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20 Famous People and Celebrities Who Have Been To Prison

Fame and fortune do not always shield celebrities from the repercussions of their actions. Even though many well-known people have the appearance of being untouchable, it only takes one wrong move for a career or reputation that appears to be stable to completely fall apart due to criminal charges. The reason for going to prison are as varied.  The once-glamorous and celebrated now live a life of confinement behind the fortified walls of prison, paying their debt to society like any other inmate. Here is a round-up of 20 famous people who have served time in prison because it appears that the path to fame and fortune frequently leads surprisingly close to the prison cell.

Divas in Detention

Martha Stewart – U.S.A

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Martha Helen Stewart is a writer, television personality, and owner of a retail business in the United States. The celebrity housewife business entrepreneur/businesswoman was trapped in insider exchanging wrongdoing. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s founder was the subject of an SEC investigation, which resulted in her being sentenced to five months in prison and two years on probation as an accomplice for her involvement in the white collar crime between 2001 and 2002. In 2004, Martha Steward famously spent five months behind bars at Federal Women’s Penitentiary Alderson, West Virginia. After being released from prison she made a successful comeback to her business career.

麻豆APP Hilton – U.S.A

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Famous Hilton Hotel heiress 麻豆APP Hilton reached a peak in popularity in the early 2000s when she moved beyond her partying persona for violating probation related to previous DUI charges. She paid for it with a 45 days sentence at Lynnwood Correctional Facility. However, due to illness, she was released after just three days and had to serve the remainder of her sentence under house arrest. . The case also sparked debate about celebrity privilege and the judicial system. Hilton has been involved in various philanthropic and business ventures since her release.

Interesting Read: Wierd Laws of Pennsylvania.

Nicole Richie – U.S.A

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Nicole Camille Richie (Lionel Richie鈥檚 adopted daughter) is an American television personality, fashion designer and socialite. She came to prominence after appearing in the reality television series The Simple Life (2003鈥�2007), in which she starred alongside her childhood friend and fellow socialite 麻豆APP Hilton. Richie’s personal life attracted media attention during the series’ five-year run and thereafter. For driving, under the influence, she was sentenced to 4 days in jail in 2017. She got three years of probation plus taking a drug and alcohol program. Interestingly, she was released from jail after serving 82 minutes of the four-day sentence.

15 Famous People who were Adopted.

Sports Personalities

Mark Rogowski 鈥� U.S.A

He played hard and partied even harder leading to his downfall. Mark Anthony “Gator” Rogowski was among the first wave of professional skateboarders who brought mainstream attention to the sport. By age 14, he was winning competitions around the state and endorsements from the board maker Gator came calling. He quickly rose to fame with his impressive skating skills and was known for his innovative tricks and aggressive style. He was a key figure in the development of street skating, which is now a major part of modern skateboarding culture. Despite his success, Rogowski struggled with personal demons and had a history of alcohol abuse. In 1991, he was charged with the rape and murder of a young woman and kept her body in a surfboard bag then buried her in the California desert. He was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison.

OJ Simpson -U.S.A

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Orenthal James Simpson was an American former football running back, actor and broadcaster. He played in the National Football League for 11 seasons for the Buffalo Bills and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. After being acquitted of the murder charges in 1995 he was later tried for twelve counts related to robbery and kidnapping at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas Nevada on September 16 2008. \After serving nearly eight years behind bars Simpson was released on parole on October 1 2017. OJ is probably the most well-known criminal case in American history 鈥� from his football career to speculation about his wife鈥檚 murder, to the highly publicized trial that caused a national stir.

Eric Cantona – France

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Cantona started out as a goalkeeper from his father鈥檚 encouragement but his immense talent saw his coaches deploy him as a striker. He was a gifted footballer but at the club level, he had many temper-induced incidents against teammates during practice sessions. He joined Manchester United and was assigned the No. 7 shirt, he went on to appear 184 times and scored 82 goals from 1992 to 1997. The iconic Red Devils great forward was sentenced to two weeks in jail for one of a moment of temper in the English Premier League鈥檚 history. After being sent off in a match against Crystal Palace, Cantona reacted to verbal abuse from a rival fan Matthew Simmons by Kung-fu kicking him. In an interview on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross he said that he enjoyed kicking the hooligan. Cantona was famously arrested and convicted of assault and was sentenced to two weeks in jail. However, Cantona spent a mere three hours in prison after being released on bail.

Mike Tyson 鈥� U.S.A

Mike Tyson was a superstar, the youngest heavyweight champion and at one time the richest athlete surpassing Michael Jordan in 1990. He was at the height of his career until in 1992 when an 18-year-old beauty queen Desiree Washington accused him of rape. Tyson maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual, but he was found guilty by a jury. He was convicted and sentenced to 6 years in Jail, but he got out after three years due to good behaviour credits earned in prison over time. In his interviews after release Tyson said the 3 years of incarceration were his best time as it gave him time to reflect and be grounded.  Though prison in prison, he would rigorously train in his room and left as a next-level beast ready to pick up from where he left off.

