my youngest lies, so hurt. I love my wife, my life, & our futures too much 2 allow our ‘loving (lying), generous (selfish), magnanimous (toxic) ‘bundle of joy created out of love’ 2 control, deceive & gaslight us all the way 2 the rubber room, poor house or divorce court. He got kicked out of the service after getting in trouble 4 abusing his soldiers & LIES 2 his own family about ‘getting out on his own terms’, like we don’t know the truth? His officers called my wife while I was at work & basically said “he has NO business in front of others, handling a gun or being TRUSTED w anything concerning other soldiers (delusional and mentally cruel in every sense). I have no regrets in life except that one night we loved each other & in the process created a monster. Yes, my wife & I wear our responsibility in this with a blanket of shame, despair & bewilderment. It’s always my wife’s fault or mine, never his! Is it possible that my son is just a sick ass**** who won’t see a doctor?A big fat solid resounding “Y E S”! My wife cries too much over him that it just drives my hurt deeper as I can’t take her pain away.. Dear world: Yes, it is ‘MY’ fault 4 everything that boy does & will do in the future as ‘someone’ needs 2 b responsible4 his daily acts of toxicity.. I figured I’d throw that out there as he would cut out his own eye’s b4 speaking the truth… please forgive us, we actually made the mistake of being in love (still are) & wanting 2 bring a beautiful child into the world we share – “sincerely, I am so very sorry”. DON’T HAVE ‘KIDS’ PRIOR TO 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Respectfully, a very hurt & regretful Father who only wanted 2 be…’Dad’.
If hes been a narc since a wee child where did he get it from. Npd is caused by trauma or emotional neglect abuse by upbringing so what did you guys do to him cos you seem like you have a lot of sincerity. Confused.
Could it be a trauma for which the parents are not responsible?
You don’t appear to have been directly impacted by someone else’s mental health issues. Very little in life is as clear and simple as you just presented it to be.
I agree with not being able to label narcissts through media, you have to know the person, feel the pain they inflict on you, hence many narcissts are outed by their children, we have lived it, some people are labelling narcissts who just have arrogance, I could be absolutely wrong, but trump is a big headed arrogant man, narcissts are much much more than this.
I AGREE THANK YOU
Trump is the prototypical malignant narcissist.
Just a minor correction: That photo in the beginning is not of Adolf Hitler…it is a 1920 “ghost spirit” photo by english photographer William Hope of an unnamed man…
Charlie Chaplin ? Wrote some of the most powerful anti fascist words ever written. Is he on this list because he refused to become a USA citizen and was a socialist ? There are some who are most decidedly NPD on this list. but it seems to me the persona responsible for this list should take a little examination themselves .
Madonna, Paris Hilton, and Marilyn Manson are on this list with a bunch of psychopaths?? Good grief. Madonna has done a lot of good things (yes, I know narcs can do good deeds to aggrandize themselves, but non-narcs can do things out of actual concern for others). I don’t she comes across as a narcissist. Gosh, imagine an incredibly successful person being confident. As for Paris Hilton, she’s just a two-bit celebrity, you might as well add ALL of them, she doesn’t stand out at all. Where’s the Kardashian/Jenner clan?
Yes, the Kardashians……
Narcissism isn’t only being ego-centric, it’s much more than that. It’s hard to understand exactly what narcissism is unless you have been in an abusive relationship with a narcissist. Narcissist commonly don’t show signs to people that they are terrible, and mostly only abuse people extremely close to them (like their children or significant other)… I’m sorry I was abused by a narc and it was a terrible experience, people from the outside cannot tell if someone is a narc or not… Just because a celeb seems full of themselves/lacks empathy doesn’t mean they have the disorder.. It’s actually this huge deep thing and if you want more info do research. I’m really upset now.
Narcissism isn’t only being ego-centric, it’s much more than that. It’s hard to understand exactly what narcissism is unless you have been in an abusive relationship with a narcissist. Narcissist commonly don’t show signs to people that they are terrible, and mostly only abuse people who are suppose extremely close to them (like their children or significant other)… I’m sorry I was abused by a narc and it was a terrible experience, people from the outside cannot tell if someone is a narc or not… Just because a celeb seems full of themselves/lacks empathy doesn’t mean they have the disorder.. It’s actually this huge deep thing and if you want more info do research. I’m really upset now.
