CELEBRITIES WITH HEARING LOSS
1) Stephen Colbert: Colbert is deaf in his right ear as a result of surgical removal of a tumor
when he was a child. Colbert initially wanted to be a marine biologist, but the damage to
his ear would not allow him to scuba dive.
2) Steve Martin: The actor utilizes hearing aids to manage hearing loss and tinnitus. Martin
reportedly has hearing damage as a result of noise-induced hearing loss after being too
close to a loud gunfire on the set of “The Three Amigos” without wearing hearing
protection.
3) Katie Leclerc: The actress, who played a deaf teenager on the TV show Switched at
Birth, was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, which causes fluctuating hearing loss,
ringing in the ears, aural fullness, and vertigo.
4) Whoopi Goldberg: The TV personality reportedly has low-frequency hearing loss, which
creates difficulty hearing vowel sounds like “a” and “e” that produce the energy of sound.
Goldberg has attributed her hearing loss to many years of listening to loud music without
hearing protection. She currently wears two hearing aids and is vocal about her hearing
journey.
5) Halle Berry: Berry has stated that she has a significant degree of hearing loss as a result
of a head injury.
6) Lou Ferrigno: The bodybuilder and actor has had profound hearing loss since the age of
three. He wore many hearing aids over the years, but due to his impaired word
understanding, was ultimately a Cochlear Implant recipient. Ferrigno has stated that the
CI has helps him hear “s” sounds and ambient noises that he was previously not able to
hear.
7) Derrick Coleman Jr: The football player has had known hearing loss since the age of
three due to a hereditary condition. He reportedly wears pantyhose underneath his helmet
to keep his hearing aids protected from moisture and prevent feedback!