I’ve seen people talk about actors and artists that had a terrible time.
My own would be Anne Rice. She wrote Interview with the Vampire after her young daughter died of Leukemia. Then her husband suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage. I suspect her Christian, anti-fanfic phase was a result of mental illness and manipulation from the publishers, although I don’t think she ever apologized.
House of Stairs was so far ahead of its time. He was a great YA writer. Didn’t know he drank himself to death.
I didn’t know anything about him either, but “House of Stairs” has been a favorite since about…1978? I’ve reread it several times as an adult, and I still think it’s fantastic.