This article was originally published on JustStarz
It's a common belief that we all have to abide by the same laws and regulations. But when you're rich and well-known, does that belief still apply to you? As the fascinating and outlandish accounts you are about to read will demonstrate, that is not always the case. From the silly to the serious, here are some questionable things our favorite celebrities were accused of.
David Bowie's Allegedly Dated a 14-Year-Old
David Bowie was a verifiable rockstar in his day. His hits were endless, and fans still miss the late singer. Some might be surprised to find out that he dated some very young women. We know that bohemian culture was a bit radical, but can that excuse taking the virginity of a 14-year-old? Famous groupie Lori Maddox claims that's exactly what happened to her at a hotel when David was in his mid-20's.
Is she upset about it today? Apparently not. According to Lori: "I feel like I was very present...I saw the greatest music ever. I got to hang out with some of the most amazing, most beautiful, most charismatic men in the world. I went to concerts in limos with police escorts. Am I going to regret this? No."
Actor Stephen Collins Owned up to His Acts
This was a shocking story to literally everyone. Wholesome 7th Heaven dad Stephen Collins came out of obscurity recently to announce he had touched three young girls in the past, but it was all beyond the statute of limitations. Did he just have a guilty conscience? Maybe, but his ex-wife had recorded him saying a lot of things during couples therapy. It seems he wasn't going to be able to deny it. So, he owned it.
The actor has since explained: “Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret. I have been working to atone for it ever since...As difficult as this is, I want people to know the truth.”
OJ Simpson's Book Title Says It All
OJ Simpson was once a star athlete and comedy actor, beloved by millions. But suddenly, he was also the guy in that white car on a high-speed, live TV police chase. Ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend had been murdered, and he was the prime suspect. Eventually, he did surrender to the law. The trial that followed was one of the most-watched in American history, and the outcome was controversial: Not guilty, said the jury. Were they right?
In recent years, OJ has promoted a book called If I Did It. The plot was simple. If he did it, this was exactly how he did it. Needless to say, very few people believe the writing theoretical, at this point.
Ted Nugent Became His Love Interest's Legal Guardian
Ted Nugent is allegedly a family-friendly artist, these days. But should he be considered so pure? Back in the late '70s, he was involved in some very strange activity with a young teen. Perhaps his song "Jailbait" explains it best: "Well, I don't care if you're just 13, you look too good to be true. I just know that you're probably clean...It's quite all right, I asked your mama. Wait a minute, officer. Don't put those handcuffs on me, put them on her, and I'll share her with you."
The real story is that he couldn't marry a teen girl, so he asked her parents to be her legal guardian. Why was this allowed? We have no idea, but they stayed together for nine years.
Matthew Broderick Hit Another Car at the Height of His Fame
Back in the '80s, Matthew Broderick was among the hottest talent in young Hollywood. Fans still love Ferris Bueller's Day Off. But many may not be aware that this was a period when Matt was the cause of a tragedy for two people. A mother and daughter were killed while he and actress Jennifer Grey were cruising as a couple in Ireland. We don't know exactly what happened, but Matt swerved into the other lane, abruptly. The results were catastrophic.
The actor felt terrible, to be sure. But the result of the incident was a charge for dangerous driving, nothing more. That means no jail time! We are not sure that we would have gotten off so easy.
Justin Bieber Got a DUI
We've been in love with Justin Bieber since we were teens. He's put out pop hit after hit. But in 2014, he's lucky he didn't hit any people. Justin was pulled over in Florida and charged with a bunch of things: drunk driving, driving without a valid license, and resisting arrest. Most of us would be in serious trouble and probably looking at some time in jail. What happened to the pop star? Very little.
The consequence was a charitable donation and anger management classes. We love the Biebs, but it's hard to argue this wasn't special treatment. We think it's too late now to say sorry.
Michael Jackson's Alleged Issues With Kids
Michael Jackson was the king of pop, and it was hard to believe he could ever do wrong. To this day, many still believe he didn't. But a documentary recently convinced quite a few people that something was amiss at his mansion. Why was he always with other people's kids, all alone in his room? He explained: “When I see children, I see the face of God. That's why I love them so much. That's what I see.”
