Fame and fortune don’t make anyone immune to consequences. In fact, the pressures that come with celebrity life can sometimes contribute to poor decisions. The rich and famous are frequently in the headlines for tax-related offenses, but it goes a lot further than that. Addiction is a high-risk factor that can come with the pressures of fame, and this can lead people down a difficult path. Some of these celebrities did serious time for violent offenses. You may be surprised which Oscar-winning actors and millionaire TV personalities were put behind bars for making terrible mistakes.
Tory Lanez
Eight months after a jury found Tory Lanez guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion, the rapper was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Lanez was accused of shooting Megan in the feet after a party on July 12, 2020. He was arrested that day and charged with discharging a firearm with gross negligence, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Lanez was released on bail and pleaded not guilty to all three charges. He was issued with an order to stay away from the rapper while he awaited trial, but violated the order by performing at the Rolling Loud festival where Megan was also a headliner. In December 2022, he was found guilty on all three charges. On August 8, the judge sentenced Lanez to 10 years in prison.
Allison Mack
‘Smallville’ actress Allison Mack was released early after being sentenced to three years behind bars in 2021 for her role in a human-trafficking case tied to the cult-like group NXIVM. Mack, best known for her role as a young Superman’s close friend on the series, was released on July 3, 2023, from a California federal prison, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, per ABC News. Mack had previously pled guilty to charges that she manipulated women into becoming slaves for NXIVM leader Keith Raniere. The actress avoided a longer prison term by helping prosecutors build their case against Raniere, who created a cult-like society that initially appeared to run life-coaching seminars but actually involved coercing and exploiting women. Raniere was ultimately sentenced to 120 years in prison after being convicted on several charges.
Fetty Wap
Rapper Fetty Wap, real name Willie Junior Maxwell II, received a sentence of six years in prison for drug charges. He was sentenced on May 24, 2023, after pleading guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The conspiracy involved sending controlled substances including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack from the West Coast to the East Coast by mail or vehicle. Maxwell was reportedly a “kilogram-level redistributor” on the East Coast, according to ABC News. He was arrested in 2021 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances. Five others were charged in the case, including a former corrections officer involved in the drug ring.
Sean Penn
Sean Penn has drawn negative press on multiple occasions for violent behavior. In 1987 he was sentenced to 60 days in jail for assaulting an extra on the set of the movie ‘Colors.’ He was on probation for two other assaults at the time.
Todd and Julie Chrisley
‘Chrisley Knows Best’ stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to 12 and 7 years in federal prison, respectively, following their tax fraud convictions in June. They were found guilty in June 2022 of 12 counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On November 21, 2022, Ryan K. Buchanan of the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia delivered a final statement: “Over the course of a decade, the defendants defrauded banks out of tens of millions of dollars while evading payment of their federal income taxes. Their lengthy sentences reflect the magnitude of their criminal scheme and should serve as a warning to others tempted to exploit our nation’s community banking system for unlawful personal gain.” Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, added, “As this sentencing proves, when you lie, cheat, and steal, justice is blind to your fame, fortune, and position,” reports E! News.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown was sentenced to five years probation, community service, and counseling and rehabilitation for the 2009 assault on Rihanna. In 2013 he violated the terms of his probation by getting removed from rehab, and had to spend several months in jail.
Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner ended up behind bars in a Russian prison for a relatively minor offense in early 2022. On March 5, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced that the WNBA star—who plays on Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season—was arrested in Russia in February. Vape cartridges containing hashish oil were allegedly found in her luggage at an airport near Moscow; such cartridges are legal in the US, where Griner had been traveling from. She stated that she packed in a hurry and did not intentionally bring the cartridges. Griner was imprisoned for several months while awaiting trial, and in August 2022 she was found guilty and received a sentence of nine years in prison. Many believed that Griner was being used as a political pawn as the US government spent months trying to negotiate her release. On December 8, Griner was released as part of a prisoner exchange, with the US securing her freedom in exchange for the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner had spent 10 months in prison by the time of her release.
Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo was in and out of prison for drug and theft offenses during the 1960s, before he started his acting career. During one stint in prison in 1961, he encountered one of the most notorious criminals in history: Charles Manson. The cult leader had a reputation for being exceptionally charismatic and intense, and Trejo has confirmed this. Manson had not yet gathered his followers or committed his most infamous crimes at that point, but he was already demonstrating his influence over others. He convinced Trejo and his friends that he could hypnotize them into feeling as though they were under the influence of marijuana or heroin. According to Trejo, who was struggling with heroin addiction at the time, these sessions truly did produce that sensation. “By the time he described it hitting my bloodstream, I felt the warmth flowing through my body,” Trejo recalled. He noted that Manson might have had a career as a professional hypnotist had he chosen a different path.
