Marvin Gaye’s marriages ended in divorce and his royalties went to his two wives. His tax issues forced him to move to Europe and he filed for bankruptcy. Before his death, he owed more than $9 million.
Judy Garland’s successful career was affected due to drug problems and financial issues. The IRS reportedly repossessed her home and after her demise in 1969, she had unpaid debts of $4 million.
Michael Jackson died in 2009 and reportedly owed $500 million. His estate went bankrupt and his debt was attributed to legal fees and poor money management.
Corey Haim had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was living with his mother at the time of his death. His family had to ask his fans and sold some of his personal items to collect funds for his funeral.
Gary Coleman won a $1.3 million after suing his parents for mismanaging his wealth but later filed for bankruptcy. When he died in 2010, he was reportedly penniless.
Mickey Rooney married eight times and when he died in 2014, there was not enough money to pay for his funeral. He left $18,000 which went to his stepson Mark Aber.
Emily Dickinson wrote a lot of poems but a few of them were published. The works went public after her death in 1886 and Amherst College purchased her family home, turning it into a museum.
Zora Neale Hurston was an author and anthropologist. She died without a cent to her name and her grave remained unmarked until another author Alice Walker, brought a headstone for Zora’s burial plot.