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Carnie Wilson's Tragic Real-Life Story

The following article contains references to substance abuse, disordered eating, suicidal ideation, and postpartum depression.

Carnie Wilson is best known by many as one of the three members of Wilson Phillips, the '90s singing group responsible for the hit song "Hold On," among others. Wilson went on to become a talk show host, a producer, a reality TV star, and mother to two daughters, Lola and Luciana. She has thrived in the public eye, known for her candor and humor, as well as her musical prowess. But in stark contrast to the upbeat message of the song "Hold On," the Wilson Phillips singer has weathered plenty of dark times that she nearly didn't make it through. While it's true that Wilson may have a staggering net worth of $14 million, that has not insulated her from tragedy.

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From her dysfunctional childhood to dealing with weight gain while under public scrutiny, overcoming addictive behaviors, and losing loved ones, Carnie Wilson has been through a lot. Her struggles, both public and private, have not kept her down, and she prides herself on being open about her experiences so that she might help others who can relate.

In 2024, Wilson told Closer Weekly her life was "glorious, surreal and very, very real at the same time." Here is a look at the tragic story of Carnie Wilson and how she overcame so many obstacles.

Carnie Wilson survived a very difficult childhood

Carnie Wilson was born in 1968 to Marilyn Rutherford-Wilson and Brian Wilson. Marilyn was part of the girl group The Honeys and Brian was a musician and founding member of the legendary group The Beach Boys. While Carnie's musical family helped pave the way for her own career as a singer, she grew up in a tumultuous environment. "I came from a dysfunctional family in the rock and roll world, and there was so much that was so crazy and erratic," she shared with Fox News.

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Carnie's childhood was also complicated by the fact that her father struggled with substance abuse. "My childhood was scary for me," she revealed to Radiance. "My dad was a drug addict and an alcoholic." Carnie's mother was honest with her and her sister Wendy about their father's issues but encouraged them to appreciate the fact that he was an amazing musician. "It was a very strange, conflicting thing. I was very proud, but very embarrassed," Carnie explained. "I saw him high on drugs many times. I knew he wasn't acting normal."

Carnie's parents divorced when she was 11 years old, and her relationship with her father was strained for many years. As an adult, Carnie was able to appreciate the gift of music passed down from her parents, telling Fox News, "My dad did the best he could and gave us this beautiful, beautiful legacy. ... Music is the one steady common denominator, nucleus of our lives."

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She became depressed after Wilson Phillips broke up and her talk show failed

Wilson Phillips released their debut album in 1990, and it became a huge hit, with three number one singles and record sales in the millions worldwide. The trio, including Carnie Wilson, her sister Wendy, and their friend Chynna Phillips (daughter of The Mamas and The Papas' Michelle Phillips and John Phillips) were on top of the world, but their success was short-lived.

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After their second album dipped in sales, they decided to go their separate ways, which frustrated Wilson who wanted to keep going. "Every year I would ask if we could have a reunion and they — Chynna and my sister Wendy — would both say 'No. We're not ready," Wilson told Broadway World. She continued, saying, "I became very depressed. I put on a bunch of weight, and it was really bad."

Wilson went on to host her own talk show in 1995, titled "Carnie!" — which proved to be yet another disappointment. It was a time when many celebrities were hosting their own talk shows, and Wilson sort of got lost in the shuffle. "The formula was wrong," she explained. "Every time I'd want to be myself and just be, you know, they wouldn't let me." The show was canceled in 1996, which left Wilson feeling disillusioned. As she told Radiance, "We were just beginning to build our fan base, people were becoming committed viewers. ... I've learned it's all about money. It's really sick."

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She tried drastic measures to lose weight

Over the years, Carnie Wilson has been very open about her struggle with her weight. As part of a project she executive produced about the late Karen Carpenter, who died from complications of anorexia, Wilson opened up about having tried unhealthy weight loss methods in her youth. "I was a teenager with my own eating problems and had started some of the same dangerous behaviors and routines Karen resorted to in hopes of losing weight," Wilson revealed.

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In 1999, Wilson decided to have gastric bypass surgery and, as a result, she lost 150 pounds. But the singer struggled to keep the weight off, especially after giving birth to her two daughters, Luciana and Lola. In 2012, Wilson underwent a second surgery, a laparoscopic gastric banding (aka lap-band surgery), which involves placing a band around part of the stomach in order to limit food consumption. "I needed to take action," Wilson told Today. "This is about health, it's not about what I look like or what the scale says."

