Fame and fortune are often seen as the ultimate goals of many people, especially those who aspire to be in the entertainment industry. However, not everyone can handle the pressure, scrutiny and expectations that come with being a celebrity.
Some stars succumb to the dark side of fame, losing their sanity, reputation and dignity in the process. Here are 10 Hollywood actors who went crazy with fame, and what happened to them afterwards.
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1. Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen was once one of the highest-paid and most popular actors on television, starring in hit shows like ‘Two and a Half Men‘ and ‘Spin City‘. However, his career took a nosedive in 2011, when he publicly had a meltdown, ranting about his “tiger blood”, “winning” and “warlocks”.
He also got fired from ‘Two and a Half Men‘, had a bitter feud with his ex-wife Denise Richards, and revealed that he was HIV-positive. Since then, he has tried to make a comeback with projects like Anger Management and Scary Movie 5, but none of them matched his previous success.
2. Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was a beloved child star, who rose to fame with shows like ‘The Amanda Show‘ and movies like ‘She’s the Man‘ and ‘Hairspray‘. However, in the 2010s, she started to exhibit erratic behavior, such as tweeting bizarre messages, getting arrested for DUI and drug possession, throwing a bong out of her apartment window, and setting fire to a stranger’s driveway.
She also retired and unretired from acting several times, changed her appearance drastically, and accused her father of sexual abuse. She later revealed that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and has been under conservatorship since 2014. She is currently studying at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.
3. Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan was once one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood, starring in movies like ‘The Parent Trap‘, ‘Freaky Friday‘ and ‘Mean Girls‘. However, her fame also led her to a downward spiral of drug abuse, alcoholism, legal troubles and rehab stints. She was arrested multiple times for DUI, theft, assault and probation violations, and spent time in jail and did community service.
She also ruined her reputation by being unprofessional on set, missing deadlines, and feuding with other celebrities. She has attempted to revive her career with projects like ‘Liz & Dick‘, ‘The Canyons‘ and ‘Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club‘, but none of them were well-received by critics or audiences.
4. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson was one of the most respected and successful actors and directors in Hollywood, winning Oscars for ‘Braveheart‘ and starring in blockbuster franchises like ‘Mad Max‘ and ‘Lethal Weapon‘. However, his fame also exposed his dark side, as he became infamous for his racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks and actions.
He was caught on tape making hateful comments about Jews, blacks, women and gays, as well as threatening his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. He also faced allegations of domestic violence, drunk driving and assault. He has since apologized for some of his behavior and has tried to redeem himself with movies like ‘Hacksaw Ridge‘ and ‘Daddy’s Home 2‘.
5. Britney Spears
Britney Spears is one of the most iconic pop stars of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide and earning numerous awards and accolades. However, she also suffered from the pitfalls of fame, as she faced intense media scrutiny, personal struggles and mental health issues. She had a highly publicized breakdown in 2007-2008, when she shaved her head bald, attacked a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella, lost custody of her children to her ex-husband Kevin Federline, and was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation twice.
She was placed under a conservatorship by her father Jamie Spears in 2008, which gave him control over her finances, career and personal life. However, after 13 years of conservatorship and following the widespread #FreeBritney social media movement, Britney Spears’s conservatorship ended on 12 November 2021.
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6. Kanye West
Kanye West is one of the most influential musicians of his generation, producing and rapping on critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums like ‘The College Dropout’, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘ and ‘Yeezus‘. However, he is also known for his erratic and egotistical behavior, such as interrupting Taylor Swift‘s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, claiming that he is a “genius” and a “god”, ranting about various topics on stage and on social media, and running for president in 2020.
He has also struggled with bipolar disorder, addiction and marital problems with his wife Kim Kardashian. After months of rumors and conjecture, Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in 2021, alleging irreconcilable differences. She requested joint custody for North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, their four children. Kanye has then gone on to make various racist, antisemitic and other derogatory comments which has resulted in a lot of backlash from Hollywood and fans.
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7. Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf was a promising young actor in Hollywood, who starred in movies like ‘Transformers’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull‘ and ‘Disturbia‘. However, he also became notorious for his bizarre and reckless actions, such as plagiarizing a comic book for his short film, and wearing a paper bag over his head at a red-carpet event.
He even got himself into several fights and was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. He once infamously live-streaming himself watching his own movies for 24 hours. He has also faced allegations of sexual assault, battery and abuse from his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs.
8. Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is one of the best-selling and most-awarded singers of all time, with hits like ‘Vision of Love, Hero’, ‘Fantasy’ and ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You‘. However, she has also experienced some low points in her career and personal life, such as her failed marriage to Tommy Mottola.
Her poorly received movie ‘Glitter‘ didn’t do her any favors. There have also been other scandals such as her infamous New Year’s Eve performance in 2016, and her feud with Nicki Minaj on ‘American Idol‘. She later on also admitted that she suffers from bipolar disorder, which she was diagnosed with in 2001 after a mental and physical breakdown.
9. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning Hollywood actor, who has starred in movies like ‘Leaving Las Vegas’, ‘Adaptation’, ‘Face/Off‘ and ‘National Treasure’. However, he is also known for his eccentric and extravagant lifestyle, such as buying castles, islands, dinosaur skulls and comic books, owing millions of dollars in taxes.
He also loves a wedding given that he has married four times and one of them was to Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley. He is infamous for taking on any movie role regardless of quality or genre. He has also been involved in some legal disputes with his former managers, ex-wives and creditors.
10. Gary Busey
Gary Busey is an actor who has appeared in movies like ‘The Buddy Holly Story’, ‘Lethal Weapon‘ and ‘Point Break‘. However, he is also known for his wild and unpredictable behavior, which was partly caused by a motorcycle accident in 1988 that left him with brain damage.
He has made some outrageous statements about quantum physics, metaphysics and spirituality, as well as appeared on reality shows like ‘Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew’, ‘Celebrity Apprentice‘ and ‘Dancing with the Stars‘. He has also been arrested for cocaine possession, domestic violence and DUI.
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