Catty1
09-20-2014, 11:59 AM
http://www.viralnova.com/celeb-criminals/?np=9
Celebrities are all about their image. They pay a lot of money to a lot of people so that we only see the very best side of them.
But when they go around breaking the law, that image gets a little more difficult to keep clean. Sometimes, the crimes happened before they found fame, but that doesn't make it any easier on their PR person. Some of these stars succeeded at making us forget anything ever happened, while others... Well, they might have gotten off easy with their legal punishment, but their careers may never fully recover. Take a look.
1.) Bill Gates: Driving without a license and speeding. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/736/desktop-1410990087.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BillGates2012.jpg)
The Microsoft billionaire was arrested twice in the 1970s for driving without a license. First in 1975 while speeding and again in 1977 when he failed to stop at a stop sign.
2.) James Brown: Theft, assault, possessing firearms and domestic violence. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/726/desktop-1410990047.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Brown_Live_Hamburg_1973_1702730029.jpg)
At age 16, the "Godfather of Soul" was sentenced to 3 years in prison after getting arrested for theft. Later he was taken in 1988 when a high speed chase ended with the discovery of illegal weapons and drugs in his car, then assaulted the arresting officer. He spent 3 years in prison again. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, his third wife Adrienne Rodriguez had him charged with domestic violence four separate times.
3.) Vanilla Ice: Possession of a firearm, assault and battery. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/741/desktop-1410990104.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vanilla_Ice.jpg)
The rapper has been arrested several times, first in 1991 after threatening a homeless man with a firearm, then again in 2001 for assaulting his wife where he was sentenced to probation and family counseling. He was brought in a third time in 2008 for battery, again in an altercation with his wife.
4.) Mark Wahlberg: Attempted murder and assault. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/735/desktop-1410990085.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Wahlberg_cropped_2008.jpg)
When the actor was 16, he attacked two Vietnamese men with a wooden stick and was initially charged with attempted murder before pleading guilty to assault. He served 45 days of his two year sentence.
5.) Hugh Grant: Soliciting a prostitute. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/730/desktop-1410990063.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hugh_Grant_Brussels_%2708.jpg)
In 1995, the actor caused a stir after being arrested for lewd conduct in a public place with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown. At the time, he was in a highly publicized longterm relationship with Elizabeth Hurley. He appeared on The Tonight Show the week following his arrest where he candidly (and affably) spoke about the incident.
6.) Will Smith: Aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/732/desktop-1410990073.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WillSmithSept09.jpg)
Smith was arrested in 1989 for being part of an assault that left one of the men practically blind. The actor was charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, and criminal conspiracy, but the charges were later dismissed.
7.) Tim Allen: Cocaine possession and drunk driving. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/734/desktop-1410990080.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tim_Allen_2012.jpg)
Long before he was grunting away on Home Improvement, the "Tool Man" was arrested in 1978 at age 25 for possessing over 650 grams of cocaine. He served two and a half years for that sentence, then ran into the law again in 1997 for driving under the influence. For that he served a year's probation and attended rehab.
8.) Christian Slater: Drunk driving, assault, possession of a firearm, sexual assault. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/744/desktop-1410990109.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Slater_at_the_64th_Berlin_Internati onal_Film_Festival,_February_2014.jpg)
The boyish charm started fading away in 1989 when Slater was arrested for driving under the influence. He was then arrested twice in 1997, first for assaulting his girlfriend while drunk and then again for attempting to board a flight while carrying a loaded gun. In 2005, he was arrested and charged with third-degree sexual assault after grabbing a woman's behind on the street.
9.) Winona Ryder: Grand theft. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/725/desktop-1410990048.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Winona_Ryder_2010_TIFF.jpg)
The actress decided to end a shopping spree one day without actually paying for any of the merchandise. She was sentenced to 3 years probation, but her career is still trying to resurface after the event.
10.) Wesley Snipes: Failure to pay taxes. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/727/desktop-1410990052.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-Wesley_Snipes_%283%29.jpg)
Snipes spent three years in prison after being found guilty of three misdemeanor accounts of failure to pay taxes. He was released in April 2013.