You are right, I was in an abusive relationship with a covert narcissist for ten years. He was very “normal” to the naked eye… But there was always that something which wasn’t right about him. He sold me a version of himself which was enchanting and fantastic… then after we moved together 18 months later, his mask started to fall and his not so nice true self started to emerge. Over the years he systematically stripped me of my confidence and joy for life. He used me as a doll and would confuse me to the point i of tears and deep depression. Covid 19 was my saver… but he still makes sure to let me know he exists …
You must add Sean Penn to narcissist list. Tied up Madonna to a chair and threatened her life
She had to perform sex with him to distract him so he would untie her and she ran out. He has abused all his wives. He is a textbook narcissist.
Charlie Chaplin NPD ? Rubbish if you bothered to research his writings and history you will find he was utterly against hitler, his films portray some of the greatest speeches against narcissism and fascism. Indeed he was thrown out by the McCarthy witch hunt against communism which actually threatened anyone who did not follow the NPD greed machine !
Do some proper research instead of copying a list made up from another list made up from bullshit. But that is typical USA ‘ journalism ‘
While I agree with your comments regarding the need for a post to be original and the inaccuracies of this list, I have to disagree that this is “typical USA journalism”. Generalizations, meh. I think it’s safe to say that Reporters’ styles here vary as much as they do in other countries. But hey, if you want to hate on American journalism, carry on.
I don;t this that this is all correct.
Adolf Hitler (not “Adolph Hitler) for example didn’t erect statues of himself everywhere like Saddam Hussein did, and unlike Saddam Hussein and Josef Stalin, he didn’t mind sharing the limelight with others.
For example, many German generals, pilots, submarine commanders and soldiers gained widespread fame in Germany during Hitler’s rule.
Hitler also didn’t wear lots of fake medals or gaudy uniforms like Mussolini did.
Its hard to make a genuinely accurate diagnosis of someone who is long dead and very much maligned, because there are too many prejudicial influences at work and no one is left to defend them who really personally knew them.
Hi Jahan, you are absolutely right with your statement. It is not accurate to diagnose anyone whom you don’s see 1 on 1 with Narcissism. This post is purely meant as a fun list of people who showed strong Narcissistic Tendencies. They are certainly not facts.
There’s a lot of questionable choices on this list; yet incredibly you didn’t include Michael Jackson.
Meghan Markle, Taylor Swift, Amber Heard…. all three of ‘em are narcissists. Oh, and that nutter Mel Gibson too.
Marie Osmond Lisa Whelchel – nothing is their fault. They’re so cute and ‘down to earth” – not!
Charles Manson. Mitch McConnell. Lindsay Graham. Lauren Boebert. Marjorie Taylor Green. Ivanka Trump. The list goes on and on…..and on.
You missed Jim Carey (gaslit his ex girlfriend who killed herself), Meghan Markle (alienated Harry), Amber Heard (world’s greatest simultaneous hero and victim) and Craig McLaughlin (sexual pervert) (Australian actor). But good work on Tom Cruise, always been a narc. They’re so convincing, aren’t they.
Oh, and I always get the feeling Jacinda Ardern is a narcissist. And Canadians think Justin Trudeau is one, too. And you know, I always wonder if Paul McCartney is the narcissist. It’s not John, he came across that way (opinionated) but he was really wounded and wore his heart on his sleeve, so to say, possibly Yoko. But Paul and Yoko as narcissists. Linda spent every living moment with him, Heather didn’t toe the line and was killed off pretty much, and now he’s with a new wife. The man who was with the ‘love of his life’ can’t not not be married. He’s so charming and he’s just.. something’s not right about him. Blessings.
Justin Bieber is Canadian, not American.
Can you take Kurt Cobain out of the photo montage?? KC was NOT a narcissist. Not even close. The mere *mention* of him in the text doesn’t merit juxtaposing him beside frikkin’ Dahmer and Trump. Sheisty, and super click-baity.
