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.
GRRM.
Dude’s probably dropped off the grid not so he could get better focus on Winds of Winter, but so he could do so without the constant hatemail and death threats. probably hires people to take his mail for him (from P.O. boxes that change multiple times per year) out of genuine concern that he might one day find someone sent bombs to him. These people who he’s hired have probably already received multiple glitter bombs or envelopes filled with pancake mix.