20 Celebrities with Antisocial Personality Disorder

20 Celebrities With Antisocial Personality Disorder

Originally published by Gloria N on May 2023 and updated by Vanessa M in May 2024.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a mental health condition in which a person at risk may show no concern for right and wrong and may often ignore the rights and feelings of others. The disorder may lead to spouse abuse or child abuse, social problems, attempting suicide, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and drug abuse.

In this article, we will look at celebrities with antisocial personality disorder behavior and the negative impacts they have on society. We have discussed 20 individuals with the disorder and they include the following;

1. Andrés Leonardo Achipiz

Andrés Leonardo Achipiz is known as a Colombian serial killer and a psychopath (Personality disorder), which is characterized by antisocial behavior, lack of remorse or empathy, and untruthfulness.

After his arrest in 2013, he was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). This diagnosis was made by a team of psychiatrists who evaluated him. The diagnosis was based on Achipiz’s childhood history of abuse, his criminal behavior, and his lack of empathy for his victims.

Andres confessed that he had killed about 30 to 35 people in Bogotá. He said he was hired to kill in exchange for money between $600,000 to $ 4,000,000 worth of pesos which is a large sum.

Leonardo was sentenced to prison for committing multiple murderers and is in La Picota Prison in Southeastern Bogotá. 

Read also the 15 Must-Know Facts About Eating Disorders.

2. Ted Bundy

 / State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

Ted Bundy was a serial killer and one of the famous people diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. During his case, the court ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine Ted’s aptitude for violence since there were no reports of him seeing a therapist.

 Between 1974 and 1978, Ted was convicted of murdering at least 30 women in the United States.

In 2007, a group of 73 psychologists came together with the University of Kentucky to learn more about Ted Bundy’s mental health. After research, 80 % of the people doing research agreed Ted had an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

Apart from ASPD, Psychologists at the University of Kentucky study believed that Ted also had signs of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).

3. Jeffery Dahmer

English: Revere Senior High School, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jeffery Dahmer is also called “Milwaukee Cannibal”. He is well-known as one of the American serial killers. Dahmer started this at an early age, like the dissection of roadkill, but his parents never noticed these small red flags.

In a period of 15 years, from 1978 to 1991, it was estimated that Dahmer killed more than 15 young men. Dahmer was known to drug his victims, rape them then disembody them. He was said to cook and eat the bodies sometimes.

During his case, Jeffery was psychologically studied by more than seven psychologists and was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Apart from ASPD, Dahmer was also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizotypal personality disorder.

Look at the 35 Famous People and Celebrities Who Struggled with Eating Disorders.

4. Joey Barton

Joey Barton Photo by Public Domain

Although not officially confirmed, there have been speculations that Joey Barton may have Antisocial Personality Disorder. This is based on his destructive behavior that checked off most of the criteria in the DSM-5. Joey was born on September 2, 1982, and is a well-known football manager from Huyton, England. 

Some of his destructive behaviors include poking a cigar into a teammate’s eyes when he is provoked. It is said that Barton does not show any remorse or personal responsibility when it comes to his actions on and off the field.

5. Garry David

Garry David grew up in a family where his mother was an alcoholic. He spent most of his childhood in orphanages, boy’s centers, and training centers.  His life in crime started at 11 when he was accused of larceny, making threats, and offenses of dishonesty.

At 13, he was first diagnosed with a personality disorder with psychopathic traits. David was admitted to psychiatric facilities on eight separate occasions between 1976 and 1984 and diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.

One story that proves his antisocial personality disorder is when he was 28 years old. David was jailed for 14 years because he attempted to kill three people. Despite attempting to kill people and being sentenced to prison, Garry said he was never sorry and victims deserved it. The fact that David had no regard for taking the lives of others clearly shows he had ASPD.

 Darry is one of the most infamous criminals from Australia. He died of suicide in 1993 while still in prison.

Here are the Top 10 Most Famous People with Anxiety Disorders.

6. Tommy Lynn Sells

Tommy Lynn Sells was a serial killer from America. Tommy confessed to having killed many people throughout his life. Before he reached 14 years old, Lynn is said to have been addicted to killing people.

He was born back on June 28, 1964, and died on April 3, 2014. Tommy is one of the famous people diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. He had several signs of a person suffering from ASPD such as feeling no emotions, feeling no regret, and feeling no guilt while speaking of his murder actions. 

7. Kenneth Lee Lay

Kenneth Lee Lay was a famous businessman from America. He was the founder, chairman, and also chief executive officer of Enron. While still working in the Enron Corp, he was ranked America’s highest-paid CEO in 1999. Lee is one of the celebrities who were diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.

Kenneth lived a normal life and showed several signs of antisocial personality disorder, he lacked empathy and a sense of personal responsibility. This simply led to the downfall of the company since he lacked a sense of personal responsibility for both the company and its employees.