We already know that he would have little boys sleep in his bed. But details have now come out that he had an alarm system rigged to notify him when anyone was approaching the master suite. Do you believe he was innocent?
Director Miranda July Admits She Has Shoplifting Habits
According to director Miranda July, the first time she stole was as a freshman in college, when she grabbed Neosporin and didn't pay for it. But it didn't end there. She explains: "I discovered that stealing required a loose, casual energy, a sort of oneness with the environment, like surfing or horse-whispering. And once I knew I could do it I felt strangely obliged to. I remember feeling guilty for not stealing, as though I were wasting money."
We notice she is still a free woman. What was her best technique? She explains: "My preferred purse was gigantic and discreetly rigid, like a suitcase. I packed it with blocks of cheese, loaves of bread, and lots of soy products, because I was a vegetarian."
Christian Bale used to Drive Around LA Without a Drivers License
Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale has transformed his body for roles and wowed us with his characters. He always goes the extra mile to get into a role, including learning new skills. Most recently, he trained to be a real race car driver at Bondurant High Performance Driving School for Ford v Ferrari. It was all totally legal to drive at high speed, for the movie. But once upon a time, Christian used to break traffic laws regularly.
Back when Christian first came to America from the UK, he was lax on getting an American driver's license. He openly admits that he used to drive around LA without one! Despite talking about it in interviews, no arrest has ever been made. And he's not sorry!
Why Director Roman Polanski Fled to France
In the late '70s, director Roman Polanski fled the country. Perhaps he didn't expect that the nation would be angry he had given a young girl alcohol to have his way with her. He was 43, and she 13. The police decided they wanted to have a word with him, understandably. According to Roman: “I asked when she’d first started having sex...But I could sense a certain erotic tension between us.”
Hollywood has actually supported his career in the decades since, as he hides in France. The European nation does not have an extradition treaty with America, so he feels safe there. Will be he be safe forever?
50 Cent Was Convicted of Dealing but Didn't Do Time
Rapper 50 Cent is actually known as a teetotaler these days, believe it or not. He has a liquor brand, but he doesn't drink. This is legit biz, unlike ventures of the past. When he was a teen, he was convicted of selling illegal substances on the street. He received a sentence of three to nine years in jail from the judge. But in the end, he really didn't serve it.
For whatever reason, he was allowed to spend six months somewhere else: Boot camp. That's where he earned his GED and went on to greater things, like making us dance.
Steven Tyler's Relationship With a 16-Year-Old
Julia Holcomb turned 16 and went to see one of her favorite bands performing in Portland, Oregon. That's where she met Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith. Did he thank he for her support? Maybe, but that's not all he did. When she went backstage, he made his move on her. And oddly enough, he filed to get legal guardianship over her soon afterward with the support of her mother. Perhaps that allowed him to take her across state lines, wherever he wanted, on tour.
Steve got her pregnant and made her get rid of the baby. Then, she moved back home and he never showed up to see her again. Apparently, she has found a way to move on through religion. She explains: "In spite of everything, I do not hate Steven Tyler, nor am I personally bitter. I pray for his sincere conversion of heart and hope he can find God’s grace."
Kanye West Rapped About How He Never Got Caught
These days, Kanye West is worth more than a billion bucks. Besides rap, he's a fashion designer, and it seems he has always been into clothes. When he was still a civilian forced to dress himself in mallwear, he worked at The Gap. In "Spaceship", he sang: "Let's go back, back to the Gap. Look at my check, wasn't no scratch. So if I stole, wasn't my fault. Yeah, I stole, never got caught."
It seems Mr. Ye was never prosecuted for the crimes he openly raps about. But truthfully, The Gap would probably beg to send him free samples.
Ariana Grande's Very Strange Public Behvaior
Ariana Grande has a sweet, sugary reputation. But this was temporarily harmed when she was caught licking a donut and then put it right back on the shelf. Obviously, this violated health codes, and she should have been required to pay for it. Her actions were all caught on camera. In the recording, she said: "What the f--- is this? I hate Americans. I hate America. That is disgusting." The nation was enraged. How dare she!
