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In earlier times, individuals who struggled to fit into societal norms due to mental health issues or developmental challenges were often concealed in institutions or other secluded places by their families. Due to the stigma surrounding psychiatric disorders and intellectual disabilities, those in the public eye often felt an increased pressure to hide such family members, fearing their reputation would be tarnished by association.
In some instances, asylums were prescribed by doctors, given their limited capacity to properly address these conditions in less progressive times. However, fame made it increasingly difficult for celebrities to conceal personal matters. Below are 10 of the most shocking cases of famous individuals having to hide their close family members.
10. Prince John
Today, information about Prince John, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary who suffered from epilepsy and intellectual challenges, is much easier to find than it was during the early 1900s. Alongside his seizures—beginning at the age of four—and learning difficulties, he might have also been autistic. The royal couple, known for their dignified and reserved nature, were highly aware of their public image. They feared that John’s condition would reflect poorly on them and damage their subjects’ trust in the royal family.
In 1913, when John turned eight, it was revealed that he would not attend the same prep school as his older brother, Albert (later King George VI). There were even doubts about whether he would attend school at all. Around this time, John began withdrawing from the public eye, spending less time with his parents, who were occupied with wartime responsibilities. In an effort to shield his siblings from the trauma of witnessing his increasingly frequent and severe seizures, John became more isolated.
At the age of 11, John was relocated to Wood Farm, a property on the outskirts of the family’s Sandringham estate, where he was cared for by his nanny. Queen Mary made arrangements for local children to visit and play with him, but John was kept away from Balmoral visitors and could only be seen from a distance in the woods. He continued to live at Wood Farm until his death at 13, following a seizure.
9. Cary Grant’s Mother Else
For many years, Hollywood legend Cary Grant was under the false impression that his mother, Else Leach, had passed away. In the mid-1930s, as Grant’s career was blossoming, his father shocked him by revealing the truth: Else was still alive, living in a mental institution. When Grant was 11, his mother had disappeared, and he was initially told she had gone to rest at a seaside resort before being informed that she had died.
This revelation deeply affected the young Grant and left lasting emotional scars. In fact, his father had placed Else, diagnosed with mania, in the Bristol Lunatic Asylum, where she remained for 20 years.
Upon discovering his mother's whereabouts, Grant arranged for her release. Else, who didn’t initially recognize him, was astonished to learn that her little boy had become a successful film star. Their relationship, understandably awkward at first, became one of love and care. Grant took responsibility for Else’s well-being until her death in 1973.
8. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s Mother Princess Alice
Princess Alice of Battenberg, Prince Philip’s eccentric mother and the sister-in-law of the late Greek King Constantine I, led a less isolated life in her later years at Buckingham Palace than what might be depicted in the TV series The Crown. However, many years earlier, while in exile with her family, Alice was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In the early 1930s, when Philip was still a child, she was involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric clinic in Berlin.
When Sigmund Freud was consulted about her condition, he concluded that her religious visions were the result of sexual frustration. His prescribed treatment included repeatedly X-raying her ovaries to induce early menopause in an attempt to 'eliminate' her libido.
What is just as remarkable as Alice’s unconventional behavior is her remarkable achievements despite these obstacles. After spending two years in a Swiss clinic, she returned to Greece and devoted herself to philanthropy, founding an order of nuns and aiding Jews during WWII. Though she never took religious vows, Alice wore a nun’s habit for the last 20 years of her life.
7. T.S. Eliot’s Wife, Vivienne
Vivienne Haigh-Wood Eliot is often regarded as a significant influence on her husband, poet and playwright T.S. Eliot. However, she was equally known for her emotional struggles, which caused immense distress and contributed to the collapse of their marriage. The exact cause of her mental illness remains uncertain, with some speculating she suffered from bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, or that her erratic behavior was linked to gynecological issues.
In addition to being Eliot's muse, Vivienne also collaborated with him and even published her own works under pseudonyms. Yet, her ongoing mental health challenges made it difficult for her to accept her husband's decision to leave her. She stalked him, even believing he had been kidnapped and replaced by an imposter. In 1938, Vivienne's brother Maurice, reportedly with Eliot's consent, had her committed to a mental institution, where she would remain until her death at 58, nine years later.
6. Edith Rockefeller McCormick
The Rockefeller family, known for its vast wealth from industrial endeavors, has been home to many intriguing figures, including Edith Rockefeller McCormick, a socialite and patron of the arts. Daughter of oil magnate J.D. Rockefeller, Edith's life was marked by the privileges and allure of high society, but also shadowed by darkness and hardship.
After enduring the deaths of two of her children and a prolonged illness, Edith Rockefeller McCormick battled significant mental health struggles, including depression and anxiety. In 1913, she entered a Swiss clinic for treatment under the care of the influential psychologist Carl Jung. Interestingly, Edith transformed from a patient to a collaborator during her eight years in Zurich, even financially supporting Jung’s groundbreaking research.
