These celebs spent time in the slammer, but that wasn't the end of their story. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be checking in on the most notable celebrities who served prison time, and seeing what they’re up to now.
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00:00 One good thing about me, Dave, is that I don't have a long memory for bad things.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be checking in on the most notable celebrities
00:11 who served prison time and seeing what they're up to now.
00:15 In 1999, Downey served a year in a California state prison.
00:20 Number 10, Felicity Huffman.
00:23 Widely known for her role in ABC's Desperate Housewives, Felicity Huffman found herself
00:27 in hot water when she was implicated in the 2019 college admissions scandal.
00:33 In court, Huffman told the judge, her voice shaking, "I'm deeply sorry.
00:37 I've inflicted more damage than I could ever imagine."
00:39 She said her daughter told her, "I don't know who you are anymore."
00:43 Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud after
00:48 it was revealed that she had paid someone to manipulate her daughter's SAT scores.
00:53 In a statement released after sentencing, Huffman said, "I accept the court's decision
00:57 today without reservations.
00:59 There are no excuses or justifications for my actions, period."
01:03 She was sentenced to 14 days in jail and released two days ahead of schedule.
01:07 Also implicated was Full House actress Lori Loughlin, who received a two-month prison
01:12 sentence.
01:13 Since her release, Huffman has largely retreated from the public eye, only appearing in an
01:18 episode of The Good Doctor.
01:20 She is set to reprise the role in the spin-off series The Good Lawyer.
01:23 We found out this had happened twice before.
01:27 9.
01:28 Wesley Snipes They say nothing in life is certain except
01:31 death and taxes.
01:33 Hollywood star Wesley Snipes would come to learn this in 2008 when he was sentenced to
01:37 three years in federal prison for willfully failing to file his tax returns.
01:43 Wesley Snipes has been ordered to spend at least, or spend three years in prison, that
01:48 is 36 months for his failure to pay taxes for several years.
01:52 Prior to this scandal, Snipes had gained popularity for his collaborations with director Spike
01:57 Lee and his iconic role as Blade.
02:04 The actor was released from prison in April 2013 and returned to the big screen in the
02:09 ensemble action flick The Expendables 3.
02:17 His comeback was solidified in 2019, earning critical acclaim as Durville Martin in Dolomite
02:23 Is My Name alongside Eddie Murphy.
02:26 Two years later, Snipes reunited with Murphy for the long-anticipated sequel, Coming to
02:31 America.
02:32 8.
02:33 Mark Wahlberg Today, he's a celebrated Oscar-nominated actor,
02:42 but Mark Wahlberg had a troubled reputation during his teenage years.
02:46 Marked by racially motivated attacks, one notable incident occurred in April 1988 when
02:57 he physically assaulted two Vietnamese-American men in one day and hurled racial slurs at
03:02 them.
03:03 Wahlberg was arrested and later pleaded guilty to felony assault, serving 45 days of a three-month
03:08 jail sentence.
03:11 However, he managed to turn his life around, steadily raising his profile in Hollywood
03:19 and earning acclaim for his performances in films like The Departed and The Fighter.
03:28 He has also appeared in blockbusters such as the Transformers franchise and the 2022
03:33 video game adaptation Uncharted.
03:37 7.
03:40 Lauryn Hill Lauded as one of the greatest rappers ever,
03:46 Lauryn Hill found global fame with hip-hop trio The Fugees and later as a solo artist.
03:55 Her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, received widespread acclaim and
04:01 the distinction of being the first hip-hop album to win the Album of the Year Grammy.
04:12 Yet Hill struggled with the pressures of fame, leading to a self-imposed exile.
04:16 In 2012, she was charged with tax fraud for failing to pay about $1 million in taxes and
04:22 sentenced to three months in prison.
04:31 Since then, Hill has contributed to projects like 2015's What Happened, Miss Simone and
04:36 the Queen and Slim movie soundtrack.
04:38 In 2023, she embarked on the 25th anniversary tour of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
04:47 6.
04:49 Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Lohan rose to prominence as a child
04:53 star for her double role in 1998's The Parent Trap.
04:58 However, her transition from teen idol to Hollywood leading lady was marked by significant
05:09 legal troubles, mostly stemming from substance use disorder.
05:13 Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 for driving under the influence and sentenced to one day
05:19 in jail.
