Howie Mandel Opens Up About His Mental Illness and Hair Loss

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Howie Mandel is an actor, comedian, and television personality. He’s been in show business since the 1980s and was first known for his role in St. Elsewhere, alongside his creation of the popular children’s cartoon show Bobby’s World.

He also hosted the well-known show Deal or No Deal. Starting in 2010, Mandel became a judge for the famous reality competition show America’s Got Talent, and his career reached new heights.

Howie Mandel is best known for hosting Deal or No Deal and for being a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent since 2010Howie Mandel is best known for hosting Deal or No Deal and for being a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent since 2010 (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

Howie Mandel was born on November 29, 1955, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, making him 66 years old, though he still looks excellent for this age.

Beyond his successful career, he has also created a wonderful home life for himself, with a wife and three kids.

Who is Howie Mandel’s Wife?

Howie’s wife, Terry Mandel, was also born in Toronto, Ontario. She and Howie have known each other for almost their whole lives and began dating in high school. She works as a producer and is a huge fan of family life.

In her free time, she enjoys walking their dog and watching television with her husband when he isn’t working, of course.

Howie Mandel and his wife Terry began dating in high school and tied the knot in 1980Howie Mandel and his wife Terry began dating in high school and tied the knot in 1980 (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)

Howie and Terry have been married since March 1980, meaning that they have been together since the very beginning of his career. Terry has always been extremely supportive of her husband, including both his business decisions and personal struggles.

Howie Mandel’s Family

Howie and Terry share three children together, Riley, Alex, and Jackelyn. They are all grown, being 30, 32, and 38, respectively.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The family is extremely close despite the “children” being fully grown adults, and Howie and Terry worked hard to endow their offspring with the values of enjoying life and encouraging them to follow their dreams. Overall, the Mandel family is extremely blessed.

Howie Mandel’s Net Worth

With decades of high-level work experience, it’s not surprising that Howie Mandel has an impressive net worth.

For his work on America’s Got Talent, he was able to secure an incredibly large salary of $70,000 per episode. This alone was enough to provide him and his family with a more than comfortable lifestyle.

Beyond his salary, Howie Mandel is believed to be worth $60 million overall. This amazing net worth is built from both his career and luxury real estate investments.

Howie Mandel has been in the industry since the early 1980s and has amassed a net worth of $60 millionHowie Mandel has been in the industry since the early 1980s and has amassed a net worth of $60 million (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

In 2018, Mandel purchased a $2.6 million ranch-style home in the Hidden Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles.

After renovating the house for two years, in 2020, Mandel was able to sell the house to NFL player Jalen Ramsey for $9.5 million, making himself a tidy $6.9 million profit.

Howie Mandel has made a lot of real estate deals in the last decadeHowie Mandel has made a lot of real estate deals in the last decade (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

He is also the current owner of numerous other homes in California. Mandel owns a 13,000-square-foot home that’s also located in Hidden Hills (price unknown, but definitely a pretty penny), a house worth $1.53 million in Calabasas, and three apartments in Santa Monica, which he is said to have spent $4.8 million on altogether.

Given his real estate repertoire, Howie will definitely be able to sell any number of these properties for a tidy profit whenever he so chooses.

Howie Mandel’s Struggles with Mental Illness

Howie Mandel has been open for years about his struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

He has never shied away from discussing both how he has found ways to incorporate his diagnoses into his career, and the painful side effects and struggles that can come along with said diagnoses.

Howie Mandel suffers from anxiety and OCD since childhoodHowie Mandel suffers from anxiety and OCD since childhood (Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

Howie has suffered from OCD since childhood, even though he wasn’t officially diagnosed until adulthood. He has described being obsessed with germs and was constantly cleaning and taking showers to cope with this. Howie has stated that even as a child, when life is supposed to be fun and carefree, his mind was always busy and stressed.

“I was always incredibly obsessed with germs and cleaning and taking shower after shower after shower. Even when I was very young, I wouldn’t tie my shoelaces because they had touched the ground. I had continuous repetitive thoughts that I couldn’t get past. As a child, my mind was a lot busier than I was,” he said in an interview with Everyday Health in 2010.

Howie Mandel has previously described his experiences with anxiety and OCD as: “Living in a nightmare.”

However, he remains grateful for all that he has and uses this to ground himself when things get tough. He is quoted saying: “I have a beautiful family and I love what I do. But at the same time, I can fall into a dark depression I can’t get out of.”

