These famous names have been on the wrong side of the law before...
Robert Downey Jr. had a well-publicized battle with substance abuse during the 1990s. In 1999, he was sentenced to prison after violating probation related to drug charges. He also had multiple encounters with the justice system before that. This was, arguably, the darkest period of the actor's career before his eventual comeback. Robert Downey Jr. was later granted an official pardon by California Governor Jerry Brown in 2016. | © Marvel Studios
Wesley Snipes was convicted in 2008 of three misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns. He was sentenced to three years in prison and ultimately served about two and a half years before his release. | © Warner Bros.
In 2004, lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to investigators over a stock sale. She was sentenced to five months in a federal minimum-security prison in West Virginia. Following that, Stewart had to complete five months of house arrest. | © The Today Show
Before becoming famous for his roles in Home Improvement and Toy Story, Tim Allen was arrested in 1978 for possessing more than 650 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute it. He pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking charges and spent more than two years in prison before being released on parole. It was in prison that Allen realized he needed to make a change in his life. | © ABC News
Long before becoming a recognizable actor, Danny Trejo spent years in prison for offenses including armed robbery and drug-related crimes. His time behind bars eventually led him toward boxing and acting. Trejo decided to turn his life around from that point onward. His first major screen opportunities came after his release from prison. | © NME
Lindsay Lohan had several legal troubles during the late 2000s. Between 2007 and 2013, she was involved with the justice system for driving under the influence, theft, and reckless driving. Her legal problems were a major part of the media coverage surrounding her early career. | © Time
Justin Bieber was arrested in Miami in 2014 on charges including DUI, resisting arrest, and driving with an expired license. He ultimately pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of a deal that included serving two years of probation, performing five days of community service, and paying more than $80,000 in fines. | © Time
In 2001, Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting more than $5,500 worth of designer goods from a Beverly Hills department store. She was convicted in 2002 of grand theft and vandalism and sentenced to probation, community service, and psychological counseling. The highly publicized case temporarily derailed her career. | © NME
Jonathan Majors was convicted in 2023 of assault and harassment following an altercation involving his former girlfriend. He was later sentenced to probation and a 52-week domestic-violence intervention programme rather than prison. Majors was also ordered to continue with mental health therapy by a judge. The conviction set off a series of events that led to Marvel dropping him from its upcoming projects. | © NME
Before becoming a big-time action star, Mark Wahlberg had a troubled adolescence involving a litany of legal issues, including assault and harassment. A notable incident took place in 1988, when he pleaded guilty to assault after attacking two Vietnamese men in Boston. He was sentenced to two years in prison but served about 45 days before being released. | © NME
Paris Hilton had a few minor run-ins with the law. She was sentenced to 45 days in jail in 2007 after repeatedly violating the terms of her probation following a DUI conviction. In 2010, Hilton and her then-boyfriend were stopped by police in Las Vegas, where she was charged with drug possession and obstructing an officer. | © Vanity Fair
Mel Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence in Malibu in 2006. He later pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and received probation, community service, and alcohol-related treatment. It must be mentioned that, during his arrest, Gibson launched into an extremely derogatory verbal outburst directed at the arresting deputy, which further damaged his reputation. | © ABC News
In 1987, Matthew Broderick was involved in a fatal car crash in Northern Ireland that killed two women. He was convicted of careless driving and fined £100. The more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving was reduced to careless driving as part of the legal proceedings. | © NME
Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud-related charges in 2019's infamous college admissions scandal. She admitted paying $15,000 to have someone falsify her daughter's SAT results. Her daughter was unaware of the cheating. Huffman was later sentenced to 14 days in a federal correctional facility, but ultimately only served 11. She also paid a $30,000 fine and completed 250 hours of community service. | © ABC News
Chris Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2009 after attacking singer Rihanna, his then-girlfriend, ahead of the Grammy Awards. He was sentenced to five years of probation, community labor, and domestic-violence counseling. The conviction became one of the most consequential controversies of his career. Brown has also faced multiple other accusations and lawsuits over the years. | © Live Nation
Celebrities might seem to live in a completely different world from everyone else, but fame doesn't put anyone above the law. Over the years, plenty of actors, musicians, athletes, and other stars have found themselves on the wrong side of it. That said, here are 15 celebrities who were convicted of crimes or pleaded guilty to criminal offenses.