05:20 Two years later, while attending the Cannes Film Festival, she missed a court-mandated
05:24 hearing resulting in a 90-day sentence.
05:27 "The defendant is ordered to spend 30 days in jail on a reckless driving case, 30 days
05:39 in jail on the first DUI case consecutive, and 30 days in jail on the second DUI case
05:47 consecutive.
05:48 She is 90 days in jail."
05:49 Due to overcrowding, she only spent 14 days behind bars.
05:53 These setbacks had a significant impact on her career.
05:56 Nevertheless, Lohan made a comeback with the 2022 Netflix rom-com Falling for Christmas
06:02 after signing a multi-picture deal with the streamer.
06:06 5.
06:08 Tim Allen Back in 1978, Tim Allen was an up-and-coming
06:17 stand-up comedian working in Detroit, Michigan.
06:20 In October that year, he was arrested at the Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport
06:25 and served over two years in prison for drug trafficking.
06:29 Allen could have faced a possible life sentence if he didn't cut a deal with the prosecutors
06:33 to rat out other drug dealers.
06:42 Following his release, Allen continued with his comedy career and, a decade later, landed
06:47 the role of Tim Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement.
07:01 He gained additional recognition for voicing Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise
07:05 and for his turn as store chain executive Mike Baxter in Last Man Standing.
07:15 Allen has remained sober for more than two decades.
07:18 4.
07:19 Martha Stewart This domestic diva and gardening guru built
07:23 a media empire for herself with her lifestyle and homemaking tips.
07:34 That empire came close to crumbling in 2004 when she was convicted of misleading investigators
07:39 regarding a 2001 stock trade.
07:42 This led to a five-month sentence at the federal prison camp in Alderson, West Virginia.
07:57 But any speculation that Stewart's empire would crumble after her release fell flat
08:02 on its face.
08:03 Instead, the resilient entrepreneur made a triumphant comeback, launching more successful
08:08 businesses and TV shows.
08:17 In 2023, she made history as the oldest model ever featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated's
08:23 swimsuit issue.
08:32 Her current net worth, as reported by some publications, sits at around $400 million.
08:38 3.
08:39 Robert Downey Jr.
08:41 Anyone familiar with the life of Robert Downey Jr. knows that he defied great odds to still
08:46 have a successful career in Hollywood today.
08:57 Downey Jr. is opening up about his time in prison in the late '90s, saying it was the
09:14 worst thing that happened to him.
09:26 Fortunately, Downey turned his life around.
09:29 In 2008, he became Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role he played until
09:34 2019.
09:46 He also won critical acclaim in 2023 for portraying Louis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's
09:52 Oppenheimer.
09:53 2.
09:54 O.J.
09:55 Simpson The 1995 murder trial of O.J.
10:05 Simpson is well-known globally.
10:07 The former football star and actor was charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown
10:11 Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
10:20 Simpson was famously acquitted of the crimes, although many believe he committed them.
10:24 In 2007, Simpson faced a new legal challenge, this time for armed robbery.
10:30 He was convicted of 12 criminal charges and sentenced to 33 years in prison, ultimately
10:44 securing parole after nearly nine years.
10:47 Since his release, Simpson has led a relatively quiet life in Las Vegas, occasionally sharing
10:53 his views on sports, politics, and even notable murder trials on social media.
11:06 He was taken off parole in 2021 and is now a free man.
11:27 1.
11:29 Bill Cosby Once celebrated as America's dad, Bill Cosby
11:33 fell drastically from grace after dozens of women accused him of sexual assault, with
11:38 some cases dating back to the 1960s.
11:45 In 2015, Cosby was indicted on charges of aggravated
12:01 and decent assault for an incident that occurred in 2004.
12:05 After two criminal trials, he was found guilty and sentenced to three to ten years in prison.
12:20 However, in 2021, his conviction was overturned on a legal technicality and Cosby was set
12:27 free.
12:33 Despite this, he has faced civil lawsuits from his accusers, one resulting in a $500,000
12:39 payout.
12:40 Cosby is now reportedly working on a docuseries about his life, a memoir, and a comeback comedy
12:46 tour, although the latter has been put on hold.
12:49 What other celebrities with troubled pasts did we miss?
13:00 Here's what's next!
13:00 [music]