For a brief moment in the late ’80s, this Toronto-born actor was the hottest teen in Hollywood. But just a few years later, it all came crashing down.
Bankrupt, battling addiction, and eventually seen on the streets begging for a slice of pizza, the child star’s life took a tragic turn. When he died in 2010, Hollywood was stunned, and even the biggest stars mourned the loss.
Here’s the heartbreaking story Corey Haim – and how it all went so wrong.
Growing up in Hollywood is tough, and sadly, we’ve seen far too many tragic examples of this. But when it comes to Corey Haim, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a story more heartbreaking. He was such a sweet, lovable kid before Hollywood chewed him up and spat him out.
Born in December 1971 in Toronto, Canada, Haim was a shy child, so his parents encouraged him to take acting lessons to build confidence.
By the age of ten, he was already appearing in TV commercials, and he quickly discovered that being in front of the camera felt natural. This led to a role on the TV series The Edison Twins.
During this time, Haim’s parents divorced, a change that weighed heavily on him. But in 1984, he landed the role of Brian Livingston in Firstborn, earning a Young Artist Award nomination and cementing his budding career.
Film critic Roger Ebert praised him, saying, ”He creates one of the most three-dimensional, complicated, interesting characters of any age in any recent movie. If he can continue to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor. He is that good.”
Everything changed in 1987 when Haim starred in The Lost Boys alongside Corey Feldman. The two became instant teen heartthrobs, and their chemistry led to multiple future projects, including the reality series The Two Coreys.
Thousands of fan letters
As a young teenager, Corey Haim was flooded with fan mail from all over the world— thousands of letters poured in. But he was clearly unprepared for the intensity of fame and the feeling that he could get anything he wanted.
In 1988, on his way to the premiere of the hit comedy License to Drive, Corey was caught by reporters in a moment that perfectly captured his world as one of the ’80s poster boys.
“We’re going to take a shower together,” he was quoted telling his girlfriend Lala “and then you’re going to go home and do your makeup and hair and get dressed.”
Turning to his mom, Judy, he added:
“We’re calling a limo, aren’t we, Mom?”
The exchange showed just how much life in the spotlight had shaped Corey — even at a very young age.
Like many child actors, he didn’t stay in school for long. His formal education lasted only until eighth grade. Instead, Haim became a regular at Alphy’s Soda Pop Club, an exclusive nightclub for underage actors located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Corey Haim’s struggle with addiction
According to Mirror, Haim started drinking beer while filming Lucas in 1986, and by the time The Lost Boys was in production, he was smoking marijuana.
After moving to Los Angeles, Haim’s drug use escalated. He began using cocaine and eventually crack, and by 1989, at just 18, he entered rehab for the first time.
Sadly, recovery proved difficult.
Haim described himself as a “chronic relapser” and also developed a dependence on prescription medications. At times, he would take as many as 85 pills in a single day.
Colleagues noted the toll addiction took on him. Dr. Nicki J. Monte, who worked with Haim and Feldman on The Two Coreys, said:
[Haim] had a tremendous saboteur inside of him. And that saboteur he surrendered to. He was living under the spell of his addiction, and he was never able to break that spell.”
Haims’s ongoing struggles not only affected his health but also his career. His acting opportunities dried up, prompting him to take an eight-year break from the industry. During this period, Haim faced financial hardship, spending much of his money on hospital visits.
Sold his teeth and hair
At one point, he was so desperate that he tried selling his teeth and hair on eBay.
In 1997, he filed for bankruptcy, parting with assets that included a 1987 BMW, $100 in cash, clothing worth $750, and $7,500 in residuals and royalty rights.
Haim also became the focus of an E! documentary, that revealed the struggles behind the teen heartthrob image. The special showed him living in a sparse apartment above a garage in Santa Monica with his mother. During this time, Haim was disoriented and often unintelligible in interviews, at one point even showing up drunk and asking for money just to buy a slice of pizza — all while trying to send promotional videos to casting agents, insisting he was “the old Corey.”
It wasn’t the first time Haim had tried to get his life back on track.
When The Two Coreys show was canceled in 2008 (largely due to Haim’s struggles with drugs), he took out an ad in Variety that read: “This is not a stunt. I’m back. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to make amends.
Corey Haim cause of death
Sadly, Haim was never able to fully overcome his struggles with drugs.
He once revealed that there was a stretch of three and a half years when he didn’t leave his apartment, during which his weight skyrocketed from 150 to 302 pounds.
Tragically, on March 10, 2010, Haim died from pneumonia.
Initially, Los Angeles police reported that his death appeared to be an accidental overdose, as bottles of Valium, Vicodin, Soma (a muscle relaxant), and Haloperidol (an antipsychotic) were found in his home.
It later emerged that in the 32 days before his death, Haim had acquired over 553 prescription pills by using fake names, visiting seven different doctors, and filling prescriptions at seven pharmacies.
Although the presence of prescription drugs fueled speculation about an overdose, an autopsy ultimately confirmed that Haim passed away from natural causes.
Allegations and aftermath
Haim’s tragic story didn’t end with his death. Years later, his close friend Corey Feldman claimed that both he and Haim had been sexually abused by men connected to a high-level Hollywood pedophile network.
Haim’s mother, Judy, denied Feldman’s broader claims but did confirm that her son had been molested once by a man.
To mark the 10th anniversary of Haim’s death, Corey Feldman released a documentary called My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, which explored the alleged abuse he and Haim faced while growing up in Hollywood.
One of the most shocking claims in the film is Feldman’s allegation that Haim told him Charlie Sheen had raped him on the set of the 1986 film Lucas. At the time, Sheen was 19 and Haim was just 13.
Entertainment Weekly reported that several others featured in the documentary said Haim had confided in them about the alleged abuse, including Feldman’s ex-wife Susannah Sprague, with whom he shares a son.
Sheen’s publicist responded to the claims, telling People: “These sick, twisted and outlandish allegations never occurred. Period. I would urge everyone to consider the source and read what his mother Judy Haim has to say.”
Sheen had previously denied similar claims following a 2017 National Enquirer report that involved actor Dominick Brascia, who died in 2018. Sheen later filed a lawsuit against the National Enquirer, which was settled in 2018.
Every time I see a photo or video of Corey Haim, my heart aches for the life he might have had. Let’s never forget him — he brought so much joy to the world through his ’80s films, and his memory will always live on.
Feel free to share this article if you, too, appreciated this talented actor and want to honor Corey Haim’s memory.
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