What drives a celebrity to steal? Surely, the issue has little to nothing to do with financial burden or need. Even the meagrely talented reality stars are used to cashing large pay checks these days. For some it may be a compulsion. For others it could be a little bit of thrill-seeking behaviour and for a rare few it could legitimately be an accident. Regardless of the motivation it seems that a disproportionately large number of celebs have been caught red-handed. It begs the question: Do celebrities feel entitled to have whatever they want, whenever they want? Check out the stories behind these fifteen celeb shoplifters and decide for yourself.
15 Kristin Cavallari
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After being caught stealing clothes from Tawney K, a store owned by Tawney Kitaen, another 'sort of' celebrity and star of 80's music videos, Cavallari owned her bad girl status. Kitaen neglected to press charges so the mean girl from The Hills gained a little more 'fame' without paying the price, so to speak. Sadly, these sorts of hijinks seem to help the careers of the barely famous. It's a different story for established stars. Just ask Winona Ryder.
14 Farrah Fawcett
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The Charlie's Angels star was arrested not once but twice for shoplifting clothing from boutiques. Fawcett defended her actions, of course, claiming that she was simply exchanging defective merchandise but she neglected to tell the shop staff her plan to do so. Apparently, Ms. Fawcett felt that there were different rules for celebrities when it comes to shopping and who can blame her because most of the time there are.
13 Peaches Geldof
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Before she passed away far too young at the age of 25, Peaches Geldof, daughter of famed musician Bob Geldfof, was trying to make a name for herself in show business. The sometimes model and TV personality was described by her father as 'the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us.' The socialite was caught stealing cosmetics from a drug store, left a store wearing a coat with security tags still on it and a number of expensive items went missing from a photo shoot she starred in. The troubled Geldof would later die in a drug related incident.
12 Winona Ryder
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Probably the most shocking of all celebrity thefts was when Ryder walked out of a department store with $6000 worth of designer clothes. The Oscar nominated actress was later released on $20,000 bail and would later claim that the arrest may have been the best thing to ever happen to her because it helped her 'regain her footing' and focus on more important things, like family. Ryder has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since her 2001 arrest appearing in smaller roles in big films like Black Swan and Star Trek. Unfortunately, for her, she still seems to be the poster child for celeb theft.
11 Bai Ling
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After, what she claimed, was an emotional day, actress Bail Ling was arrested at the airport for stealing a couple of magazines and some batteries from an airport store. Sure, maybe her boyfriend dumped her but we've all been there and the vast majority of us don't resort to stealing to ease the pain. Of course, the charges would eventually be dismissed and Ms. Ling would claim innocence. It seems to be a common trend nowadays, when celebrities 'forget to pay'. Let's hope Bai Ling can remember next time.
10 Stephanie Pratt
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If you don't know who she is, here's a little reminder. She's the sister of the pseudo-famous and super obnoxious Spencer Pratt from teen "reality show" The Hills. While you might consider it more likely to see his name on this list, little sis seems to have had no problem stirring up some trouble of her own. It should come as no surprise that Pratt suffered some legal troubles after shoplifting $1300 worth of merchandise from Neiman Marcus. Her troubles didn't stop there as she would descend into drugs and eventually rehab. If she's angling for another reality show, she's well on her way.
9 Lindsay Lohan
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She's the star people love to hate. She's made headlines for all the wrong reasons and when she was accused of stealing a $2500 gold necklace from a Venice, California jewelry store no one was surprised. However, even an expert who's reviewed the footage of the so-called theft felt it was unlikely that Lohan purposely stole any item. As you'll see, this defence comes up again and again. Are famous people just messing with the rest of us? Surely, that's a line the average person would never get away with.
8 Britney Spears
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She's had a very public breakdown and the girl needs a break. So before your jaw hits the floor regarding one more Brit Brit controversy you should know she was filmed pocketing a lighter at a gas station. That's it, that's all, that's everything. Did she do it? Yes, it's on film. Why? Who knows, maybe when you're crazy rich and famous or should we say crazy, rich and famous you need to do something a little naughty to get your kicks. She seems to be on an up cycle so let's hope she got all that stuff out of her system.
7 Jennifer Capriati
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This one is a bit sketchy, to say the least. Capriati was already a top ranked tennis star when she was accused of stealing a $15 ring from a kiosk while out shopping with friends. She and her friends tried on several of the rings before they walked off while Capriati was still wearing one of the kiosk's rings. Of course, the tennis phenom denied accusations that she purposely took the inexpensive ring and considering her net worth it's pretty unlikely she took the ring. However, even this list has detailed some very wealthy shoplifters.
6 Caroline Giuliani
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Just because your gorgeous, your father is the former mayor of New York City and you're a Harvard Graduate doesn't mean you don't get off on a little five finger discount. Miss. Giuliani was caught on camera stealing $100 worth of make-up from a Sephora store. Her punishment: A judge ordered the Ivy League graduate to do a day of community service. At Sephora prices that might not be such a bad deal, after all. Not that we would ever condone such a thing.
5 Megan Fox
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It's no surprise this gorgeous actress had a rebellious past. Her long black locks, multiple tattoos and mischievous smile tell the tale. Disappointingly, her rebellious years ended when her teen years did. So she stole a tube of lip gloss from the local Walmart. Who hasn't? Well, maybe most of us haven't but can a girl get a break. After all, it would be years before she would be considered one of the most beautiful women in the world and that is a long time to wait.
4 Kesha
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Of everyone on this list, Miss Kesha, believe it or not, will tug at your heart strings the most. This pop star was poor and homeless before she hit it big overnight with her song "Tik Tok". So, you see, she stole to eat. There's a major difference between providing sustenance for yourself and stealing costume jewelry from the drug store. Who can blame a kid for trying to survive? Things sure have changed for the girl with the spell-check defying name. The price of a meal shouldn't be a problem of Kesha anymore.
3 Tila Tequila
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She's led a less than tame career. She's been on reality TV, in the pages of Playboy and in adult films. Pretty wild for someone who grew up in a Buddhist temple. At fifteen, the young girl rejected her upbringing and soon found her way to New York City. However, it was long after she'd found fame that she was caught stealing some bubble gum and a bag of chips from a CVS. In her own video of the incident, it looks like a bad set-up, but who can be sure with what passes for a star today?
2 Amanda Bynes
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The former child star seems to be perpetuating the stereotype that child actors tend to fall apart. She's been accused of walking out of Barney's in New York with merchandise but instead of pressing charges the store decided to have Bynes sign a no-trespass agreement banning the actor from their store. With her history of erratic behaviour and drug use it may have been a good move on the store's part to ban the young actor. She's certainly proven to be leading a pretty troubled existence these days.
1 Courtney Love
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In 2010, the former wife of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain was accused of not returning $114,000 worth of borrowed jewels. The jewelry company Jacob and Co. lent Ms. Love multiple pieces of diamond jewelry to wear to a charity event. The company stated in a law suit that Love returned only a diamond bracelet and the rest was still in her possession. Love claimed she had lost the other items. The controversial singer has been no stranger to trouble and few will be surprised to see her name come up on this list.
Sources: ranker.com, biography.com, huffingtonpost.com, nytimes.com