Related Read: Boxing vs MMA Which One is Better and More Effective?

Naseem Hamed – UK

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Prince Naseem Hamed was an explosive entertainer, who was loved and hated in equal measure. Half of the fans revel in him serving lights-out knock-outs while the others wanted to witness the braggadocio knocked off his perch. His ring entrance routine alone was a performance worth paying for and it included dancing, acrobatics and pyrotechnics. In his prime, Hamed was a superstar. Hamed was convicted in May 2007 after the McLaren Mercedes sports car he was driving at 90mph smashed into another vehicle, leaving the driver with broken bones in the whole body and injuries to his brain.

During his trial, the court was told that the former WBA world featherweight champion was showing off his powerful sports car to a businessman and fellow motoring enthusiast. According to Witnesses Hamed fled the scene as Mr. Burgin and his wife Claire lay trapped in the wreckage of their car. He was arrested near his home as he tried to leave in another high-powered sports car. Naseem was sentenced to a 15-month prison sentence for dangerous driving and was consequently stripped of his MBE. He was released after six weeks and served the rest of the time under house arrest.

Famous Criminal Mastermind 

Joseph Morgan 鈥� U.S.A

The Mexican Mafia’s first non-Hispanic member was Joseph Morgan. His prosthetic leg earned him the name “Pegleg” from the authorities. Morgan spent his life as a youngster in Croatian-Mexican-dominated San Pedro. Morgan joined the Mexican mafia and advanced to leadership positions. In 1946, Morgan killed a man in a love triangle saga and buried him in a shallow grave. Using the identification of another prisoner who was awaiting transfer to a forestry camp, he escaped while awaiting trial. In 1955, Morgan was given parole, but a year later, he was sent back to prison for armed bank robbery in Covina, where he stole $17,000. In his 1961 escape from the Los Angeles County Jail, Morgan led 11 inmates down a manhole with a hacksaw blade hidden in his prosthetic leg.

Related Read: 15 Best Mafia Series to Watch on Netflix.

Presidents who have Been to Prison

Luiz In谩cio 鈥淟ula鈥� da Silva – Brazil

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Ex-President “Lula” da Silva, a popular leftist who rose from shoeshine boy before becoming president, was imprisoned in 2018. Lula worked as a shoe shiner and a metalworker before becoming a union leader in the 1970s. He spent his childhood in Caetes, a small town in the state of Pernambuco, where he lived in poverty. During Lula’s presidency, Brazil also saw significant economic expansion and joined the BRICS group of major emerging economies. However, corruption scandals involving his government and the PT have marred Lula’s legacy. He was imprisoned in 2018 on suspicion of corruption and money laundering, but his sentence was overturned in 2019 and he was freed. However, many Brazilians felt was a politicized effort to end his career.

Charles Taylor – Liberia

Charles Taylor was the President of Liberia for six years. This conviction was the first for the international court since the Nuremberg trials. Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting a rebel movement that murdered, raped, used children as soldiers and mined diamonds to pay for guns. In April 2012, the Special Court for Sierra Leone him culpable for Revolutionary United Front (RUF)/Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) war crimes during Sierra Leone鈥檚 1991-2002 civil war. He was sentenced to 50 years in the Hague Prison. However, some year back in 1985, he was from prison in Massachusetts in the United States, where he had been imprisoned for embezzlement.

20 Famous People who are Still in Prison.

Nawaz Sharif – Pakistan

In 2018, the Pakistani Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz from holding public office, he was also sentenced by the same court to 10 years in prison and a $25 million dollar fine on charges related to the purchase of upscale apartments in London, after the Supreme Court removed him from power.
His Daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif received seven years for abetting a crime and one year for not cooperating while son-in-law Safdar Awan was given a one-year sentence for not cooperating. Nawaz was once released on appeal before being sentenced to seven years in a separate corruption case.
He was bailed to seek medical treatment after three months and absconded to the UK. Sharif was once a favourite of Pakistan鈥檚 powerful generals but fell out with them.

Jacob Zuma,

After initially refusing to comply with a court order Jacob Zuma agreed to hand himself to the police without any resistance after a nine-hour negotiation. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in 2021 after ignoring a court order to testify at a government inquiry into widespread corruption during his near-decade tenure as president. His imprisonment sparked widespread demonstrations, especially in Kwa Zula Natal which turned violent in some places. In September 2021, Zuma was released on medical parole after serving a fraction of the sentence. But the high court set aside the parole decision and ordered him to return to jail because constitutionally he had not finished serving his sentence.