When the PR started to harm her, she issued an apology claiming she just really cares about eating healthy foods. That may be true. But we haven't forgotten the incident.
Senator Ted Kennedy Drove His Car off a Bridge
It's been buried in the history books, but it's worth talking about now. Politicians often get away with murder, figuratively. But in this case, that statement could be literal. Senator Ted Kennedy was the brother of JFK, and a Massachusetts senator for decades. But he never made it beyond that: Ted was a presidential hopeful in the '80s. That all ended one fateful night when he careened into a river while driving with his lover, Mary Jo Kopechne. He left her in the car to drown!
Ted let the police know about it the next day, only after the car was found by others. Some suspect he was waiting for his blood alcohol levels to go down before showing up, but it was impossible to prove after the fact. He was never prosecuted for her death, and was only given a two-month suspended sentence and a temporary driving ban. The scandal ended his white house dreams, nothing more.
Solange Assaulted Jay Z on Video in an Elevator
A while back, rapper Jay Z admitted that he cheated on his wife. That would be Queen Bey, otherwise known as Beyonce. She wasn't exactly thrilled about it. But her sister, Solange, was pretty angry, too. A security camera in an elevator captured Solange entering with Jay Z, then beating him in the corner, wildly. Was she arrested for assault, with undeniable evidence like that? As it turns out, no. And Jay doesn't even seem that mad about it.
Maybe he knew he deserved some kind of punishment for his wandering ways. He explains: "We’ve always had a great relationship...We've had one disagreement. Before and after, we’ve been cool. That’s my sister. Not my sister-in-law, no, my sister. Period."
Singer Jerry Lee Lewis Married His 13 Year Old Cousin
Sure, it was a different era. The 1950s bears little resemblance to our current day. But still, there had to be some limits, back then. Singer Jerry Lee Lewis was yet another musician interested in a very young girl. But this time, it was his own cousin. At age 22, he married his 13-year-old relative, Myra Gale Brown. Her parents let her pack all her things into a dollhouse, as a container. And off she went, to be with Jerry. What in the world?
At 14, she had a child. The marriage didn't last, and Jerry went on to get married many more times, unsuccessfully. Myra later wrote: "It's been as if my life has gone on without my permission. I have been a bystander in my life."
Bruce Jenner Was Involved in a Fatal Car Crash
Before Caitlyn Jenner, there was Bruce Jenner. And back then, there's a controversy that you may have never heard about. We bet you have no idea that this celeb killed someone. According to reports, Bruce got into a pretty serious car accident. It was a four-car pile-up, and the crash was fatal for one old lady. Other victims were seriously injured. But he didn't face any criminal charges. Why not?
Well, the police determined no criminal charges should happen. Bruce did slow down and use his brakes to try to avoid the crash. While that seems fair, there was a civil case that resulted in a payout of hundreds of thousands of dollars. If there was nothing criminal, why would anyone need to pay for anything? That gap in the law sure is funny, sometimes!
Led Zeppelin Guitarist Jimmy Page Dated a Teen Groupie
Legendary groupie Lori Maddox doesn't just say she slept with David Bowie. She was around the concert scene all the time, and she ended up in bed with another famous name: Jimmy Page. the Led Zeppelin guitarist. She now shares: "What happened is that I was kidnapped, literally...He told me was going to be with me, and I said no, he wasn't, and he said, 'Yes, I am.'... Next thing you know, I'm at the [Hyatt House] hotel, and I'm walking down the hall, and next thing you know, I'm pulled into this door ... And I turned around and, look, there was Jimmy sitting in the corner of the room with a hat and a cane saying, 'I told you I'm gonna have you.'"
She was 14, and Jimmy was 28. But Lori seems to cherish this period when she claims she was controlled and kidnapped as a minor. It's confusing! She explains: "It was worth every minute, truly," she says. "He was a beautiful person and he touched my life, deeply."