The pandemic has been an especially difficult time for Howie Mandel since he suffers from OCDThe pandemic has been an especially difficult time for Howie Mandel since he suffers from OCD (Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock)

In recent years, Howie Mandel has been open about the fact that the pandemic was an especially difficult time for him, given his already-worried brain when it comes to germs and cleanliness.

He told People: “There isn’t a waking moment of my life when ‘we could die’ doesn’t come into my psyche,” he said. “But the solace I would get would be the fact that everybody around me was okay. It’s good to latch onto okay. But [during the pandemic] the whole world was not okay. And it was absolute hell.”

Despite how tough his struggles are, Howie remains committed to speaking publicly about his life and removing the stigma of mental illness. Despite the darkness he has faced, Howie is happy for every single bit of joy in his life, and knows how to truly appreciate it.

Howie Mandel’s Hair Loss

Howie Mandel has a distinctive look, and a large part of it is due to his lack of hair. However, Howie Mandel does not have alopecia, nor has he faced male pattern baldness (at least, not so far as the public knows).

Howie Mandel doesn't have alopecia or male pattern baldness; rather, he shaves his hair because of his OCDHowie Mandel doesn’t have alopecia or male pattern baldness; rather, he shaves his hair because of his OCD (Credit: Vicki L. Miller / Shutterstock)

It is generally assumed that Howie didn’t lose his hair, he rather chose to shave it and go bald due to his OCD. Unlike certain stereotypes of OCD, it is not believed that Howie picked at his hair through nervousness, but more so that he chose to go bald because it was easier to keep himself fully “clean” that way.

No matter the reason for Howie Mandel’s lack of hair, his look is eye-catching and helped make him an easily recognizable public figure!

Howie Mandel Facts

What is Howie Mandel's net worth?He is a Canadian-born actor, comedian and TV host with an estimated net worth of $60 million dollars.
Full Name:Howard Michael Mandel
Born:November 29, 1955, in Willowdale, a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kids:Alex Mandel, Jackie Mandel, and Riley Mandel
How tall is Howie Mandel?5′ 11″ (178 cm)
Nationality:Canadian
Is Howie Mandel legally blind?No, he's just color blind.
When did Howie Mandel develop Germaphobia?Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adult, he has struggled with a fear of germs since he was a child.
Has Howie Mandel been married?Yes, he has been married to Terry Mandel (née Soil) since 1980. They are still together.
Why is Howie Mandel afraid of hands?He's a self-described germophobe and doesn't shake hands.

In 2015, a hypnotist convinced Howie Mandel to shake hands during the season premiere of AGT.
Does Howie Mandel have any hair?He shaves his hair because of his fear of germs. His bold head has become his trademark.

What’s a reality show without a mean judge? American Idol had Simon Cowell, Hell’s Kitchen has Gordon Ramsay, and “America’s Got Talent” has… Heidi Klum?

Judge Howie Mandel said Heidi sometimes makes comedians cry on set by delivering three words: “You’re not funny.”

Heidi Klum styles her hair into a ponytail for the 2016 NBC Universal Summer Press DayHeidi Klum styles her hair into a ponytail for the 2016 NBC Universal Summer Press Day held on April 1, 2016, in Westlake Village (Credit: WENN)

Regardless, in April 2016 Heidi hit the red carpet of the 2016 NBCUniversal Summer Press Day and shared a few laughs with her fellow “America’s Got Talent” judges.

Heidi wore a gorgeous off-the-shoulder keyhole twist dress with floral embroidery by Roland Mouret, which she paired with sandals from Olgana Paris.

Heidi Klum wears an ankle-length Roland Mouret dress on the red carpetHeidi Klum wears an ankle-length Roland Mouret dress on the red carpet (Credit: WENN)

The wealthy supermodel pulled her hair back into a clean ponytail and kept her makeup simple.

Now that we’ve covered the outfit details: Back to the question we all want to know the answer to. Is Heidi Klum mean?

Mel B, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum pose for photos on the red carpetMel B, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum pose for photos on the red carpet (Credit: WENN)

Heidi started the conversation by claiming that she never made contestants cry, which Howie refuted by pointing out that she makes comedians cry by saying they’re not funny.

Howie compared the “cruelty” to telling a singer they can’t sing.

Heidi Klum's feet in feathered Olgana Paris sandalsHeidi Klum’s feet in feathered Olgana Paris sandals (Credit: WENN)

Heidi’s unique laser-cut floral heels from Olgana Paris are unfortunately no longer available online.

Black Olgana Paris "L' Impertinente" Leather SandalsOlgana Paris “L’ Impertinente” Leather Sandals, £575