Being famous does not give you protection from prosecution. If anything, with all the coverage that celebrities get from the media, they could barely sneeze and snort without anybody reporting it to the masses.
Therefore it is not surprising that crimes committed by big names in Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general rarely go unnoticed.
When even an infraction gets a much bigger exposure than it deserves, imagine the media frenzy that goes around a misdemeanor, let alone felony crimes associated with any particular celebrity.
Just because someone is famous and has been in popular films and TV shows, it does not mean they get a pass with everything they do.
No matter how rich and well-known they are, the rule of law applies to them just like it does to anybody else.
You might find it shocking that some of your favorite actors, musicians, comedians, and athletes have had their run-ins with the law.
From DUIs, assaults, drug-related offenses, sexual harassment, and manslaughter, here are just ten (of many) celebrities and the horrible crimes they’ve committed. This is not an exhaustive list.
10 /10 Robert Downey Jr.
Back in April 1996, Robert Downey Jr. found himself arrested for possession of illegal substances, including cocaine and heroin, as well as a .357 Magnum handgun.
The police discovered all those things after he had been pulled over for speeding on Sunset Boulevard.
Just about a month later, and still on parole, Downey Jr. trespassed into a neighbor’s home and fell asleep on a bed in that property.
It turned out he was under the influence of a controlled substance when he committed the crimes. He was ordered to undergo compulsory drug testing and received three years of probation.
9 /10 Amy Locane
On an evening in late June 2010, Amy Locane was involved in a car crash in Montgomery, New Jersey. She was driving at 53 mph in an area with a speed limit of 35 mph.
Speeding was the least of her problem at that moment because moments later, her vehicle crashed into the car driven by Fred Seeman, which was traveling at just three mph.
The incident killed Seeman’s wife. Following the accident, Locane’s blood-alcohol level was checked, and it came out at .23 percent, or three times the legal limit. She was indicted for assault and aggravated manslaughter.