You’ve clearly never read anything about Kurt Cobain.
can you list any examples of how cobain was a narcissist?
i read a lot about him, and don’t think he was a narcissist, and would say his personality, and grunge rock, were anti-narcissist.
i went to h.s. from ’90-’94. cobain / grunge rock were the opposite of beverly hills 90210 narcissism.
i forgot to type: probably, courtney love is a narcissist. i believe cobain thought he could change her, but couldn’t. and her narcissism and abuse were a main cause of his suicide.
Steven Seagal is a really obvious one missing from the list.
I feel like the article could do with less names and more evidence/references.
Trump is an obvious narc, but the Nero comparison seems a bit much.
Thanks for this. The commenters saying that Elvis was not a narcissist are not well researched fans. Elvis exhibited fundamentally classic signs of covert narcissism from young adulthood to his death. I mean, you only need to read one book written by one of his exes. Doesnt matter which, just pick any book and you can quickly see that he suffered from narcissism.
Elvis described a tremendous amount of attention affection and unearned positive reinforcement from his mother at an early age, while simultaneously having an absent father (not only was Vernon imprisoned for a short time in Elvis’s childhood, but he also had to travel and leave the community on a regular basis for work, according to most neighbours in Tupelo, he wasn’t often around. We know that his mom could be hypercritical and we know that she was also emotionally immature and dependent on Elvis to help regulate her emotions.
This created an emotionally hyper-vigilant child with supremely low self- esteem (everyone who knew Elvis could attest to this), fiercely co-dependent, who often felt unheard, misunderstood and lonely.
Relationships:
1. Love Bombing – he was the king of love bombing. He would meet a girl. Tell her he loved her within a week or two. Ask her to move in with him or stay with him permanently within a week. Shower her with gifts, attention, and would project a panicked craving and fear of loss. He would tell her he fears losing her. Any resistance that she shows at this stage, he takes as a personal slight and discards her.
2. Controlling – (from outfits, to hair, to makeup, Elvis controlled his girls image) His girls had to be primped and preened at all times, most slept in make-up. They were not allowed to befriend members of his Memphis Mafia. They were not allowed to have their own lives. They were expected to give up their jobs, livelihoods, friends etc to join his world and be by his side at all times. he even told his guys he wanted a young girl he could “train” (this is the word they all site him for using) and raise to be the woman he wanted. He would also leverage things like marriage to keep girls in line. He would threaten refusing to marry them if they didn’t do x, y or z. He would tell his “side chicks” to be patients because Priscilla won’t be there forever and that they will wear his ring one day.
3. Critical- He would then begin belittling and criticizing. One of Anita’s hips were bigger than the other, Priscilla’s hair, makeup, clothes weren’t right, Linda was ugly when she cried (not in a inhate to see you cry kind of way, but in a literal, she’s baring her soul and is down trotted and not only could he not muster empathy, he looked at her and told her she was ugly when she cried. She didn’t have a face that suited crying. Then proceeded to laugh at her).
4. Jealousy – he was insanely jealous. Like not even rationally jealous. His jealously knew no bounds. All of his girlfriends document his jealousy and the various events that happened over the years. I won’t document all of them. Suffice to say that he would have emotional breakdowns if his girl looked in the wrong direction, if a literal stranger on the street looked at her, if she expressed a like for a popular singer over him, or if she had attended another singers concert and met him, if one of the Memphis mafia guys asked if she was feeling okay because she looked ill, if a girl chose a Memphis mafia guy over dating him (which surprisingly or not did happen from time to time- and would always result in chaos for the guys). He slept with more than one of their girlfriends. When he was trying to court Myrna Smith and she chose Jerry over him, according to the house staff and their now grown children, it was incredibly tense between Jerry and Elvis at the time. He could not handle losing. He eventually relented and allowed them to live with him until it became too much for him and he bought Jerry a home down the road to move them into).
5. Mask- he was not capable of masking for very long. Usually after a month or two of suppressing his true character to win the girl, the mask would come off. He would have violent (mostly verbal, occasionally physical) breakdowns. Anita, Priscilla, Linda all document physical altercations he had in a fit of rage towards them when he felt they had embarrassed him or unmasked him in someway.