8. Michael Vick

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Wolpert of SURFLANT, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Michael Vick used to be the NFL’s highest-paid player before he was caught bankrolling a gambling ring that killed dogs by shotgun, electrocution, drowning, and heinous beating (hard words even to write). He was charged with conspiracy and is currently serving a 23-month sentence.

Despite this extremely public, negative exposure, some NFL teams are still interested in Vick after his sentence is completed in July. Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, claimed that he owed it to the public to ensure Vick was capable of regretting it before allowing him to wear an NFL jersey again. PETA officials submitted a letter to the NFL commissioner requesting that Vick be tested to see whether he is a psychopath or sociopath before returning to the NFL. 

Given that Vick funded and engaged in a major dogfighting organization (having a direct hand in hanging, drowning, or shooting countless dogs—and even slamming dogs to the ground to break their backs), something may be amiss with the individual. However, determining if Vick is a clinical psychopath is a vital aspect of the larger puzzle.

9. Charles Manson

Charles Manson rose to prominence and infamy after organizing the “Tate-LaBianca” murders of seven people in August 1969. In 1971, he was sentenced to death for his role in these murders. The United States Supreme Court struck down the death sentence in 1972. He died in the California Department of Corrections in November 2017 at the age of 83, having served his life sentence.

During his imprisonment, Manson was reviewed numerous times by psychiatrists and psychologists. His diagnosis ranged from numerous personality disorders to schizophrenia (undifferentiated kind). 

10. Bernie Madoff

U.S. Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bernard Lawrence “Bernie” Madoff was an American banker who ran the greatest Ponzi scheme in history, scamming thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars over a period of at least 17 years, probably longer.

People invested in Mr. Madoff once he earned their trust. They began to believe that he had their best interests at heart and would do nothing to harm them. Their trust proved to be completely mistaken. He has ruined people’s lives. Countless people who hoped to live off their investments in retirement have been left with nothing, especially the elderly, who are suddenly unable to pay their medical costs and are even homeless.

This is a partial profile of someone with antisocial personality disorder. One of the most notable characteristics of these individuals is their ability to enchant others. People like Madoff can attract friends and supporters because they appear to be so warm and genuine in their actions and attitudes. However, this is all a mask, and in truth, they are capable of causing enormous quantities of devastation with no remorse.

11. Bugsy Siegel

Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was a Jewish American gangster who spearheaded the creation of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel, like his friend and fellow mobster Meyer Lansky, wielded considerable power inside the Italian-American Mafia and the primarily Italian-Jewish National Crime Syndicate. He was described as attractive and personable, and he was one of the first celebrity gangsters to make the front pages.

Bugsy was a textbook sociopath. He took what he wanted when he wanted it, and the feeling of sorrow was foreign to him. In his mind, other people were there to be used by him, as evidenced by his lengthy record of robbery, rape, and murder stretching back to his adolescent years.

12. Adolf Hitler

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S33882 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

The health of Adolf Hitler, Germany’s dictator from 1933 to 1945, has long been a source of public debate. His physical and mental health have been scrutinized. 

The phrase “Adolf Hitler Psychopathography” refers to psychiatric (pathographic, psychobiographic) literature that deals with the concept that Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, was mentally ill, even though he was never diagnosed with any mental diseases during his lifetime.

Hitler was frequently associated with mental diseases such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychopathy, both during his lifetime and after his death. Well-known psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, like Walter C. Langer and Erich Fromm, have diagnosed Hitler with mental disorders. Other researchers, such as Fritz Redlich, have determined that Hitler most likely did not have these diseases.

13. Dennis Rader

Narcissism is classified as an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and it is frequently observed among serial killers, some of whom seek public attention. Dennis Rader, a serial killer known by the self-assigned pseudonym “Bind, Torture, Kill” (BTK), is one such example. Rader murdered ten people, including men, women, and children, between 1974 and 1991. 

Rader confessed that when he told his pursuers to call him “Bind, Torture, Kill” in October 1974, he gleefully contributed to the creation of his own heinous public identity. His terrifying and self-assigned codename, BTK, described both his method of operation (bind and kill) and his signature (torture).

The self-proclaimed student of the killing game studied the narratives and strategies of notable serial murderers who had come before him. He desired the notoriety enjoyed by the Son of Sam, the Boston Strangler, and Jack the Ripper, so he developed a brand name for himself that would shock and scare society.

14. O.J. Simpson

LAPD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Simpson, a former NFL player and actor was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1995 and was also convicted of a crime-related incident in a Las Vegas hotel in which police allege he robbed two sports memorabilia dealers. He was accused of ten felony counts, including robbery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Psychologists and psychiatrists who talked with with reporters said Simpson’s activities indicate a guy who believes he can do whatever he wants with few, if any, consequences.