Rolling Stone Bill Wyman Had A Relationship With a Minor
Rockstar is starting to look like a bad label, now that we see all their deeds in the light of the day. Bill Wyman was the bassist for the Rolling Stones for about 30 years. Evidently. this fame allowed him to do what ordinary men could not. In the mid-'80s, Bill began a relationship with a 13-year-old named Mandy Smith. It was consummated at 14, and he was already in his mid-30's. At 18, they actually got married.
Was her mom okay with this, by the way? Apparently, yes. Mrs. Smith explained: "It's not about being physically mature. It's emotional maturity that matters. I don't think most 16-year-olds are ready. I think the age of consent should be raised to 18 at a minimum, and some girls aren't even ready then."
Margot Robbie Openly Admits She Stole From a Hotel
We all think Margot Robbie is pure as the wind-driven snow. But is the Wolf of Wall Street actress as innocent as she appears? When it comes to toilet paper, maybe not. She's totally willing to take it from the hotel, whether they like it or not. Margot confesses: "I was saying goodbye to a friend who was staying at a hotel, and she was like, 'I'm getting on a plane to go to Australia so take whatever we've got left over,' and I was like, 'Oh, great!' So I packed up a bag and I was like, 'Toilet paper! Yes!' And then I walked out and I got papped [photographed by the paparazzi] outside the hotel."
Overall, we don't think this is a serious transgression. Perhaps it was worth a dollar, if even. But it seems she is getting away with the crime, despite flaunting it so publically. The nerve!
Bob Dylan Was Recently Accused of Trespassing
Back in the day, Bob Dylan was one of the most recognizable faces and voices in the world. But since then, he has aged considerably. We can't blame him for that. But maybe we can blame him for snooping around on private property in New Jersey, back in 2009. For whatever reason, he decided to wander around people's homes and really creeped them out. They called the cops. Funnily enough, the police did not believe he was Bob when they arrived.
The arresting officer reflects: "We got a call for a suspicious person. It was pouring rain outside, and I was right around the corner so I responded. By that time he was walking down the street. I asked him what he was doing in the neighborhood and he said he was looking at a house for sale....We see a lot of people on our beat, and I wasn't sure if he came from one of our hospitals or something."
R Kelly Illegally Married a Young Aaliyah
The late singer Aaliyah is missed by millions, even all these years after her fateful plane crash. People remember her hits, but they may not remember all of her personal life. Secretly, she got married to R Kelly when she was just 15 years old. He bribed a government employee to get a fake ID for a ceremony. And witnesses from the time claim that they were engaged in an adult relationship when she was even younger, perhaps 13 or 14.
It was all so long ago. But at this point, given the multitude of similar charges against R Kelly, we're not surprised to hear it. What would Aaliyah say, if she were alive today?
Iggy Pop Openly Dated a Minor
Iggy Pop was certainly a rocker in his day. All sorts of girls were lining up to meet him, and bed him. But should he have taken advantage of a starstruck 8th grader? The girl was Sable Starr, and he admitted the action in a song. In "Look Away", he sang: "I slept with Sable when she was 13. Her parents were too rich to do anything. She walked her way around L.A. till a New York Doll carried her away." The man is admitting it, yet no one arrested him!
At the time, Iggy was in his mid-20's. Sable recalls going through a lot of emotional turmoil as a teen dating numerous musicians. We seriously doubt this would be allowed today!
Mötley Crüe Singer Vince Neil's Reckless Behavior
In 1984, the lead singer of Mötley Crüe got into trouble. But not too much trouble, apparently. Rocker Vince Neil drove drunk and got into a crash. This involved other people. and another musician was killed. Two others were injured critically and got brain damage. Normally, there are serious consequences for this kind of reckless behavior. But for whatever reason, this driver just got 30 days behind bars. He ended up serving 18, in total!
Vince also had 5 years probation, 200 hours of community service, and was forced to pay millions to the victims. Still, is that what would happen to you in the same shoes?
Prince Andrew Left Public Life for His Alleged Behavior
The Jeffrey Epstein scandal touched many public figures, and plenty of mystery still surrounds the case. One of the major accusations comes from accuser Virginia Giuffre, a teen who was trafficked in the mansion and on the island. She claims she was pressured to sleep with all sorts of men who hung out in these circles. She says that Prince Andrew was always over, too. The prince denies that he did this, but it did result in a police investigation.