Felicity Huffman
Actress Felicity Huffman was at the center of the college admissions scandal that made national headlines in 2019. Huffman and a number of other wealthy parents were convicted of conspiracy to influence college admissions at top universities for the benefit of their children. Huffman was given a 14-day sentence, as well as 250 hours of community service and a US$30,000 fine.
Christian Slater
In 1997, Christian Slater was arrested on charges of assaulting his girlfriend and then assaulting a police officer while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. He was convicted and sentenced to three months in prison followed by three months in rehabilitation.
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is widely known as a TV personality and expert in home, cooking, and lifestyle. It came as a surprise to many when she became involved in an insider trading scandal in 2003. She was charged with securities fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. Stewart spent five months in prison and another five under house arrest.
Kiefer Sutherland
In 2007, Kiefer Sutherland spent 48 days in jail for driving under the influence and violating the terms of his probation related to a previous charge. He served his time and then participated in an 18-month alcohol education program.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. faced repeated legal trouble during the height of his struggle with addiction. He was arrested on multiple drug charges and eventually spent nearly a year in prison after violating his parole.
Mark Wahlberg
In 1988, when Mark Wahlberg was 16 years old, he attacked two Vietnamese men in separate incidents on the same day, beating one unconscious and striking the other, while directing racial abuse at both victims. For his actions he was arrested and charged with attempted murder, convicted on two counts of assault and battery, and sentenced to two years in prison, though he served 45 days. He was also convicted of contempt of court for violating a civil rights injunction issued two years earlier, stemming from an incident in which he and friends directed racial abuse at a group of Black children and threw rocks at them, NBC reports. In 2023, Wahlberg and the SAG Awards faced criticism for inviting the actor to present the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture to ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ which features a predominantly Asian ensemble. Many viewers felt his presence was inappropriate given his history. Wahlberg has said he has apologized many times and in a 2020 interview with The Guardian stated he had worked to change, though many fans remain unconvinced.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson served three years in prison in the 1990s following his conviction for sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman. Tyson was convicted following a trial, though he has consistently maintained his innocence.
Lauryn Hill
Singer and activist Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in prison in 2013 for failing to pay her taxes. She served her time and shortly after released the song ‘Consumerism.’
Phil Spector
The late music producer Phil Spector was known for working with some of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century, including The Beatles. In 2009 he was convicted of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Clarkson was found dead in his mansion from a gunshot wound. Spector claimed she accidentally killed herself, but was convicted of murder. He died in prison on January 16, 2021.
O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson was famously acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, but he ended up in prison for a different crime the following decade. In 2008 he was sentenced to 33 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping. He served nine years and was released in 2017.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan went through a difficult period while struggling with addiction and was charged with a DUI in 2007. She was sentenced to two weeks in jail for failing to attend mandatory alcohol education classes.
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes served three years in prison between 2010 and 2013 after being convicted of failing to pay his taxes from 1994 to 2000.
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is known for playing lovable characters on screen, but before his acting career he was arrested for drug trafficking. He was found with a large quantity of cocaine at an airport and spent two and a half years in prison before being released in 1981.
50 Cent Rapper
50 Cent was incarcerated for six months when he was only 16 years old. He was sent to a correctional facility for minors after being convicted of several drug-related offenses.
James Brown
James Brown was on probation for drug offenses in 1988 when he became involved in a series of incidents that allegedly included assault and battery and refusing to stop for police during a high-speed chase. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison but was released after three.
Lil’ Kim Rapper
Lil’ Kim spent a year in prison after being charged with perjury. She admitted to having lied to a grand jury about her associates’ involvement in a 2001 shooting. She was also ordered to pay a US$50,000 fine.
Ja Rule
Rapper and actor Ja Rule was sentenced to two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm in 2010. While serving that sentence, he received a further 28-month sentence for failing to pay his taxes.
Tommy Lee
Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was sentenced to six months in prison in 1998 after being charged with assault and battery against his then-wife, Pamela Anderson.
Tom Sizemore Actor Tom Sizemore, best known for his role in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998), had a lengthy history of drug and domestic violence arrests. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison after being found in possession of methamphetamines, which violated the terms of a previous drug-related conviction.
Monica Bedi
Indian actress Monica Bedi spent two years in a Portuguese prison for using forged travel documents. She was arrested alongside her long-term partner Abu Salem, a known criminal.
Dustin Diamond The late ‘Saved by the Bell’ star Dustin Diamond served four months in prison in 2016 after being charged with disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon following an altercation at a bar.
Lillo Brancato
Jr. Actor Lillo Brancato Jr. had several promising acting roles in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including appearances in ‘The Sopranos’ and a Robert De Niro film. He later struggled with addiction, and in 2005 he and a friend broke into a home in search of prescription drugs. An off-duty police officer responded to the scene and was shot and killed by Brancato Jr.’s companion. Brancato Jr. was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the incident.
Mike
‘The Situation’ Sorrentino ‘Jersey Shore’ personality Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was sentenced to eight months in prison in 2018 for failing to pay his taxes.
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