5. Erik Erikson’s Son, Neil
Considering Erik Erikson’s fame as a prominent psychologist, his reaction to having a child with developmental disabilities is rather unexpected. In 1944, his wife Joan gave birth to their son, Neil, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Erikson immediately sent him away and falsely informed their other children that Neil had passed away at birth. In In the Shadows of Fame: A Memoir by the Daughter of Erik Erikson, Susan Erikson Bloland recounts the deep emotional turmoil this caused, nearly breaking up her parents’ marriage.
Told that Neil was unlikely to survive beyond a year or two due to his condition, Erikson followed medical advice and placed him in an institution. However, against expectations, Neil lived to the age of 21.
4. Albert Einstein’s Son, Eduard
Eduard, the younger son of Albert Einstein from his first marriage, led a life filled with contradictions. Born in Zurich in 1910, Eduard was a frail child, yet he showed intellectual promise that suggested he could follow in his father's footsteps as a renowned scientist. However, his mental health issues ultimately prevented him from realizing this potential. Deeply influenced by Sigmund Freud, Eduard developed an interest in psychology and enrolled in medicine at the University of Zurich, aiming to become a psychiatrist. Instead of becoming a doctor, Eduard spent much of his adulthood as a patient himself.
By the time Eduard turned 20, signs of schizophrenia emerged, which were later confirmed. His mental state deteriorated further after a tumultuous affair with an older woman, and in his early twenties, he attempted suicide.
Eduard was placed in sanatoriums, which may have worsened his condition, and ultimately became a long-term resident at the Burghölzli psychiatric clinic in Zurich. Albert Einstein made genuine efforts to assist his son and maintained contact with him, though the situation caused him great distress.
3. Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Fitzgerald, the most iconic literary spouse of the twentieth century—perhaps of all time—was the epitome of the flapper. She and her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of literary classics like The Great Gatsby, were a dazzling couple whose extravagant and fast-paced lifestyle became emblematic of the Roaring Twenties.
The lavish lifestyle of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald crumbled after the 1929 stock market crash, which plunged them into financial hardship. Shortly thereafter, Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Over the next 18 years, she moved in and out of mental institutions, ultimately dying in a tragic hospital fire at a facility in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1948, at the age of 47.
Zelda’s legacy extends beyond her image as the glamorous yet tragic muse. Like many women married to creative men during that period, she was often an uncredited partner in her husband's work. She was also the mother of F. Scott Fitzgerald's only child, Frances, and had her own accomplishments. Besides her skills in painting and dancing, Zelda was an accomplished writer, contributing numerous articles to magazines and writing novels, as well as a play inspired by her tumultuous marriage.
2. Rosemary Kennedy
Growing up, Rosemary Kennedy was lovingly included in the Kennedy family, and her parents made considerable efforts to ensure she had a childhood similar to that of her siblings. However, at the age of 23, a botched medical procedure left her with more severe disabilities, and she was sent to an institution.
As a child, Rosemary showed signs of slower learning compared to her peers, and it soon became clear that she had developmental challenges. Her family sent her to various schools, where she made notable progress, especially at a Montessori school in England while her father, Joseph Kennedy, served as ambassador. However, with the onset of World War II, the family returned to the U.S., and Rosemary’s rebellious nature made her more difficult to manage as she got older.
In an attempt to make her more compliant, Joe Kennedy arranged for his daughter Rosemary to undergo a lobotomy, but the procedure had disastrous results. According to People, it left her with the cognitive abilities of a young child. Afterward, she was placed in a psychiatric facility in upstate New York before being transferred to Saint Coletta in Wisconsin. Her family, including her siblings, was kept in the dark about her location for many years.
Rosemary's sister, Eunice, became a passionate advocate for individuals with intellectual disabilities, founding the Special Olympics in 1968. Meanwhile, her brothers—future President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy—worked toward improving the lives of disabled people, a commitment that ultimately led to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
1. Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln is often remembered not only as the wife of President Abraham Lincoln but also for her unpredictable behavior. Struggling with depression, excessive spending, and frequent volatility, she became a figure of intrigue. Some historians suggest she may have had bipolar disorder, while others speculate that factors like menstrual issues, a vitamin B12 deficiency, or even a deeper mental condition could have contributed to her struggles. It's crucial, however, to view her actions within the context of her life, which, despite its privileges, was fraught with hardship.
In addition to the loss of three sons, Mary Todd Lincoln faced the overwhelming burden of being the First Lady during the Civil War, a time of immense national and personal stress. The fact that her reputation for instability only emerged after her husband's election to the presidency suggests that many of her struggles were likely tied to the overwhelming pressures she endured.
A decade after the tragic assassination of her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln was involuntarily committed to an asylum following an insanity trial brought forth by her last surviving son, Robert. He was appointed as the conservator of her estate. After spending four months in the institution, Mary Todd Lincoln traveled abroad, where her sister provided her with care.