In the end, the authorities took no action. But the Prince gave a strange interviewing British TV, and many found him suspicious. His friend Jeffrey Epstein was notorious for providing underage girls. Do you believe Andrew never partook?
Billionaire Howard Hughes Faced No Charges for This
Occasionally, millionaires go to jail. But what about the next bracket? We all know that the ultra-wealthy get away with things we never could. They just have too much much money, power, and connections in all the right places. Case in point, vintage rich guy Howard Hughes. In 1936, the billionaire entrepreneur carelessly hit a pedestrian with his vehicle. Not surprisingly, the man died. Was Howard held liable for this at all?
Howard Hughes was not charged with anything as a result of the incident. For more on his wild adventures, check out The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It seems he was more careful with his planes!
Kesha Confessed to Shoplifting
Kesha may be a pop princess now, but she did't start out that way. In fact, she worked very hard to get where she is now and enjoys financial stability. But when she was a teen, she was actually homeless for a time. How did she get by? Kesha confesses: "There were points when I was really broke. The low points would be stealing food and selling clothes to make money for food."
Hard times, indeed. Luckily for her, she wasn't caught shoplifting as she figured everything out. These days, Kesha is worth an estimated $10 million. She will never need to hustle again!
Britney Spears Really Wanted That Wig
These days, we are happy to see that Britney Spears is regaining some of her freedom. We were surprised to hear that she was under so many legal restrictions and controlled by her father. A series of strange incidents led to the conservatorship, right or wrong. Example: When Brit was having trouble in her 20's, she once grabbed a wig off a mannequin at a Los Angeles Hustler store. Then, she ran away.
In the end, no charges were filed. Britney got away with it! Perhaps the store didn't mind the free PR. Or maybe, they were Britney fans like the rest of us!
Khloe Kardashian Had a DUI
Khloe Kardashian obviously loves to party. She drinks sometimes, and on at least one occasion, she drove. Arrested for DUI, many would assume that would be the end of her cruising privileges under the law. But no! Initially, she was assigned three years of probation, a liquor training class, and road cleanup community service. But she didn't follow the rules, which should have meant jail. Did she go to the big house?
Yes, but just for a month. She was released early because the facility kept getting bomb threats from crazy fans. The prison staff actually told her: "You're the one causing all the issues here...There are all together these bomb dangers, and we believe they're a direct result of you."
Amber Heard Allegedly Falsified Charges Against Johnny Depp
Allegations went wild during the messy divorce of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Fans were dismayed to hear the charge that Jack Sparrow himself had been beating his young wife. Was it all true? At first, many believed Amber's tears. But when a tape was released of some of their couples' arguments, the picture looked very different, indeed. On one tape, Amber admitted she hit her husband.
In bickering about what kind of assault she had perpetrated, Amber clearly stated: I'm sorry that I didn't hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you." Will she be brought up on charges soon, for filing a false police report?
Michelle Rodriguez Didn't Serve Her Sentence
Actress Michelle Rodriguez got a DUI, and didn't get into that much trouble. She served just 18 days out of 180 days sentence. But she thought she shouldn't have to be monitored afterward and wrote about the issue on her blog: She wrote: "I hire some lawyer from Hawaii, lose my 28 acres of land and my home in Jersey paying him off, just so I can get the same treatment I would have gotten from a public defender...I get a sentence to wear a bracelet for three months to detect liquor content in your sweat...I started to feel a bit like a pawn. For someone like me this level of control just isn't necessary."
The prison was overcrowded, so they let her out early. That seems lucky, to us. But do you think she was out of line for complaining about the continued terms?
Megan Fox Confessed to the Judge
Actress Megan Fox once confessed: "I don't know if the ban was for life, but when I was 14 or 15 I did get caught and convicted of stealing Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen cosmetics from a Wal-Mart...They actually took me into the court and I had two choices and I took the second choice, which was wrapping [gifts] for Christmas, which was awesome; it wasn't really a punishment. The other one was they were gonna make me wear a sign that said I stole from Wal-Mart and stand outside Wal-Mart for three days."