Wilson's weight continued to fluctuate after this surgery as well. In 2024, she spoke candidly about adopting healthy eating habits after being told by her doctor she was in danger of developing diabetes. The singer cut sugar and gluten from her diet and ended up having one of the biggest Hollywood weight loss transformations of the year. Unlike some celebs who've chosen to go the weight-loss drug route, Wilson didn't want to take a GLP-1 medication as she was afraid of side effects. "I'm not skinny, I'm not perfect, but I'm so much healthier than I was," she told Fox News.

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If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

She was humiliated and body-shamed during an appearance on Howard Stern

In 1999, just months after undergoing gastric bypass surgery for weight loss, she appeared on "The Howard Stern Show," which turned out to be a humiliating experience. During a 2017 episode of "The Talk," Wilson revealed that she was weighed without her knowledge and body-shamed by Stern throughout the interview. "I mean, he went nuts, just because he loves to fat-shame," Wilson said of Stern (via People). She didn't back down from his rude questions, including why she wasn't attracted to men her own size, but the damage was done. "It's like a joke to him, but it wasn't to me," Wilson said. "It was one of the worst experiences I ever had. I was so devastated and so embarrassed."

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According to Wilson, Stern also peppered her then-fiancé, Rob Bonfiglio, with questions about his attraction to her, calling her "disgusting," and asking if Bonfiglio was marrying Wilson for her money. He even went so far as to predict that the relationship would not last, which caused Wilson to stand up for herself, telling him, "You're going to shove those words so far in your mouth." While the interview was a terrible experience, Carnie Wilson is still married to Bonfiglio and the couple shares two daughters together, so it seems as though she had the last laugh after all.

Carnie Wilson struggled with substance abuse

Carnie Wilson struggled with substance misuse, especially when it came to alcohol. In 2024, the singer opened up about a time in her life when she couldn't get her drinking under control — something that led to her almost taking her own life. "That day, I thought it would just probably be easier if I just turned the wheel and drive off the cliff because alcohol had me in a chokehold and so much power over me," Wilson revealed while speaking at the Pearls of Wisdom Annual Benefit and Recognition Dinner (via The Morning Journal).

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She was recalling an episode in her life that occurred twenty years prior when the inability to quit her vices had become overwhelming. "I could not stop drinking or using drugs," she said. Wilson kicked her addictions in 2004, but it was not an easy feat. In fact, the singer shared in an Instagram post that a setback with a prescription medication caused her to change her original sobriety date.

But Wilson has remained determined, even during times of uncertainty and stress. "It's one day at a time ... Some days I wake up in fear and I don't know why," she told Fox News. "I drop to my knees, I pray. And I'm grateful every day to be sober."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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Carnie Wilson had severe postpartum symptoms after the birth of her daughter

In April 2005, Carnie Wilson and her husband Rob Bonfiglio welcomed their first child together, Lola Sofia Bonfiglio. While it should have been a joyous time for the new mom, Wilson revealed that she began having terrifying symptoms of postpartum depression before even leaving the hospital. "About a day after I gave birth and I was still recovering from this C-section, I started hallucinating," the singer shared in the documentary "When the Bough Breaks." "I looked over at Lola from across the hospital room, and this voice was like, 'I'm the devil ... and I'm going to kill you."

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Wilson knew she wasn't going to hurt her newborn but was frightened nonetheless. Although the auditory hallucinations stopped, Wilson's anxiety flared up. "I swear to God, I don't think I was ever more scared or more freaked out than coming home from the hospital," she said.

Wilson used a combination of hypnotherapy and exercise to help combat her postpartum symptoms. But it was not an easy time for the singer, as she shared with People that she "cried over everything" after Lola's birth.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

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Her friendship with bandmate Chynna Phillips went through some rough patches

Carnie Wilson and the other Wilson Phillips bandmates have always been super close, having started performing together when they were just kids. Sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson joined their pal Chynna Phillips to form their first singing group when they were just 6 and 7 years old. "We recorded 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' at a studio," Carnie told Radiance. "We named our group The Satellites!" Bur despite sharing childhoods and achieving success together with Wilson Phillips, the girls did not always get along — especially Carnie and Chynna.

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Tension first arose when Chynna decided to go out on her own and record a solo album after Wilson Phillips disbanded. "It took a long time for me to get over," Carnie shared with Yahoo! Entertainment. "I was so angry. I didn't understand why one person wants to go and do their own thing when we're on top."