More on South Africa: A Brief History of South  Africa.

Performance Artists who’ve had a Stint in Jail

Lil Wayne 鈥� U.S.A

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Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He was signed by rapper Birdman and joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label at age 12.  The rapper took on the moniker Weezy and assumed hard-core rap mogul planetary status. He pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a weapon in connection got into trouble for possessing a gun in his tour bus in Manhattan in 2007. Lil Wayne was sent to Rikers Island jail for one year. While in prison he released his eighth album I Am Not a Human Being (2010). The 2011 album Tha Carter IV was released following his release and sold 964,000 copies in its first week in the United States.

Robert Downey Jr. – U.S.A

Robert Downey Jr. is an accomplished actor and producer. In 1996, he was arrested for cocaine possession and subsequently sent to prison for 8 months. During this time, he had two successful stints at rehab but suffered a relapse upon returning to Hollywood which resulted in another court case and additional jail time. His struggles with substance abuse cost him greatly; losing work opportunities, relationships, respect from colleagues etc. While on parole, Downey was found wandering barefoot around Culver City and was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence. Downey鈥檚 star power rose again in 2008 when he starred in 2 blockbusters Iron Man and Tropic Thunder.

Related Read: 10 Most Famous Female Gangsters of All-Time.

Tom Sizemore 鈥� U.S.A

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Sizemore was incarcerated from August 2007 to January 2009 after failing numerous drug tests while on probation. His participation in the reality television series Celebrity Rehab and its spinoff, Sober House, documented his recovery journey. The entertainer is generally known for his job as Sgt. Mike Horvath in the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan, won Steven Spielberg five Academy Awards and the award for best director. The career of the American actor was long and turbulent. For breaking his drug-related probation he was given a 16-month prison sentence. He worked hard to improve his life and sought substance abuse treatment during this time. Upon release, he appeared in films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Black Hawk Down (2001).

Famous freedom Fighters/ Politcal Prisoners

Nelson Mandela 鈥� South Africa

In 1961, Mandela was arrested for treason, tried and acquitted, he was then arrested again in 1962 for illegally leaving the country and sentenced to five years at Robben Island Prison. His persecution continued to the third trial in 1964 on charges of sabotage where in June 1964, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison together with several other ANC Party leaders. They were sent to a maximum security prison on Robben Island in 1964 where Mandela spent 18 of 27 years of imprisonment there, held with the other political prisoners who were kept in a separate section. The most famous political prisoner in the world was released in 1990 at 71 years old, but took on the huge task of the first black president and worked to unite the 鈥楻ainbow Nation.鈥�

Also Read: Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Freedom Park Pretoria.

Ang Su Kyi   – Myanmar          

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 Ms Suu Kyi is the daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, General Aung San. She spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010. Her personal struggle to bring democracy to then-military-ruled Myanmar made her an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression. After the second democratic elections in 2020, in which her NLD once again won a landslide majority the powerful military labelled the results as the product of fraud. Soon after the military arrested Ms Suu Kyi along with many other political leaders charged with illegally importing communications equipment without authority. In Dec 2022 the military-controlled court found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of charges levelled against her, ranging from corruption to illegally possessing walkie-talkies and flouting COVID-19 restrictions, sentencing her to seven years in prison.  Adding to an earlier sentence of 26 years imprisonment the total jail term becomes 33 years.

Brittney Griner

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Judy, Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport, allegedly for possession of vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia. Griner was en route to play for a Russian team during the WNBA’s off-season- a common practice among professional WNBA players. She is one of the most recognizable basketball players in the world and her detention had political connotations, especially with Russia鈥檚 aggression on Ukraine. Celebrities like LeBron James, Lisa Rinna and Amy Schumer voiced their support for the WNBA legend, who facing a significant jail term in Russia. Brittney Griner was released after almost 10 months of detention in Russia in a prisoner swap with the notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Mahatma Gandhi

 Mahatma Gandhi Was Arrested in South Africa on November 6, 1913, by the South African authorities for leading a workers’ march. Mohandas Gandhi was detained in Bombay, India, on March 10, 1922, by British officials on suspicion of sedition. He received a six-year prison term for participating in protests against the British colonial government in India. Gandhi, nicknamed 鈥淢ahatma,鈥� meaning 鈥済reat soul,鈥� served two years before being released for medical reasons. He went on to employ nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from Britain and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Many famous people due to omission or commission have found themselves in legal trouble. Their incidents have led to publicized trials and even time behind bars. In this list. This article has given you a look at 20 celebrities who have experienced the harsh reality of prison life. While some have succeeded in rebuilding their lives, others are still struggling. Explore their stories and take home lessons that can be learned from their mistakes.