15 Stars You Never Knew Served Jail Time
It can sometimes seem like celebrities have so much money and power that they can break as many laws as they want without any repercussions. Okay, that may be true to an extent. But more often than not, a bad-behaved celeb will have to see the inside of a prison cell eventually, even if it's not for very long! You probably could have guessed that a few of the stars on this list would have gotten tangled with the law. And then there are other stars on the list who are such angels when the camera is rolling that we bet you had NO idea they've been to jail before! The crimes on this list vary from the mild and hardly worthy of arrest (in our opinion) to the so extreme that we think they should have earned even harsher sentences! What do you think? Did these stars deserve to get locked up? Here are 15 stars who have served time!
15 Frank Sinatra
Some would say that Frank Sinatra is one of the most iconic singers of all time. His career began in the 1940s, and he worked his way up to superstardom before his death at the age of 82. Even though it never actually changed his positive reputation, Sinatra was actually arrested in the late 1930s, before his career took off. In 1938, Sinatra did the unthinkable and had an affair with a married woman. Yup, that was illegal in those days! He was charged with seduction-we know, it sounds like something out of a movie! Later on, he was charged with adultery. Both cases were dismissed in the end, and Sinatra was able to enjoy a long and ultra-successful career. It's crazy to think that such a thing used to land you in jail, but there would be some scorned partners today who would love to see that law reinstated!
14 Christian Slater
Actor Christian Slater does give off a bad boy vibe in a few of his movies, but here we were thinking that he was just a good actor! As it turns out, Slater isn't exactly a saint IRL. He first got himself in trouble in 1989, when he was arrested for drunk driving and assault. He was only given ten days in jail, which might seem lenient considering that drunk driving can cause serious harm! Then in 1994, Slater tried to board a plane with a gun in his luggage and was swiftly arrested. In 1997, Slater was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and assaulted both his girlfriend and a police officer. He was bailed out straight away and went to rehab for 100 days, before being sent to jail. He spent three months inside and then spent another three months back in rehab. He was again arrested in 2005 for harassment.
13 Michelle Rodriguez
The Fast and the Furious actress Michelle Rodriguez got herself into a spot of trouble, but then made it worse and got in even more trouble! She was first arrested for a DUI in 2007 but wasn't given any jail time. Instead, she was given a number of community service hours and was ordered to attend an alcohol education program. But she broke both of those probation requirements, and so, unfortunately, she was sent to prison for 180 days. Now, because the prison was overcrowded, Rodriguez was able to leave after only 18 days. There are a couple of lessons to be learned here! The first is that if you make a mistake and are lucky enough to get away with it, just quit while you're ahead. Don't push your luck! And the other lesson is that an abundance of criminals might actually be a good thing if you're breaking the law yourself.
12 Chris Brown
Unless you've been living on a faraway planet, you would be well aware that Chris Brown assaulted his superstar girlfriend Rihanna back in 2008. However, when he spent several months in jail, it wasn't because of that crime! In 2014, Brown committed an assault and was ordered to jail for a few months. While such an assault wouldn't ordinarily get him in so much trouble, the big deal was he'd committed it during his probationary period, which he was supposed to be adhering to because he had assaulted Rihanna six years prior. In that case, the couple started fighting the night before the Grammys and after Rihanna caught Brown in a lie, he descended into a violent rage and physically attacked her. Rihanna was widely criticized for returning to him following the assault, but that relationship now seems done and dusted. He's since been released, so hopefully he has changed his ways!
11 Sean Penn
Sean Penn has been arrested more than once, however one of his crimes was so bad that not even his celebrity status could weasel him out of jail time. In 1987, Penn punched an extra on the set of the film Colors. He was given 60 days for the assault, but although he didn't avoid going to jail completely, he was able to get away with only serving some of that time behind bars. At the time of the on-set punch, he was already on probation for two assaults he'd already committed. Many say that he would have served more time in jail if his then-wife Madonna would have pressed charges against him for physically assaulting her. It's all in the past now, but there are those who still can't look at Penn the same way. Everybody makes mistakes, but when it gets to three or four, you have to assume they're no longer mistakes!
10 Mark Wahlberg
You might know him as a funny man and sometimes movie thug, but we bet you didn't know that Mark Wahlberg has more experience in real life crime than he probably cares to admit! In 1986, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder and assault after he approached a man on the street with a large wooden stick and attacked him. We wish there were some kind of reasonable explanation like the man had attacked Wahlberg's mother or something. But you know what this man did wrong? He was Vietnamese. Sadly, that pushes this incident into hate-crime territory and makes us think a whole lot less of the actor. Wahlberg was sentenced to two years in prison but was released after serving only 45 days behind bars. He's had a pretty clean record since then, so we can only hope that the Ted star has learned from his past and completely changed his ways.
9 Paris Hilton
Most people know that Paris Hilton got into some legal trouble back in her pre-Kardashian golden era, but the amount of time she actually served behind bars was so minimal that you probably forgot all about it! In 2007, Hilton was well-known for living a lavish life, being an it-girl and frequenting endless bars and parties in Hollywood. But it looks like she was having a little too much fun when she was charged with drunk driving offenses. She was ordered to enroll herself in a rehab program for her alcohol issues, but she didn't take it seriously. So as punishment, she was sent to prison. Being Paris Hilton, she was released three days later, but we're willing to bet they were the worst three days of her life! Again, the lesson here is to count your blessings if your punishment is lenient, and fix up your life before you have to learn the hard way!
