50 Celebrities Who Went To Jail For Minor and Severe Crimes

Wesley Snipes filed fictitious claims for tax refunds between 1996 and 1997. From 1999 through 2004, he also failed to submit a tax return. He tried to battle the charges, citing that he was a "non-resident alien." In 2008, Snipes was sentenced to jail for three years by the United States government. 

Felicity Huffman, an actress, was detained for her involvement in an admissions conspiracy in which parents paid millions of dollars in fees to get their children into the top schools. She only served 250 community service hours, paid a $35,000 fine, and spent two weeks in jail. Her husband, William H. Macy, avoided charges for undisclosed reasons.

Son of Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, spent 48 days in jail in 2007 after entering a no-contest plea to DUI charges and breaking the conditions of his probation. He was required to complete an 18-month-long alcohol education course and attend weekly counseling sessions after his release.

Lori Loughlin and her husband were accused of fraud and bribery in March 2019. While she declined to own up to the accusations at first, she would ultimately admit to the charges of conspiracy to conduct wire fraud and mail fraud on May 22, 2020, and would subsequently get a two-month jail term.

Jamie Waylett was a troublemaker not only in Harry Potter but also in real life. Waylett, known as Crabbe in the movies, was arrested in 2009 for growing some illegal substances in the home belonging to his family. While he was saved from jail this time, he was again arrested for participating in the 2011 England riots and had to spend two years in prison.

In 1994, O.J. Simpson, a famous football player, was accused of committing homicide against his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, her partner. Even though Simpson dodged the conviction, his public image got destroyed. Simpson received a 33-year jail term after being found guilty of attempted robbery in 2007.

James Brown and the police engaged in a fast-paced chase on Interstate 20. He was ultimately detained and found guilty of possessing an unauthorized firearm and attacking a police officer, on top of many illegal substances and driving-related charges he already had. He was given a six-year prison term but only served two. Brown managed to maintain his following base.

In the 1990s, Flavor Flav served two terms in prison. The first occurred in 1991 when he admitted to abusing his now-former girlfriend, Karen Ross. Flav continued to develop a crippling addiction, and then in 1993, after firing at a neighbor, he was sentenced to 90 days in prison for attempted homicide. Luckily, following his discharge, he started down the path of sobriety.

J. R. Smith had to deal not only with the courts of basketball but also with the ones with lawyers and prosecutors. In 2007, Smith was involved in an accident where he and two other passengers were seriously wounded. He was charged with dangerous driving in 2009 after he was found innocent of vehicular manslaughter. He served 24 days in jail.

If you ever saw The Wire, you might remember the character “Snoop” and the actress who brought it to life as one of the greatest female villains ever — Felicia Pearson. Before her role, Pearson had a troubled past. In 1996, due to her committing homicide, Pearson was sentenced to almost seven years in prison.

The 2008 arrest of Khloé Kardashian is remembered more so for Kim's selfie-taking response to learning that her sister had been jailed. Yet, given that the California jail was overcrowded, Khloé Kardashian only spent three hours of her thirty-day sentence there. Her crime? She broke probation after her DUI arrest.

Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers in history, Lauryn Hill had her dealings with law enforcement agencies. In 2012, Hill was charged with tax fraud, as she was earning royalties from movies and music. After paying a lot of money and serving three months in prison, Hill released a new song — Consumerism.

Despite having great musical talent, Phil Spector couldn't charm the criminal system. Spector shot Lana Clarkson, an actress, in the mouth and claimed that it was an accident. Spector was convicted of second-degree homicide in a 2008 retrial after the first trial resulted in a mistrial in 2007.

According to some sources, Chris Brown is commonly held as the “King of R&B.” Sadly, this reputation got tarnished by the actions he knowingly did against his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. In 2013, Brown received a 131-day jail term for breaking the terms of his probation after attacking Rihanna in 2009.

Lillo Brancato Jr. might have portrayed some junior-level criminals in The Sopranos and A Bronx Tale, but in 2005, he got arrested for an actual crime. While robbing an apartment in the Bronx, he was involved in the homicide of an NYPD officer. His crime partner got a life sentence, while Brancato Jr. was sentenced to ten years. 

It seems like Richard Hatch learned that money from victory is still a victim to the taxman. In 2011, a court sentenced Hatch to nine months in prison after determining that he had failed to pay taxes on his prize. Sadly, Hatch had already served three years in jail for tax evasion from 2006 to 2009.

After a confrontation with a server at an Atlanta nightclub on Halloween 2007, rapper Da Brat punched her with a bottle of rum. Brat was sentenced to three years in jail, seven years on probation, plus 200 hours of community service after entering a guilty plea to felony aggravated assault.

Before becoming a subject of the mini-series Pam & Tommy, Tommy Lee was already a subject of many controversies. Husband of Pamela Anderson, the star of Baywatch, Lee attacked his wife, which got him arrested. He had to serve six months in county jail. After his release, Lee and Pamela divorced, mainly due to custody issues.

A television reality star from 16 and Pregnant, Amber Portwood, has been in legal disputes for quite a long time. She was arrested for possessing illegal substances in 2011 but got released after serving a year in jail for good behavior. Sadly, she again got arrested in 2019 for domestic battery against her partner.

Ja Rule is not a stranger to some controversial crimes. In 2007, Ja Rule was arrested and sentenced for possessing illegal substances and a lethal weapon (not the movie). In 2010, Ja Rule got sentenced for attempting to get a gun. In 2011, while serving in prison, he was charged by the taxman for tax evasion between 2004 and 2006.