Celebrities Who Are Stuck In Prison For Life
From an arrest that fueled the Me Too movement to a deadly scheme over a beach house, and even a conviction tied to song lyrics, these celebrities show that wealth and fame don't exempt anyone from facing the consequences of their actions.
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00:00From an arrest that fueled the hashtag MeToo movement, to a deadly scheme over a beach house,
00:06and even a conviction tied to song lyrics, these celebrities show that wealth and fame don't exempt anyone from facing the consequences of their actions.
00:15Harvey Weinstein, once a powerhouse in Hollywood, produced iconic films like Pulp Fiction, Scream, and Gangs of New York.
00:22However, in October 2017, his reputation crumbled when allegations of sexual misconduct emerged.
00:29In response, Weinstein admitted he had caused a lot of pain and expressed remorse, but the apology fell short.
00:35As the hashtag MeToo movement gained momentum, more women came forward with accusations,
00:40including prominent actresses like Salma Hayek, Rose McGowan, and Ashley Judd.
00:45Their testimonies highlighted a culture of abuse and power in the industry, with Weinstein at its center.
00:50This scandal not only dismantled his career, but also marked a turning point in Hollywood,
00:55sparking widespread conversations about abuse and accountability.
01:07Within months, Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Producers Guild of America and removed from the board of his own company.
01:14In 2019, he was charged in New York, and in 2020, convicted of third-degree rape, resulting in a 23-year sentence.
01:22In 2022, he faced additional convictions in California, adding 16 more years.
01:27Though his New York conviction was overturned in 2024, Weinstein, now 72, is expected to spend the rest of his life in custody due to the remaining California sentence.
01:39A tackle who joined the Houston Texans in 2003 played for several teams before retiring in 2006.
01:45His post-football life took a dark turn when he was arrested in Sacramento, California in 2011,
01:51amid allegations of involvement in a series of home invasion robberies.
01:55Prosecutors accused Wright of orchestrating these robberies,
01:58where victims were threatened with firearms to relinquish their money and belongings.
02:02In a particularly heinous act, he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a female victim during one of the invasions,
02:08forcing her to drive him around while he withdrew cash from two banks.
02:12The investigation turned against him when authorities found DNA evidence linking him to the crimes,
02:17which was already in their database from a previous arrest.
02:20In November 2012, Wright faced justice, being convicted on 19 charges in total.
02:26The court imposed a staggering sentence designed to ensure he would never be released, 114 years to life, along with an additional 120 years and eight months.
02:36NFL fans may remember Eric Naposki for his time as a linebacker with the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts during the late 1980s.
02:45After his football career, he worked as a security guard at a nightclub where he met Nanette Packard, a young mother of three.
02:51Their relationship became complicated as Packard was engaged to wealthy businessman William McLaughlin at the time.
02:57Previously convicted of fraud, Packard allegedly concocted a sinister plan to murder McLaughlin,
03:03collect insurance payouts and reside in his opulent beach house as outlined in his will.
03:08In December 1994, Naposki used a key provided by Packard to gain access to McLaughlin's beach house, where he fatally shot him in the kitchen.
03:16Despite the heinous crime, it remained a cold case for 15 years.
03:20In 2009, renewed investigations led to the arrests of both Naposki and Packard, culminating in life sentences for each with no possibility of parole for their roles in the brutal murder.
03:31Michael Jace, best known for his role as Officer Julian Lowe on The Shield, saw his career and finances collapse after the series ended.
03:39By 2014, Jace had declared bankruptcy and defaulted on his mortgage, while tensions at home escalated due to his wife April's plans for divorce.
03:48Suspecting her of infidelity, Jace committed an unimaginable act in April 2014, shooting his wife in the back as she returned home in front of their two young sons.
03:58After firing twice more, he called 911 and admitted to the crime.
04:02April died from her injuries and in 2016, Jace's fate was sealed by his son's heartbreaking testimony at trial.
04:10Who recounted hearing his father tell his mother, if you like running, run to heaven, before shooting her in the leg.
04:17In June 2016, Michael Jace was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison, likely ensuring the 62-year-old will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
04:29The own reality series, Welcome to Sweetie Pies, captured the hearts of audiences, airing for nine successful seasons from 2011 to 2018.
04:38The show centered around Robbie Montgomery, a former backup singer for Ike and Tina Turner, who transitioned into a successful soul food restaurant owner after her music career waned.
04:48However, the series took a tragic turn when Montgomery's grandson, Andre Montgomery Jr., was fatally shot in St. Louis, a loss that deeply impacted the family.
04:58In 2020, a shocking development emerged when Tim Norman, Montgomery's son and a prominent figure on the show, was arrested on charges of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in Andre's death.
05:09Investigators discovered that Norman had taken out a substantial life insurance policy on his grandson, which would yield nearly $500,000 upon his death.
05:18During the 2023 trial, compelling evidence, including cell phone records and testimonies from accomplices, led to Norman's conviction, resulting in a life sentence for his heinous crime.
05:30When Percy Master P. Miller achieved success with No Limit Records, he aimed to pull his brothers, Corey C. Murder Miller and Vaishon Silk the Shocker Miller, out of the violent streets of New Orleans.
