At the end of the day, when it comes to the law, there's no exceptions- even if you're a hot shot celebrity. That's right- when celebrities break the law, they're arrested and charged just like the rest of us. This is why it's not surprising that so many celebrities have criminal records. However, a few celebrity criminal records are quite surprising- especially the ones that include making counterfeit documents and drug trafficking. While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, some of your favorite stars are not as perfect as you might think they are. In fact, many of them have faced extended jail time and years of probation. Want some more surprise? Not only do a few of our favorite actors, singers, and sport's stars face multiple offenses, but some even face felony charges. Read below to find out about 13 celebrities who have been in serious trouble with the law.
13 Lil Wayne
We've all seen his deposition- you know, the one where he's a complete jerk to the lawyer's interviewing him- however, that's just a little bump in Lil Wayne's criminal record. His first arrest was in New York City in 2007, his second was in Idaho in 2008- both were for possession of weapons and drugs. His bus was searched later in 2008 by the Border Patrol and guess what they found? Drugs and weapons (and an abnormally large sum of money). If he gets arrested again.... I wonder what it'll be for...
12 O.J. Simpson
At one point, O.J. was America's favorite sports star, but thanks to a long string of run-ins with the law, he's now one of America's most famous criminals. Although he didn't serve time in prison for murdering his ex wife and her friend in 1994 or for trying to escape the police by fleeing in his white bronco- O.J. Simpson couldn't escape the law indefinitely. In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, Nevada. After being found guilty in 2008, OJ was sentenced to thirty three years imprisonment, which he's still serving.
11 Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte made headlines in 2002 after he was arrested in Malibu on DUI charges for which he was sentenced three years' probation and an order to go to drug and alcohol meetings. However, this wasn't the only legal charge Nolte had ever faced. When he was twenty four years old, he was arrested for selling counterfeit documents. The result? A $75,000 dollar fee and a 45- year suspended jail sentence. Of course, he never served the jail sentence but the offense alone prevented him from serving in the army and had various psychological effects on him including anxiety and self-doubt.
10 George Michael
We all love George Michael for his catchy music and time spent in Wham!, however, his being arrested seven different times is perhaps what made him a bit more famous than the rest of the members. Michael's first run in with the law occurred in 1997, when he was caught engaging in a lewd act in a public restroom in Beverly Hills, then again in 2006 in England. Also in 2006, he was arrested for possession of C Class drugs- beginning his long string of drug related arrests. As a result of the first few charges, George Michael faced community service and was banned from driving for two years. Finally, in 2010, after being charged with possession of mary jane and a DUI, Michael faced eight weeks in prison, a fine, and a five year ban from driving.
9 Amanda Bynes
Former Nickelodeon child star, Amanda Bynes faced a plethora of legal troubles starting in 2012. They began in March when she was pulled over for talking on her cell phone and then fled the scene before the officer finished writing her ticket. Then, about a month later, she was arrested for driving under the influence after she tried to pass by a police officer but ended up side swiping his car. In August of the same year, Bynes rear-ended a car in Los Angeles which resulted in a hit and run charge. In September, Bynes was pulled over and her car was impounded for driving with a suspended license. For all of these offenses, Bynes was sentenced to jail time.
8 R. Kelly
R&B artist R. Kelly has had numerous run-ins with the law. In 1994, Kelly was accused of marrying singer Aliyah in a secret ceremony when Aliyah was only fifteen years old. In 1997, he was placed on probation after an assault and battery charge that occurred at a health club in Louisiana. Also that year, Kelly was sued by Tiffany Hawkins who claimed Kelly had sexual relations with her when she was only fifteen and he was twenty four. In 2002, Kelly was accused of being with an underage girl after a video surfaced of the two of them. This was the start of a long string of events in which police discovered evidence that showed R. Kelly had sexual relationships with at least fourteen different minors. In 2008, a jury found R. Kelly not guilty.
7 Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson, the youngest man to ever win the boxing heavy weight championships, is no stranger to getting in trouble with the law. In fact, by the time he was 13, he had been arrested 38 different times. In 1992. when he was 26 years old, he was served three years in prison for the assult of Desiree Washington- or Miss Black Rhode Island. After he was released, Tyson stayed in good standing with the law until 2007 when he was accused of possession of narcotics. For this, he was sentenced to twenty four hours in jail, 360 hours of community service, and three years of probation.
6 Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne, an actress known for her roles in Orange is the New Black and American Pie, was arrested after she crashed a car onto a Miami Beach sidewalk while drunk driving. For this, she performed fifty hours of community service and paid up to 1,000 dollars in court fees. However, this wasn't the end of her legal troubles. In 2004, Lyonne spent a night in jail on charges of criminal mischief, harassment, and trespassing after she verbally threatened her neighbor, broke a mirror in her neighbor's apartment, and threatened to molest her neighbor's dog.
5 Robert Downey Junior
America's favorite quirky and handsome actor made waves in the late 1990's after he was arrested for drunk driving, possession of cocaine, heroine, crack, and a gun. He was sentenced to three years probation but after breaking his parole, he was sentenced to six months in jail. Unfortunately, his ongoing battle with both drugs and the law didn't stop there. In 2000 he was arrested for possession of cocaine and then again in 2001, he was arrested for being under the influence of drugs. Since then, though, he's seemingly healthy and sober.
4 Stevo- O
We all know Steve-O as the fearless, loud mouthed best friend of Bam Margera and stuntman on Jackass, however, he's a little more troubled than we like to think. Steve-O has had a plethora of run-ins with the law- most of which are drug related due to his life long battle of addiction to drugs and alcohol. In 2002, Steve-O was arrested on charges of obscenity and assault in Louisiana and was placed on supervised probation for a year. In 2003, Steve-O was arrested again after urinating in public in Pennsylvania. Also in 2003, he was arrested in Sweeden on drug charges and had to pay close to $6,700 in fines. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to felony possession of cocaine and entered a treatment facility.
3 50 Cent
Rapper and producer 50 Cent is no stranger to legal troubles. In 1994, 50 Cent was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. Weeks later, when his home was searched, police found both crack cocaine and heroin in addition to a pistol. Instead of serving his jail sentence, 50 Cent instead served six months in a boot camp. In 2003, 50 Cent was arrested again after police found a handgun and a pistol in a parked car outside of a nightclub in Manhattan which belonged to the rapper. In 2005, 50 Cent was charged with three counts of assault and battery because he jumped into an audience after he was hit with a water bottle. For this he served two years of probation.
2 Lindsay Lohan
We can't have a list of troubled celebs without including the one and only, Lindsay Lohan. Once a hot mess, the former child star is seemingly getting her life in order nowadays. Still, it's always fun to walk down memory lane. In 2007, Lohan was arrested and charged with cocaine possession. A couple DUI's and a few short months later, Lohan made headlines once again when she was arrested for possession of cocaine, transporting narcotics, and driving under the influence. For these major crimes, Lohan was only sentenced to one measly day in jail, ten days of community service, three years probation, and ordered to complete an eighteen month alcohol education program.
1 Tim Allen
As startling as it may seem, Tim Allen is not as innocent as his TV personality was on Home Improvement. In fact, Tim Allen was arrested for drug trafficking in 1978. Allen was charged with possessing over 650 grams of cocaine. After giving the police information on other dealers, Allen only served two and a half years of his sentence of three to seven years. After he was released, he stayed out of trouble until 1977 when he was arrested for drinking and driving. For this, he had to take a course of alcohol rehab and was sentenced to a year's probation.
sources: hollywoodreporter.com hollyfame.com