6. Embarrassment – on the topic of embarrassment, he was incredibly sensitive to criticism and embarrassment. His family, friends, girls friends etc all knew that he could dish it out but could NOT take being the but of a joke. He could be extra harsh, but he had to be handled with kid gloves. Some of his girlfriends understood this and adapted quickly. June knew that she had to take him into a closet or bathroom to have discussions because he would not react well if done publicly and he felt embarrassed. In later years he’d resort to shooting out television sets. But in the early days his guys just protected him and learned where the line was and how not to cross it so as to keep him “up” all the time. From around the 60s they began referring to it as babysitting him because he was so temperamental.
7. Manipulative – he was extraordinarily manipulative. In part is was due to necessity and self protection (making sure his guys were loyal and honest etc), but in relationships he was manipulative in an unhealthy way. He had a pattern with his girlfriends that started, I believe, in Germany with Elisabeth Stefaniak (and practiced with Priscilla’s parents), whereby he would endear himself to the parents or guardians of his object of affection. So even before he put in work on winning the girls affections, he would work on the parents. Specifically he would work on gaining their trust in order to have them release their daughter into his care. He would say almost the same thing to all of them verbatim. (He’s trustworthy. He’s honourable. He has the best of intentions for her. She’ll be safe. His father and step-mother will be the primary guardians. Not to worry. He’ll take good care of them). He did this with not only Elisabeth and Priscilla, but also with the parents of; Sandy Ferra, Anne Margret, Joyce Bova, Linda Thompson, Maggie Smith’s mother, Ginger Alden. He admitted to a number of his girlfriends that the reason he did this, was because he understood the importance of endearing himself to the person whose opinion the girl valued most. Because she wouldn’t be able to “relax” and feel comfortable in the relationship, if the “decision maker” (be it parents or siblings) didn’t approve of the relationship. Another great example of masterful manipulation is his Badge from the white house. As his Memphis mafia guys note, he was pretty much prepared to say and do anything to leave the white house with a badge. Does it mean he believed what he said, nope, or maybe he did in that moment who knows.
8. Addiction – we don’t need to get into this because it’s well documented. But not only did he deal with prescription and food addictions, he also struggled with porn addiction and potentially “sex” addiction (I use that term loosely). It seemed to be more about control for him. Having Priscilla sleep with another woman while he directed the scene and what he wanted her to do (she’s discussed this openly). He filmed most of his encounters. His guys have discussed this multiple times as has Priscilla. They also discuss secretly watching the tapes, of which consist primarily of him off camera directing the women on what to do. I mean, Linda (who’s know as the most honest and straight forward of the gf’s) details an occasion where he left the room while she slept, went into his daughters room and got a hand job or blow job by an overnight nurse or someone. When she caught them, he simply said “you should have knocked”. (This was not unusual behaviour according to the Memphis mafia) they discuss the fact that he would wake up while his date or girlfriend slept and would invite other women over who he would “be with” and entertain for a few hours before returning to bed.
9. Habitual Cheater – continuing from the above He was completely incapable of fidelity. This is also well documented. Don’t have to get into it, but he hopped from woman to woman. He claimed later in life, (according to his cousin Billy Smith) that he had only ever been “in love” twice in his life and he wouldn’t ever guess who with. (Lisa and his mama) are obvious choices. He admits later that he loved Priscilla but was never in love with her. I think that is obvious. He liked the idea of her more than he liked her.
10. Fragile Ego – he was incredibly defensive, petty, perfectionist, cared about the opinion of others, often preferred to be the smartest in the group. He famously was unable to apologize when he made a mistake. Instead he would give a gift.
11. ADHD – he may have had ADHD, judging by his inability to sit still, concentrate et. from an early age. When he started touring the band would take turns walking him down the road to get his energy out. He always had a frenetic energy. After the army that energy was probably mostly from drugs. That said, other potential signs of ADHD are his Impulsivity, often poor decision making skills, trouble completing tasks, and staying focused. ADHD symptoms like this are also often a signifier or NPD.