Eventually, the trio did reunite. After the release of their 2012 album, "Dedicated," issues between the bandmates came to the surface again. Wilson Phillips was set to tour but ended up cancelling performances because of Carnie's lap-band surgery. The timing of the procedure was a point of contention, as was the fact that Carnie didn't give her bandmates enough notice. "Carnie actually waited a really long time before she broke the news to us that she was going to be getting the surgery," Chynna revealed in an interview (via Daily Mail). "It took me by surprise, it was a little bit of a shock."

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Carnie Wilson was diagnosed with Bell's palsy

In 2013, Carnie Wilson suffered a health setback when she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy. The condition causes muscles to weaken on one side of the face, resulting in drooping and difficulty closing the eye in the affected area. Before revealing her diagnosis, Wilson took to social media to share some information with her fans. "I'm having such challenges right now — I'm praying for peace, health, order and serenity," she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter (via Us Weekly).

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The next day, Wilson tweeted again, telling her followers she'd been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, which was affecting the left side of her face. "Scary, unfortunate, but it goes away," Wilson wrote. The singer seemed optimistic about her prognosis, sharing that acupuncture was helping greatly. She also revealed that this was not the first time she'd had the condition, telling fans, "BTW — I had it on my right side 14 years ago!"

Wilson's candor, while very on-brand for the singer, was also meant to give hope to others who might be affected by Bell's Palsy. "Remember I go public because it's gonna help someone else with same thing!" Wilson wrote while thanking fans for their support.

She struggled with grief after the loss of her ex-fiancé

Before Carnie Wilson met her now-husband Bonfiglio, she was engaged to a man named Steven, whom she began dating in 1993. "I never had trouble finding boyfriends and I always had male friends, but I was never completely satisfied," Wilson told Radiance. "Then Steven came around and was the most mature, smart, and sensitive guy I'd met."

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Sadly, the relationship wasn't built to last, and Steven later died. In 2016, Wilson appeared on an episode of "Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry," to attempt to get closure and help with her grief over losing her first fiancé. During her conversation with Henry, Wilson revealed that Steven had been an alcoholic, and after some prompting, admitted that she had had a drinking problem too. "I used with him, we were addicts together," the singer said. "But I'm the one that stayed clean and turned my life around and he didn't. And so I feel guilt around that."

Wilson explained that she was still grieving and she teared up while Henry advised her to do all the things in her life as though Steven were still alive, because he wouldn't have the chance to. "When we were together and we had drinking and doing drugs together, that was our time then ... and I'm a much different person now. I have to be a little more forgiving of myself," Wilson expressed.

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Carnie Wilson needed reconstructive surgery due to ruptured breast implants

In 2017, Carnie Wilson found herself having to face the prospect of yet another surgery. This time, the cause was a problem with the breast implants she received after a significant weight loss years prior. "Sixteen years ago I lost a bunch of weight and I had a breast lift and an augmentation and the implants have ruptured now," the singer revealed on an episode of "The Talk" (via Page Six).

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Wilson went on to explain that she would have to have the implants removed and undergo reconstructive surgery, which was scary for her. She told the audience that her mother was helping her cope with her fear and giving her helpful reassurance. "My mom said to me, 'Carnie, this is going to be a little hurdle, a little bump, and it'll all be in the past soon.'"

In 2021, Wilson appeared in a documentary about breast implant illness called "Explant," in which she shared some insights into her own experience, including why she wouldn't choose to have implants again. "Why would I go through the possibility of another rupture? ... and I am different now," she explained. "I've had kids, my priorities are different. ... I care less about how I look. I just want to be healthy."

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Her father suffered serious health problems

Carnie Wilson's father, Brian Wilson, was not exactly reliable when Carnie was growing up and as a result, the two were not in each other's lives for many years. However, the father and daughter reunited when Carnie was an adult, bonding over their love of music and their shared musical talents. "Music is the common thread and the backbone of our relationship," Carnie told Closer Weekly.

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Unfortunately, Brian Wilson has had his fair share of health problems over the years, including dementia and needing two spinal surgeries. In 2024, it was the former that caused him to be placed under a conservatorship after his wife Melinda Ledbetter passed away. Dementia impaired his ability to care for himself, but according to Carnie, he remained in good spirits with family rallying around him. "We are a very big part of his life, helping monitor his health, helping them make sure that every day, he's cared for," Carnie shared with People.

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