However, based on their observations of Simpson during his years in the public eye, they concluded that he appears to have a sense of entitlement and little regard for others. According to one professional psychologist, Simpson is a sociopath, meaning he has little or no concern for moral or legal standards and is unable to follow societal rules.

15. Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel Capone (commonly known as “Scarface”) was a prominent Italian-American mobster who rose to prominence during the Prohibition era. Capone was a key figure in Chicago’s organized criminal scene, serving as the Italian Mafia head.

People with antisocial personality disorder are continuously breaking the rules. Al Capone’s frequent criminal activities resulted in a tendency toward irresponsibility and unlawfulness.

The police had had enough of him acting above the law. Following the 1927 Sullivan decision, it was determined that illicit gains were taxable. They began to pay close attention to everything he did, looking for any incriminating details. Al Capone never submitted an income tax return. He also never declared his assets or income. He was quite good at hiding his tracks. He always paid with cash and never owned anything in his own name. Unfortunately for him, the government tried all in its power to bring him down.

16. Mao Zedong

孟庆彪（新华社摄影部中央新闻组记者）、Hou Bo（新华社驻中南海记者）, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mao Zedong was the primary Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier, and statesman who spearheaded the country’s communist revolution. He was the head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1935 until his death, and he served as chairman (chief of state) of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1959, as well as party chairman until his death.

Mao suffered from numerous personality disorders, including psychopathology, narcissistic personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder. He also took enormous joy in excessive brutality. His vision for China reflected this strong psychopathology.

His vision for China, like that of previous psychopathic tyrants such as Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot, was mostly a basic, egotistical delusion. The concept of communism, with its promises of equality, an end to exploitation, and a future society built on justice, gave the propaganda cover Mao required to climb to power. His vision, however, had little to do with equality and justice and everything to do with unrelenting violence and complete subjugation of the Chinese people.

17. Bill Cosby

As more women come forward with charges that comedian Bill Cosby drugged, sexually assaulted, or raped them, the topic of why people commit such sex crimes has risen to the forefront. Cosby has never been charged with a sex crime, but the vast majority of the women who have come forward claim that he drugged them before touching, molesting, or raping them. If the charges are found to be true, they portray a picture of a serial sex offender who enjoys using drugs and alcohol to weaken his victims’ defenses.

However, Cosby is accused of being a repeat offender. According to Zarse, such criminals are frequently diagnosed with either antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy. While they share certain parallels, being classified as antisocial and being called a psychopath differ significantly, but Zarse believes they are both potential variables in the motivations of serial rapists.

18. Saddam Hussein

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Saddam Hussein’s psychology can be defined using the phrase “malignant narcissism.” Pathological narcissism, antisocial tendencies, paranoia, and unrestrained violence are the main components of this condition. He had pathological narcissism, a personality trait marked by great grandiosity, overconfidence, and self-absorption to the point where one is unable to empathize with the agony and suffering of others.

Leaders with this profile lack empathy and are unaffected by human suffering, allowing them to commit crimes against their own people as easily as they are willing to brutalize their opponents.

Hussein shared many of Adolf Hitler’s personality disorders and characteristics, however, Hussein’s sadistic traits were more pronounced. “He’s a dangerous, dangerous man with dangerous, dangerous weapons.”— As quoted by US President George W. Bush regarding Saddam Hussein in December 2002.

19. John Wayne Gacy

John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer and rapist who murdered at least 33 adolescent boys and young men in Cook County, Illinois, with the majority buried under his residence. Gacy, also known as the “Killer Clown” for his penchant of dressing up in clown costumes and makeup, had a traumatic childhood and struggled with his homosexuality.

Gacy is a good example of what happens when antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) reaches its deadliest form. At the time of his arrest and conviction, Gacy was the most prolific serial murderer in American history, and he is still one of the most well-known members of a horrible fraternity—men who kill repeatedly, often for no apparent reason.

Despite their variations, their biographies are frequently read like textbook studies of ASPD displayed in a very lethal manner. Not all serial killers are antisocial, and few antisocial individuals reach the levels of brutality achieved by men such as Gacy.

20. Lance Armstrong

de:Benutzer:Hase, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lance Armstrong is an American cyclist who was the first to win seven Tour de France titles (1999-2005), but his wins were removed when an inquiry found that he had been doping during his record-breaking winning streak.

In October, the United States Anti-Doping Agency issued a damning report naming Lance Armstrong as the relentlessly driven mastermind of a decade-long doping scheme. Armstrong, a cancer survivor and inspiration to millions, was revealed to be deceptive, manipulative, and remorseless – all of which are unmistakable indications of psychopathy.