We look at celebrities as role models, but many famous people have been accused of horrible crimes. Some of these famous folks found themselves on the wrong side of the law when they were young, while others got into trouble later in life. This list of celebrities accused of horrible crimes has been loosely ranked by fame and popularity.
Who is the most famous person who has been accused of a horrible crime? Mean Girls actress Lindsay Lohan has quite a long rap sheet. She was charged with felony grand theft in 2011 and felony drug charges in 2007. She has spent time in the Los Angeles County Jail on three separate occasions. Snoop Dogg has been charged with drug possession five times. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in 2006. He was also charged with murder in 1993, but he was acquitted in 1996.
Mark Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder in 1987 after he beat two different men, leaving one blind in one eye. He pleaded guilty to assault and served 45 days at Boston's Deer Island House of Correction. Rapper Tupac Shakur served 30 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a man with a baseball bat in 1993. He was also convicted of sexual battery in 1993, after a woman claimed that she was raped by Shakur and his entourage. He said that he was innocent and that he had consensual sex with the woman.
Are you surprised that so many famous people have been accused of horrible crimes? Share your thoughts about these accused celebrity felons in the comments section.
60+ Celebrities Accused of Horrible Crimes,
Bikram Choudhury
Famous for his series of 26 yoga moves, guru Bikram Choudhury was accused of sexual assault by six women from 2013 to 2015. The allegations range from sexual harassment and groping to rape. Each of the victims brought a civil suit against Choudhury after the Los Angeles district attorney refused to charge him for lack of evidence.
According to Choudhury's lawyers, "[the alleged victims'] claims are false and dishonor Bikram yoga and the health and spiritual benefits it has brought to the lives of millions of practitioners throughout the world." Celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, and George Clooney are among his fans.
Read more:
People, The New York Times
Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby, the lovable comedian and TV star, faced numerous accusations from women, many of whom were seeking career guidance, who claimed that he drugged and sexually assaulted them. The allegations reach back to the 1970s, with many surfacing in 2014. Cosby denied the allegations and refused to answer questions from reporters on the topic. Among the women who have accused Cosby is supermodel Janice Dickinson.
Cosby, 77, has not been convicted (or even faced a judge) on any of the accusations, but his reputation has certainly suffered. Both Netflix and NBC postponed or cancelled projects with Cosby, and TV Land removed reruns of The Cosby Show from their lineup.
Source: CNN
Emile Hirsch
On Monday August 17, 2015 actor Emile Hirsch pleaded guilty to assaulting a female employee of a Paramount Pictures subsidiary. Hirsch placed the female studio executive in a choke-hold and body-slammed her at a Sundace Film Festival event that happened earlier this year. Two people pulled Emile off of Daniele Bernfeld (the victim) while she was being attacked. Because the actor was intoxicated and doesn't remember the event occurring, there is still no idea of what prompted the attack. Regardless of this, Hirsch will serve 15 days in jail. In addition to this, he will need to complete 50 hours of community service and pay a fine of $4,750.
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Jared Fogle
In August 2015, Subway spokesman Jared Fogle pleaded guilty to having sex with minors (two teenage girls) and obtaining child pornography. The prosecutor in the case described it as a "five-year criminal scheme to exploit children," and, thanks to a plea deal, it comes with a jail sentence of five to 12.5 years. In addition, Fogle agreed to pay $100,000 to each victim to help with counseling and support. Subway (obviously) ended their relationship with the famous pitchman.
Source: CNN
Jian Ghomeshi
Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi was charged with four counts of sexual assault and overcoming resistance (choking) by Toronto police in 2014. This, after being accused of sexually abusive behavior in and out of the workplace by nine women over 12 years.
The former host of the arts and culture show Q surrendered to police in November, 2014.
Johnny Depp
In May 2016, actress Amber Heard filed for a divorce and restraining order from actor Johnny Depp. Heard alleged that Depp physically and emotionally abused her throughout the entirety of their brief marriage. Heard even detailed an incident in which Depp took her cell phone and smacked her across the face with it. Heard documented her purported injuries from the incident with photos. The two have been in-and-out of divorce proceedings for several months, but have recently come to a settlement. Heard received $7 million from Depp, which she then donated the entirety of to charity.
Phil Rudd
11/6/2014: Phil Rudd, the drummer for legendary Australian rock band AC/DC, has been charged in New Zealand with attempting to hire a hitman to kill two people. Rudd's motive and the names of the men have not yet been released.
In a bizarre case of life imitating art, AC/DC fans are probably all collectively thinking back to the 1976 album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, the title track of which features a hitman offering his services to people in desperate situations.
Source: CNN
Taryn Manning
Orange Is the New Black star Taryn Manning was accused of attacking her longtime makeup artist, Holly Hartman, on several occasions. Hartman claims that Manning headbutted her, sprayed Windex in her eyes and mouth, and whipped her with a wet towel. In the same outburst, Manning dared Hartman to stab her, yelling, "Pick a knife. I’m wearing a white shirt — there will be a lot of blood. You will be famous for killing Taryn Manning.”
Ultimately, the restraining order was not granted on a technicality - Hartman filed it in California even though the attacks took place in NYC. Manning's legal team said the accusations were false, and that Hartman was actually under investigation for stalking Manning.
Dimitri Diatchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko, who played small roles in shows like Sons of Anarchy, Walker, Texas Ranger and How I Met Your Mother, was charged with killing and eating his ex-girlfriend's pet rabbit, according to the LA Times.
They added that Diatchenko sent his ex grisly photos of the procedure and threatened to do the same thing to her. The 46 year old was charged in December 2014 with felony counts of cruelty to an animal with use of a knife and making criminal threats.
He faces up to four years and eight months in prison if convicted.
Josh Duggar
The oldest of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting brood, Josh Duggar was accused of child molestation. According to reports, Duggar fondled five young girls while he was a teenager. Instead of going immediately to the police, his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, first conferred with church elders and sent Josh to a family friend to help straighten him out. They didn't tell police until more than a year later.
In 2015, the news finally broke. Josh released a statement saying, "Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life."
Read more:
People, In Touch, USA Today