The Campus Socialite presents the second rendition of worst celebrity meltdowns in Hollywood. See the list of these stars-gone-awry after the jump!
Lindsay Lohan
Drunk driver, drug addict, and thief are just a few words that come to mind when thinking about Lindsay Lohan. The former child actress spiraled out of control once she fell in with the Hollywood party crowd and started letting loose. Her late-nights out drinking with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears led her to rehab not once or twice, but four times, at just 24-years-old.
Lohan’s party girl behavior started to get in the way of her career in 2006, when she was working on the movie “Georgia Rule.” She was hospitalized for “dehydration and overheating,” better known as a publicist’s coverup for an overdose or too many late-nights. Fed up with her reckless behavior, studio exec James G. Robinson wrote a letter to Lohan calling her “irresponsible and unprofessional” and blamed her exhaustion on her partying and drinking.
In 2007, Lohan entered rehab for the first time completing a 30-day stay and pulling out of movies to concentrate on getting her life together. Just three months after her exit from rehab, Lohan was arrested for drunk driving after crashing her car in Beverly Hills. Police also found a “usable amount of cocaine” in her car, resulting in Lindsay being charged with a DUI.
Immediately after the incident, Lohan entered a 45-day rehab program. But just three weeks after her release from rehab, Lohan was charged with a second DUI, driving with a suspended license, and possession of cocaine.
She again entered rehab for her third time, this time in Utah for a two-month stay. Following her back-to-back arrests and obvious addiction problems, studios and filmmakers made it common knowledge that Lohan would have a difficult time being insured for a film and finding work again. In November 2007, Lohan pled guilty to her crimes and received three years probation, mandatory alcohol education classes, community service, and one day in jail (she ending up serving only 84 minutes).
But Lindsay’s troubles do not end there; in May 2010 she missed a court-ordered appearance for her DUI arrest. She said her passport had been stolen and she had no way of getting home from France, where she was visiting at the time. Upon her arrival back to the states, Lohan met with a judge who ordered her to stop drinking and using drugs and attend weekly alcohol education classes. She would also be monitored with a SCRAM bracelet and have to undergo random, frequent drug tests while out on bail.
At her next hearing, the judge ultimately decided Lohan was in violation of her probation by missing her hearing. He sentenced her to 90 days in jail and a three month stay in an in-patient rehab program immediately following her jail time. Lohan never had to complete her full sentence, and only spent 14 days in jail and 23 days in a rehab program.
Even so, Lohan couldn’t keep it together long enough to be in the clear after failing one of her random drug tests in September. The judge then sent her to another rehab program (her fourth stint), where she completed a three-month stay and was released in early January. After her fourth stay in rehab, I thought that would be the end of hearing about LiLo for a little while, but she outdid herself again. On February 9, Lohan was charged with felony grand theft for stealing a $2,500 necklace. She pled not guilty, and her next hearing is scheduled for March 10. The judge has stated that regardless of whether Lohan goes to trial or accepts a plea deal, he will send her to jail.
Winona Ryder
In 2001, actress Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting over $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Los Angeles District Attorney Stephen Cooley filed four felonies against Ryder and did not let her take a plea bargain in the case. Ryder went to trial, where she was accused of using prescription drugs that weren’t hers, and was ultimately charged with shoplifting, vandalism, and grand theft.
She was sentenced to three years probation, 480 hours of community service, and had to pay $6,335 to Saks Fifth Avenue, and $3,700 in fines. Following her shoplifting scandal, Ryder took a break from acting and Hollywood for four years. She was most recently seen in the critically acclaimed and Oscar winning film, “Black Swan.”
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson, may never regain his reputation as a well-respected actor and director after having a complete and total mental breakdown. His anti-Semitic, homophobic, abusive rants and comments are now public knowledge and changed his reputation with actors, fans, and the film industry.
His problems began early in his career; in 1991 he was accused of making homophobic remarks during an interview and afterwards refused to apologize. But Gibson’s major struggle has been with alcohol. In 1984, he was banned from driving in Ontario for three months after he crashed into a car while he was under the influence. Afterwards, Gibson took a break from acting and focused on his sobriety, but continued to struggle with his demons.
