The Best Celebrity Memoirs You Need to Read in 2024

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The best celebrity memoirs take readers behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. While some books reveal dark secrets about Hollywood, others share the challenges that were faced while building a successful career. The world's fascination with celebrities means that memoirs and autobiographies by our favorite stars are always in demand. Luckily, many famous people have decided to share their personal stories, which often makes it difficult to choose what to read next.

From Oscar-winning actors to lauded singers and former first ladies, some of the best celebrity memoirs are more intimate and revelatory than you'd ever expect. We've selected 10 memoirs by celebrities whose stories are life-changing, heartbreaking, hilarious, devastating, unexpected, and truly inspirational. Our list spans a variety of life experiences, including Elliot Page's very public journey affirming his identity as a trans man and Leslie Jones' hilarious and heartfelt retrospective.

Check out the 10 best celebrity memoirs you should add to your reading list right now.

'Inside Out' by Demi Moore

Demi Moore has truly experienced the heady heights and devastating lows of life as a public figure. Once crowned the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, Moore faced intense backlash and incredibly toxic negative reviews, which were difficult to recover from.

With Inside Out, Moore gets candid about her marriages to fellow superstars Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, her approach to being a mother, and the insecurities she struggled with at the height of her fame. It's a candid and extremely easy read, making it one of the best celebrity memoirs to put on your reading list.

'Leslie F*cking Jones' by Leslie Jones

Leslie Jones has already had an incredible career, with her tenure on Saturday Night Live continuing to entertain viewers on YouTube. The Ghostbusters star and Supermarket Sweep host was encouraged to tell her story by multiple people in her life. The result is a raw and honest exploration of her life, with a plethora of chapters dedicated to her experiences as an up-and-coming comedian and subsequent recognizable star.

Jones also writes about the abuse she endured as a child, giving readers unprecedented access to her personal life. The award-winning audiobook version is a must.

'My Name Is Barbra' by Barbra Streisand

As a singer, songwriter, actor, and director, Barbra Streisand has crafted an incomparable career. Having spent more than six decades as a public figure, Streisand certainly has a lot of tales to tell, all of which she includes in her incredible autobiography.

Totaling almost 1000 pages, the two-time Oscar winner shares intimate details from every stage of her career. Regaling readers with celebrity anecdotes, personal feelings, and behind-the-scenes moments from her entire life, Streisand's memoir is well-worth the wait.

'Becoming' by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is one of the most recognizable women in the world following her role as first lady during her husband Barack Obama's presidency. Since then, she's proven to be a force to be reckoned with all on her own. Becoming explores every aspect of Michelle's life, from her youthful aspirations to entering the White House and her journey as a mother.

The personal book also explores Michelle's identity as a Black woman and how she grappled with her very public role in the Obama presidency. Unsurprisingly, the memoir became the fastest-selling book of 2018.

'Pageboy' by Elliot Page

Academy Award nominee Elliot Page became a Hollywood star at a young age, appearing in movies like 2007's Juno and 2009's Whip It. High-profile roles in 2010's Inception and Netflix series The Umbrella Academy followed. Pageboy explores Page's identity as a trans man, the difficulties he faced working in the heavily sexualized entertainment industry as a young person, and how he finally embraced his true self.

As a public figure, Page was forced to grapple with his gender and sexuality in front of the world, and his book is proof that living authentically is more important than anything else.

'I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons' by Kevin Hart

While most of us know Kevin Hart as a vastly funny comedian who often stars alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, his rise to the top was far from simple. In I Can't Make This Up, Hart shares the darkest moments of his life with readers, from his challenging, strict childhood as the son of a drug addict to the difficult details of his first marriage.

Hart's exhaustive hard work is also evident, with the comedian explaining the sacrifices required to develop his passionate fan base. Seriously funny and heartfelt.

'I'm Glad My Mom Died' by Jennette McCurdy

Former child star turned filmmaker and writer Jennette McCurdy developed a one-woman show, which later formed the basis of her book, I'm Glad My Mom Died. The memoir explores the difficulties she faced filming Sam & Cat with Ariana Grande, to the harassment she experienced at Nickelodeon at the hands of "The Creator," as well as her complicated relationship with her abusive mom.

McCurdy's honesty was a hit with fans, and the memoir sold out at all major bookstores upon its release, becoming a regular fixture on the New York Times Bestseller List.

'Thicker Than Water' by Kerry Washington

In 2018, Kerry Washington learned that her dad, Earl, wasn't her biological father and that her parents had conceived her with the help of a sperm donor. With her memoir, Washington explores her childhood, the detachment she sometimes felt within her family, and how her identity shifted upon learning such a huge secret.

Scandal's iconic star also gives readers a glimpse at an otherwise private life, exploring everything from her identity as a Black woman and mother to the advocacy she strives for as a public figure.

'Finding Me' by Viola Davis

In 2023, Viola Davis's autobiography Finding Me won a Grammy award, elevating the actor to the coveted EGOT status. The How to Get Away With Murder star examines her life in Finding Me, starting with her youth in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and ending with her discovery of success as an actor, first in New York and then in Hollywood.

The heartfelt and deeply personal book is also a call to action for readers to reflect on their own identities and uncover what they hope to achieve in the future. It's a truly inspiring read and one of the most moving celebrity memoirs one can read.

'Making a Scene' by Constance Wu

As an actor, Constance Wu found mainstream success starring on the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and in hit movies Hustlers and Crazy Rich Asians. In Making a Scene, Wu reveals her journey to becoming an actor while exploring the personal relationships that shaped her in her twenties.

Importantly, she discusses the immense challenges she faced as an Asian American in an industry lacking true representation. Wu also emotionally details the sexual harassment she experienced while working on Fresh Off the Boat, explaining why she was relieved when the sitcom finally ended.

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