A little blue pill is creating a stir in Hollywood – and no, it’s not Viagra. It’s propranolol, a beta blocker originally designed for heart conditions, that’s now making its way into dressing rooms, award ceremonies and even first dates.
At red carpet events this year, actors Kristen Bell, Rachel Sennott and Natasha Rothwell all mentioned taking beta blockers. But they weren’t the first.
In 2022, Khloé Kardashian admitted she borrows her mother’s pills to calm her nerves. And last year, at the Golden Globe awards, Robert Downey Jr. quipped: “I took a beta blocker, so this will be a breeze.” What’s behind this unlikely trend – and how did a drug for heart disease become a Hollywood anxiety fix?
