Tim Allen, Paris Hilton and Robert Downey Jr all landed themselves in prison. Photo / Getty Images
Most stars appear so well put together that it is hard to imagine them ever landing themselves behind bars.
Martha Stewart shocked the world when she was handed a prison sentence in 2004 for lying to the feds and rapper Lil Kim’s one year and one day in prison for lying to a federal grand jury set a precedent that even the rich and famous can’t escape the legal system.
While we know celebrities can end up behind bars and have even seen some shocking imprisonments in recent years – including Hollywood director, Harvey Weinstein, American musician R Kelly and actress Lori Loughlin – here are seven celebrities you didn’t know went to prison:
Sir Paul McCartney
Coming in hot, we have Sir Paul McCartney. Sure, he was once one of the biggest stars in the world, but not even a Beatles name-drop could keep the star away from prison.
In his first trip to Japan since the Beatles tour in 1966, the singer landed in hot water with officials on January 16, 1980 when he was caught trying to smuggle half a pound (226 grams) of marijuana through customs.
Due to perform 11 shows across the country with his band Wings, the singer was arrested at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport upon arrival for possession of the drug.
Despite trying to explain to officials the drug was for his own personal use and wasn’t going to be distributed, the country has a reputation for its strict anti-drug laws and McCartney’s actions ultimately warranted a smuggling charge and the possibility of a seven-year prison sentence.
He escaped with a nine-day incarceration at the Tokyo Narcotics Detention Centre and was released on January 25, 1980, before being swiftly deported.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton has had her fair share of scandals. In her peak party girl era, she was arrested for possession of cocaine, her sex tape was released and was charged with driving under the influence – something she claimed was the result of one margarita on an empty stomach.
A lot of the time the heiress was released with a slap on the wrist – including her DUI which saw her land a three-year probation sentence but one fateful day in May 2007, she was sentenced to 45 days in prison for violating conditions of her probation agreement.
The socialite ultimately handed herself into the women’s prison in Lynwood, California on June 7, 2007 – only after appearing at the MTV Movie Awards days earlier.
19 days later, the star’s lawyer secured her a house arrest reassignment due to an undisclosed medical condition suspected to be panic attacks as a result of anxiety – and she was released.
Michelle Rodriguez
She’s known for being sassy Letty Ortiz in the Fast and Furious franchise who isn’t scared of a bit of speeding or dangerous driving and it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In 2004, the actress’ film life collided with her real life when she was arrested and charged with hit and run charges after driving under the influence and driving with a suspended licence.
After pleading no contest she spent 48 hours in jail. But that wasn’t her only run-in with the law.
In 2005 – while filming Lost – she violated her probation conditions after being caught driving under the influence and was sentenced to 60 days in prison. She was then given the option to complete community service or five days in prison with the actress choosing the latter.
Shortly after, in October 2007 she was caught again for violating her probation conditions and failure to complete community service obligations and was sentenced to 180 days in prison.
Despite intending to serve her entire sentence, the star was released after 18 days due to overcrowding.
Robert Downey Jr.
He’s an international film star with a net worth of US$300 million (NZ$476.5m) but despite being one of the most in-demand actors, his life could have taken a very different turn.
After acting sporadically throughout his childhood, the star appeared in multiple films released in the mid-90s but by 1996 he was having frequent run-ins with the law and was arrested many times for drug-related incidents.
In 1996 he was handed a three-year probation sentence after he was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded handgun in addition to trespassing. Despite his best efforts to stay on the straight and narrow, in 1997, he violated his probation and was sentenced to 180 days in prison.
The star served his sentence and was released. However, it didn’t mark the end of his law run-ins. In 1999 he violated probation again and was sentenced to a three-year prison term at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility but was released after only 12 months.
His last arrest was in April 2001 and ultimately saw the actor turn his life around as he reached out for professional help and embarked on his sobriety journey.
Jane Fonda
Unlike the other celebrities listed, actress Jane Fonda didn’t spend more than one night in prison, but she did face trumped-up charges of drug smuggling.
In 1970 the then-32-year-old activist was protesting anti-Vietnam War activism and had sparked interest from the White House itself, then occupied by President Richard Nixon.
The actress reportedly caught his eye for loudly spreading her beliefs and the Washington Post reports he had her arrested.
Fonda knew she had been surveilled by the FBI and the CIA for months with the national security agency even tapping her phone calls but it didn’t stop her from protesting and on November 3, 1970, she was arrested while boarding a flight by police who claimed the vitamins she had in her bag were drugs.
Her arrest created an iconic mugshot showing her raising her fist in defiance and she told the Los Angeles Times in 2018: “I sure got a lot of mileage out of that arrest.”
Mark Wahlberg
At 16 years old, the now-famous Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg was arrested and charged after he assaulted two Vietnamese men during an attempted robbery.
Wahlberg alleged the attack – which occurred in 1988 – happened while he was under the influence of drugs and saw him brutally attack and hurl racist insults at the men.
It came after the star was found guilty of violating the civil rights of three children of colour when he and his friends chased them and threw rocks at them as well as shouting racist insults at them.
Due to the first attack – which occurred in 1985 and prohibited him from assaulting, threatening or intimidating anyone because of race or nationality – Walhberg was found to be in contempt of court and after pleading guilty to felony assault and insisting the attacks were not race-related, he was sentenced to a two-year prison sentence.
After serving 45 days, the star was released and in 2014 he sought a pardon but dropped the case in 2016. He has since apologised to the Vietnamese men and said he has turned his life around asking people to give him a second chance.
Despite this, the star has continued to land in hot water with some fans who resurfaced his crimes when they called him out for posting a memorial to George Floyd in 2020.
Tim Allen
Long before he became the Santa Clause we all know and love, Tim Allen faced a lifetime behind bars.
The actor was arrested in 1978 aged 25 at Michigan International Airport with over a pound of cocaine in his luggage. After being found guilty of trafficking the illegal substance and landing what could have been a lifetime prison sentence, the star realised the seriousness of his crimes and a deal saw him serve two years and four months behind bars.
Allen – who is now 25 years sober – started drinking at aged 10 and fell into a bad group but after he was sentenced to prison he started looking at the bigger picture. He recently spoke out about his experience on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, saying he “shut up and did what I was told”.
Following his release he embarked on his acting career and has since become a household name starring in Home Improvement, Toy Story and more recently, The Santa Clauses.