Seems she got off easy, but it was a long time ago. Nowadays, we are sure she doesn't need to resort to lipsticks. Brands probably send them to her for free!
Lori Loughlin Committed Fraud to Get Her Daughter Into a Cool School
A lot has happened since actress Lori Loughlin had her squeaky clean reputation on Full House. It seems she admits she paid a $500,000 bribe to get her daughter into a better university than she deserved. At the sentencing, Lori explained: “I made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process. In doing so, I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass. I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality, it only undermined and diminished my daughters’ abilities and accomplishments."
Sounds serious. She committed fraud, of sorts. But in practice, she was given a two-month jail sentence. Some wonder: Did she get off easy, because she is a celebrity?
Demi Lovato Admittedly Stole Pillows
Singer Demi Lovato has been through a lot in recent years. She had an overdose, suffered brain damage, and disappeared for a while. But now, she's trying to clean up her act. Not everyone will let her forget it, but she is trying. According to Demi: “I know my past will always be a part of me, but I don't want it to define me... I'm excited to live in the present and looking forward to the future.”
However, Demi confessed to having taken a pillow from every hotel room she's been in. She often admits her crime, and hasn't reformed!
Al Capone Famously Got Away With a Lot of Things
Al Capone was an American gangster, or an American businessman, depending on how you choose to look at it. ALong the way, he whacked a lot of rivals, nit it was hard to get him on any particular murder charge. No one wanted to snitch o Al, and the FBI was forced to nail him on tax evasion, in the end. But did he get away with crimes? You bet he did, and he took his secrets to the grave.
Was there any kind of justice for his killings, even street justice? It seems there was not., Al eventually died on a compassionate release from prison because he was suffering from health problems.
Actor Jackie Chan Was Just Trying to Survive
Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong, and he has a remarkable story from poverty to wealth. These days, he is worth around $350 million from movies like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon. But as a youngster, he had no idea that was going to happen. To survive, he would steal and resell everything he could. Amazingly, he never got caught and went to jail, and has lived to tell the tale.
How does Jackie live his life, these days? He's not shoplifting, that's for sure. According to the actor: "I do small things. I try to do good things every day."
Mila Kunis Took a Pet Chicken in Ukraine and Got Sued
Mila Kunis was hit by a lawsuit for stealing a chicken 25 years ago in Ukraine, where she was born. A childhood friend wanted $5,000 for emotional distress. Mila responded sarcastically: "I was devastated. I was weeping. I was dumbfounded...I was obviously in the village when I stole these chickens so I apologized to this woman." But truthfully, we don't really believe that Mila is remorseful about the bird theft.
It seems there is a dispute that this ever happened, and Mila is not really taking responsibility. Anyway, it was so long ago. We're surprised anyone had the nerve to cluck about it.
Rebecca Gayheart Was Involved in a Tragedy
Actress Rebecca Gayheart was involved in a tragedy she never expected in 2001. Famous for roles on teen TV, she had led a pretty charmed adult life up until that point. But on one fateful day, she swerved around a car and accidentally hit a 9-year old boy chasing a toy. She ended up pleading No Contest to a charge of Vehicular Manslaughter. The sentence was probation for 3 years. How many of us would get off so easy?
Truthfully, Rebecca felt terrible after the incident. We haven't seen much of her since, and this might be why. In the coming years, she would confess she felt suicidal. Sad, for all involved!
Kid Cudi Assaulted a Fan in Front of Thousands
During a concert in 2009 in Vancouver, rapper Kid Cudi got into a fight with a fan. someone threw a wallet on stage during a performance, and he tried to give it back to the rightful owner. But he tossed it to the wrong guy, and it was thrown back at him, hard. The performer's reaction was to jump into the crowd and start punching wildly. What's with the overreaction, Kid?
The result of the incident was an injury to a fan's face that could have resulted in an arrest. But since the victim was such a fan, he decided not to press charges.