He was arrested again in 2006 for drunk driving and having an open container of alcohol in the car with him. This incident also shed light on Gibson’s anti-Semitic views when the police report was leaked to the press. “Fucking Jews…the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” he said. Following the incident, Gibson checked into rehab and apologized to the public.
Gibson’s most recent problems stem from his abusive and racist rants against his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, Oksana Grigorieva. The couple split in April 2010, and just two months later Oksana filed a restraining order against Gibson. Ordered to stay away from his ex and their child, Lucia, Gibson didn’t take the news well. He backfired by filing his own restraining order and harassing her in voicemails and phone calls. The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department is currently investigating the domestic violence allegations.
Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson, best known for his roles in comedy favorites “Zoolander” and Wedding Crashers,” had a severe breakdown in 2007 when he tried to kill himself. The actor was taken to a Santa Monica hospital after emergency services arrived, responding to a call for a suicide attempt. Wilson’s attempted suicide surprised his fans and colleagues alike; he always seemed to be having fun, relaxing at the beach when he wasn’t filming, and dating a handful of beautiful women.
Wilson’s lawyer confirmed afterward he had suffered from depression, and Wilson’s only response to the scandal was to ask for privacy during the difficult time. His medical problems caused him to drop out of the film “Tropic Thunder,” and Wilson has laid low, avoiding the press and appearances, ever since the incident.
Charlie Sheen
And last, but certainly not least, we have Charlie Sheen. Sheen is currently in the midst of a complete and total meltdown after show producers and CBS execs canceled his show. “Two and a Half Men.” The show was canceled due to Sheen’s erratic and irresponsible behavior.
But his recent actions are far from the first time Sheen has been scrutinized for his drug use and wild behavior. In 1990, Sheen accidentally shot then-fiancée Kelly Preston in the arm causing her to end their engagement (wonder why?). During the next five years, Sheen dated porn stars and visited hookers on a regular basis. Heidi Fleiss even noted in her trial that he was a regular to her many brothels.
In 1998, Sheen injected himself with cocaine and had to be hospitalized for accidentally overdosing. He was later released. But soon after, his father, Martin Sheen, reported Charlie for violating his parole, and he was sent to rehab. Four years later, Sheen married Denise Richards and they had two daughters together, Sam and Lola. Only three years into their marriage, Richards filed for divorce stating that Sheen abused alcohol and drugs and threatened her with violence.
In 2008, Sheen married again, this time to real-estate investor Brooke Mueller. Mueller then went on to give birth to their twin sons, Bob and Max. But the happy couple took a turn for the worse on Christmas morning, 2009. Police were called to their home and Sheen was arrested for domestic violence, second-degree assault, and menacing. After he was charged and sentenced to 30 days of rehab, 30 days probation, and anger management classes, Sheen announced he would be entering rehab, thus stalling production on “Two and a Half Men.”
Sheen eventually made it back to the show, and signed a deal to make $1.8 million an episode. But once again, it wasn’t long before Charlie Sheen found himself in trouble. In October 2010, he was removed from his suite at the Plaza hotel for causing $7,000 worth of damage and admitting to using cocaine. Just six days later, he filed for divorce from Mueller.
Sheen’s latest scandal has caused him to lose his $1.8 million paycheck, and he has let us all know that he’s not happy. The show was put on hiatus after Sheen had to be hospitalized in January for “severe abdominal pains,” following a weekend of a reported drug binge, complete with hookers and a suitcase full of cocaine. But when Sheen refused to take his at-home rehab seriously, studio execs didn’t think they could count on him to carry the show anymore.
Sheen didn’t take the news well and has fought back by working the press with tales of his sobriety and “tiger blood.” Sheen says he will sue everyone he can in the case, because he wants more money and all he does is win. Yesterday Sheen started a twitter account, where his bio reads “Unemployed Winner,” along with posted pictures of him with porn stars “winning.” The attention surrounding the troubled actor has only fueled the “Charlie Sheen is winning” fire, and while some would say the media is encouraging his inevitable demise. Ultimately, Sheen, who has five children, needs to stop trying to “win,” and needs to keep away from the drugs and get some help.