05:42Despite their gold-selling achievements, Corey struggled to stay out of legal trouble.
05:46In 2001, he faced charges for firing a gun outside a nightclub, but his legal battles escalated in January 2002.
05:54During a fight at another New Orleans club, Corey shot 16-year-old Steve Thomas, who died from his injuries.
06:00Corey was sentenced to life after a 2003 trial, but that conviction was overturned due to withheld information about witnesses' criminal records.
06:09He was retried in 2009, once again receiving a life sentence.
06:14Despite public campaigns from figures like Kim Kardashian pushing for a review of his case, a federal judge upheld Corey's conviction in 2023, solidifying his life sentence in prison.
06:24Harrison Norris Jr. gained fame in the wrestling world as Hardbody Harrison, making his mark in various matches during the 1990s in WCW.
06:34Following his wrestling career, he achieved a different kind of notoriety by winning the FX competition series Tough Man in 2000.
06:42However, beneath his public persona, Norris was a predator, notorious among the women he exploited.
06:48In 2007, Norris was arrested under disturbing circumstances.
06:52He had lured women to live with him, his wife, and one of their children, presenting them as aspiring wrestlers hoping to secure lucrative contracts.
07:00Instead, he effectively imprisoned them, trapping them in a cycle of debt for failing to complete household chores or tasks to his satisfaction.
07:07To pay off their debts, Norris forced these women into prostitution, using threats of violence to maintain control.
07:13His actions, including transporting victims across state lines, led to his prosecution under federal anti-human trafficking laws enacted seven years prior.
07:22In November 2007, Norris was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, marking the end of his criminal exploitation.
07:30From 2011 to 2016, Discovery Channel's Sons of Guns captured the attention of firearm enthusiasts, featuring Will Hayden, the proprietor of Red Jacket Firearms.
07:41However, the show abruptly ended in 2014, when Hayden was arrested on serious charges.
07:47He faced allegations of sexually assaulting two young girls over a span of nearly two decades.
07:53In 2017, Hayden was convicted and sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years, with the judge ruling out any possibility of parole.
08:01Just two months later, he entered a no-contest plea to additional charges in another jurisdiction, which included one victim from the earlier case and another involving his own daughter.
08:11The latter accused Hayden of attempting to assault her in her bedroom around 20 years earlier.
08:16As a result, he received another life sentence.
08:19In 2019, Hayden's appeal regarding his initial conviction was rejected, solidifying his status as a convicted sex offender serving multiple life sentences.
08:29Ronald R. Diggs
08:31Heron's rise in the rap industry seemingly served as a cover for his leadership role in the murderous Mad Dawgs blood gang, known for trafficking hard drugs across various Brooklyn neighborhoods.
08:41In 2015, Heron was found guilty of three murders linked to the drug trade.
08:46The trial attracted controversy, particularly because his own rap lyrics were presented as evidence, detailing his criminal activities in graphic detail.
08:54During sentencing, Heron claimed that the judge and prosecutors fabricated their case against him, while the judge countered that Heron's evident intelligence warranted a severe punishment.
09:04Heron later appealed his conviction, arguing that using his lyrics as evidence infringed on his First Amendment rights.
09:10However, the appeals court dismissed his claims, stating that any First Amendment protections were outweighed by the incriminating nature of the lyrics themselves.
09:19Ultimately, Heron's attempts to overturn his sentence were unsuccessful, solidifying his conviction for his violent crimes and gang affiliation.
09:27Danny Masterson
09:28Danny Masterson gained fame for his role as Stephen Hyde on the hit sitcom That 70s Show, which ran from 1998 to 2006.
09:37However, during the height of his career, between 2001 and 2003, he committed the crimes that would later seal his fate, drugging and sexually assaulting two women at his home.
09:47In 2017, multiple women came forward, sparking an investigation that led to Masterson being fired from Netflix's The Ranch.
09:55Though some allegations were dropped, two cases resulted in his conviction.
09:59After an eight-month trial, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape in May 2023, ensuring a lengthy prison sentence.
10:07What this has done to their lives and how this has disrupted them and stolen their joy were very emotional.
10:14In late December 2023, Danny Masterson began serving a 30-years-to-life sentence at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, just three months after his conviction.
10:26Canadian actor Ryan Grantham had a promising career, appearing in films like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and TV shows such as Supernatural and Riverdale.
10:35However, in March 2020, his career and life took a devastating turn.
10:40Struggling with severe mental health issues, Grantham fatally shot his mother while she played piano in their Vancouver home.
10:46Days later, he packed his car with weapons and Molotov cocktails, planning to assassinate Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
10:53However, before carrying out the plot, Grantham's conscience intervened, and he turned himself in to authorities, marking a tragic end to both his career and freedom.
11:01Grantham ultimately decided to drive to a Vancouver police station, where he allegedly confessed to an officer, quote,
11:10Two years later, Grantham received a life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 14 years.
11:16In his final court appearance, he spoke, expressing remorse for his actions, stating,
11:20I cannot explain or justify my actions. I have no excuse. It hurts me to think about how badly I've wasted my life.
11:28If you or anyone you know may be the victim of sexual assault, please contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE, 1-800-656-4673.
11:46For more stories, visit nyseagrant.org