12. Flying monkeys – he quite literally had flying monkeys, or the Memphis mafia. Who enabled ever choice he made. They did his bidding. They helped him triangulate. They would gaslight and twist reality and were prepared to do anything to protect the image. Jerry (whose book was approved for publishing by Lisa herself and whose accounts of various Elvis stories coincide with those of Red/Sonny west in Elvis, What Happened, shares the stories of numerous occasions when Elvis crossed the line, harms a woman physically or through drugs, they had their detective friend (fixer) who was connected to the police departments, they had a fall guy (seemed to always be Charlie Hodge), and they always had a plan of how they’ll get their story straight in order to protect the boss. Which is what they’re hired to do, but it still crosses moral boundaries and boundaries of integrity.
13. Discard – finally, once his mask had been removed and she saw him for who he was; a man child who had not matured past the age of 11, who was an addict, could be mean, selfish, self-centred, egotistical, delusionally boastful stubborn and inflexible she was promptly discarded. Not in the normal way you’d assume though. Covert narcs don’t just move on. He would discard and move on without telling her. He’d buy her a home near by maybe, or call less often ask her not to come in the road, not invite her to certain places anymore, and instead he would pick up a relationship with someone else, continue it until the other girl was frustrated or got the message and moved on. He also had the habit of projecting an idealized version of the woman he was with. Once he realized that she wasn’t that way, again, he would discard.
All of these things shouldn’t take away from his positive qualities of which he also had many. However, with a Narcs positive qualities, you have to study the motive beneath them and you’ll usually find them to be covertly self serving.
Yes, Elvis was generous to a fault. He gave away things from here to Timbuktu. He’d giveaway gifts (homes, cars, jewelry) to his guys and employees when he did something wrong (like yelled at them unfairly, or was violent/aggressive and wanted to smooth it over). He’d giveaway gifts to gain favour and approval from conquests and their families). He gave away gifts to strangers when his consciousness was eating at him (if you look at the dates of when he gave gifts away and track it against what was going on in his life in the days leading up to the purchases, it’s fascinating), and he gave away gifts for the sake of it, to make himself feel good, because he enjoyed seeing the shock and expression of people’s faces when they were surprised and delighted. The positive light that shone on him when he did something kind for others fed him and his ego in many ways that went beyond altruism. Both could be true at the same time, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a kind thing he’s doing for other people.
NPD is a difficult thing discuss and analyze. We all have narcissistic tendencies. It’s normal. True Narcs however are often demonized because of it, but it’s much more complex than we give credit. NPDs are not evil or monsters, they just have a developmental gap due to traumas, child rearing etc that does not allow them to process experiences and emotions in the same way that others do. They are often not very self-aware of their behaviours although they can have brief breaks. They are unmotivated to change, and those who do want to change are often tortured by their traits and habits. Which I believe Elvis in later years was.
Most NPDs get a bit better with age. The behaviour I believable peaked for him in 68-71.
I could do a similar breakdown with multiple aspects of his life and career, his friendships, his relationship with the black community, his relationship with his family etc and is mostly always shakes out like this.
Would love to know what people who have researched and read a tremendous amount about him think (more than a few anecdotes here or there).
Well said about Elvis, Sarah! It’s true.
I’ve read about 20 books about Elvis, including the two outstanding Alanna Nash books:
1. “Baby Let’s Play House” (POV from the women in Elvis’s life)
2. “Elvis and Memphis Mafia” (POV from the men in his life).
They are must-reads for anyone interested in Elvis. The “Elvis and Memphis Mafia” book consists of several conversations with 3 members of the Memphis Mafia: Billy Smith (Elvis’s cousin), Lamar Fike, and Marty Lacker. They all speak very openly and frankly about everything!
I’ve read both books by Peter Guralnick.
I think I’ve read all of the girlfriend’s books:
June Juanico, Anita Wood, Priscilla, Joyce Bova, Barbara Leigh, Linda Thompson, and Kathy Tatum.
I am a huge fan but some aspects of Elvis’s personality are really troubling to me. It really bothers me how fans sweep it under the rug. It also worries me that he dated young teenagers while he was in his 20, 30s, and 40s.
If you have any recommended reading about Elvis, please let me know!