Celebrities are all about their image. They pay a lot of money to a lot of people so that we only see the very best side of them.
But when they go around breaking the law, that image gets a little more difficult to keep clean. Sometimes, the crimes happened before they found fame, but that doesn't make it any easier on their PR person. Some of these stars succeeded at making us forget anything ever happened, while others... Well, they might have gotten off easy with their legal punishment, but their careers may never fully recover. Take a look.
1.) Bill Gates: Driving without a license and speeding. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/736/desktop-1410990087.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BillGates2012.jpg)
The Microsoft billionaire was arrested twice in the 1970s for driving without a license. First in 1975 while speeding and again in 1977 when he failed to stop at a stop sign.
2.) James Brown: Theft, assault, possessing firearms and domestic violence. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/726/desktop-1410990047.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Brown_Live_Hamburg_1973_1702730029.jpg)
At age 16, the "Godfather of Soul" was sentenced to 3 years in prison after getting arrested for theft. Later he was taken in 1988 when a high speed chase ended with the discovery of illegal weapons and drugs in his car, then assaulted the arresting officer. He spent 3 years in prison again. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, his third wife Adrienne Rodriguez had him charged with domestic violence four separate times.
3.) Vanilla Ice: Possession of a firearm, assault and battery. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/741/desktop-1410990104.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vanilla_Ice.jpg)
The rapper has been arrested several times, first in 1991 after threatening a homeless man with a firearm, then again in 2001 for assaulting his wife where he was sentenced to probation and family counseling. He was brought in a third time in 2008 for battery, again in an altercation with his wife.
4.) Mark Wahlberg: Attempted murder and assault. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/735/desktop-1410990085.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Wahlberg_cropped_2008.jpg)
When the actor was 16, he attacked two Vietnamese men with a wooden stick and was initially charged with attempted murder before pleading guilty to assault. He served 45 days of his two year sentence.
5.) Hugh Grant: Soliciting a prostitute. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/730/desktop-1410990063.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hugh_Grant_Brussels_%2708.jpg)
In 1995, the actor caused a stir after being arrested for lewd conduct in a public place with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown. At the time, he was in a highly publicized longterm relationship with Elizabeth Hurley. He appeared on The Tonight Show the week following his arrest where he candidly (and affably) spoke about the incident.
6.) Will Smith: Aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/732/desktop-1410990073.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WillSmithSept09.jpg)
Smith was arrested in 1989 for being part of an assault that left one of the men practically blind. The actor was charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, and criminal conspiracy, but the charges were later dismissed.
7.) Tim Allen: Cocaine possession and drunk driving. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/734/desktop-1410990080.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tim_Allen_2012.jpg)
Long before he was grunting away on Home Improvement, the "Tool Man" was arrested in 1978 at age 25 for possessing over 650 grams of cocaine. He served two and a half years for that sentence, then ran into the law again in 1997 for driving under the influence. For that he served a year's probation and attended rehab.
8.) Christian Slater: Drunk driving, assault, possession of a firearm, sexual assault. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/744/desktop-1410990109.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Slater_at_the_64th_Berlin_Internati onal_Film_Festival,_February_2014.jpg)
The boyish charm started fading away in 1989 when Slater was arrested for driving under the influence. He was then arrested twice in 1997, first for assaulting his girlfriend while drunk and then again for attempting to board a flight while carrying a loaded gun. In 2005, he was arrested and charged with third-degree sexual assault after grabbing a woman's behind on the street.
9.) Winona Ryder: Grand theft. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/725/desktop-1410990048.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Winona_Ryder_2010_TIFF.jpg)
The actress decided to end a shopping spree one day without actually paying for any of the merchandise. She was sentenced to 3 years probation, but her career is still trying to resurface after the event.
10.) Wesley Snipes: Failure to pay taxes. http://images.viralnova.com/000/075/727/desktop-1410990052.png
Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_nicogenin_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_%28Mostra%29_-Wesley_Snipes_%283%29.jpg)
Snipes spent three years in prison after being found guilty of three misdemeanor accounts of failure to pay taxes. He was released in April 2013.