8 Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones, aka Lil' Kim, got herself into some seriously intense legal trouble back in 2005. Basically, she had friends involved in a shooting which took place outside a Manhattan radio station in 2001. But when she was asked to testify, Kim decided to protect her friends and was charged with lying to a federal grand jury. In 2005, she was sent to federal prison, where she was ordered to stay for one year and one day. Plus, she was given a $50,000 fine! Although, that last part probably wasn't a huge thing for her. Kim actually ended up serving ten months of her sentence, which is a lot when you think about how quickly some of the other celebs on this list have gotten out. It's a tough one, though, because Kim was trying to stay loyal to her friends. She was definitely stuck between a rock and a very hard place.
7 Robert Downey Jr.
Before becoming one of the biggest stars in Tinseltown, Robert Downey Jr. was heading in a completely different direction with his life. In 1996, he received a drug and weapon conviction without any jail time. Some of his crimes included possession of intense drugs and trespassing in a neighbor's garden. But then in 1999, he violated his probation and whaddya know, he bought himself three years in prison! After serving one year, he was released on bail and then spent just under a year in a rehab facility. Gosh, why is it so hard to understand that you should follow your probation requirements?! We're really glad that the actor managed to clean himself up, though, because he was in a pretty dark place for a while there. He is now one of the most successful men in Hollywood, and seems to have learned from his past crimes, which is good news for all of us!
6 Martha Stewart
Yes, you read that right. In 2004, the television host was charged with lying to federal investigators about her stock sales. That mistake landed her with five years in federal prison for felony charges of conspiracy, and then five months of home confinement. At the time, she was being questioned for corporate fraud, and it kind of seems like she had something to hide if she was willing to risk lying about it when the stakes were so high! Like many of the others on this list (or all of them?) she managed to get out of the big house early, and in 2005 she was released to home confinement. There are a few things to take away from this case. Firstly, if you're ever questioned by federal investigators or police, just tell them the truth. Lying to them is a pretty big deal. And secondly, Martha Stewart is more of a bada$$ than you!
5 Tim Allen
What do you think of when you hear the name Tim Allen? We think Disney, Buzz Lightyear, and loveable '90s movie dad. So it was a massive shock to hear that Allen was actually arrested in the 1970s! The actor was caught with 1.4 pounds of white powder, and in 1979 was sent to jail after he pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking charges. Allen served two years before he was released, which is a lot for a celebrity! Although it's a lot in celebrity terms, it might not have been enough to really get through to him, because Allen got himself in more trouble in later years. He was caught drunk driving after his release from prison but was placed on probation instead of being sent back in. At least his drug-trafficking days appear to be over! But still, we can't look at the funny man in the same way after this news!
4 Matthew McConaughey
Actor Matthew McConaughey was arrested for a pretty eccentric crime, which you'd probably expect of the rebellious and carefree star. In 1999, police were called to his house after neighbors complained about his insanely loud bongo drumming at 3:00 in the morning. It was found that he'd also been under the influence at the time. McConaughey claimed that the police used excessive force in arresting him and entered his property illegally, and resisted arrest. That move got him sent to the slammer! It didn't end up too badly for the actor, though. He even said that he enjoyed his short time locked up, especially when his cell mates joined him in a sing-along. We have to admit that the free-spirited actor has the right idea-if you're going to be arrested for anything, make sure it's the insanely loud playing of bongo drums in the early hours of the morning!
3 Justin Bieber
Okay, so Justin Bieber spent even less time inside than Paris Hilton. 24 hours, to be exact. But still, he was incarcerated in 2014 in Florida. The young singer was under suspicion of driving under the influence and drag racing in Miami. He reportedly told the police that he'd taken anti-depressants and mixed them with the green and beer, and was just about incoherent as he spoke to them. He was also found driving without a license in a rented yellow Lamborghini and resisted arrest without using violence. All of that might get somebody else into real trouble, but seeing as it's the Biebs we're talking about, he was only held for a day. He didn't enjoy his day, though! “I went in, and I'm telling you that 24 hours sucked,” he said. “It was really cold. That was the worst part about it.” Yikes, it must have been freezing if that was the worst part!
2 Paul McCartney
It seems that Beatle Paul McCartney isn't as squeaky clean as we all thought! In 1980, Paul McCartney was found with half a pound of drugs at the airport in Tokyo. That amount would actually be enough for officials to charge the singer with drug smuggling, which earns most people seven years inside in Japan. However, being a Beatle, McCartney received a considerably lighter sentence than that: ten days in jail. And he didn't even serve all of it! After nine days, he was released from prison and deported. Being found with half a pound of the green doesn't seem like a huge crime, but some Asian countries, in particular, are very severe about drugs. And if you're going to another country, you have to respect their laws, whether you agree with them or not! The stint in prison didn't hurt McCartney's career too badly, though. The singer is still regarded as a legend today!
1 Bruno Mars
The top star who served time in jail on our list happens to be one of the biggest stars in the world today! We guess that when Bruno Mars told us that he's a dangerous man with some money in his pocket, he was being totally serious! In 2010, the singer was charged with felony drug possession in Las Vegas. Rather than making excuses, Mars owned up to his mistake and reportedly told the guard that he “did a foolish thing and has never used drugs before.” He could have gone to jail for four years for a crime like that, but he ended up pleading guilty, paying a fine, and serving one year of probation. Though he seemed remorseful after, Mars appeared almost proud of himself in his mugshot as he flashed a smile. According to him, it was just a picture. If nothing else, Mars will always be smooth!