13 Celebrities Who Were Arrested as Teens and Turned Out Okay
They started out in handcuffs, but ended up at the top of their field
If you had known Jon Hamm in 1990, you probably would’ve thought he had no future.
When he was just 19 and a student at the University of Texas, he was arrested on assault charges, for an alleged hazing incident at the Austin Sigma Nu fraternity where he was a member. He was accused of, among other things, dragging a pledge by his genitals, and setting his pants on fire. The charges were eventually dropped, and Hamm was given probation instead of a conviction.
What a different 25 years makes. Last night, millions watched Hamm give his final performance as the iconic Don Draper in Mad Men. We don’t know what the future holds for Mr. Hamm, but we’re pretty sure it won’t involve setting fire to any more pants.
Hamm is hardly the first guy to rise above his hooligan years and achieve great things. Here are 13 other celebrities who didn’t let their bad decisions as teenagers hold them back.
JAY Z
The Crime: Arrested at 16 for carrying crack in his pockets at a high school.
How He Turned Out Okay: Jay Z has become a prominent rapper, producer and entrepreneur. He’s won 21 Grammys and has a net worth of approximately $520 million.
In his 2011 memoir Decoded, Jay Z wrote: “The way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow.”
IAN SOMERHALDER
The Crime: Busted at 17 for underage drinking and public drunkenness.
How He Turned Out Okay: During an interview with Ocean DriveMagazine, the Vampire Diaries star was hardly apologetic. “Every Senator’s son, every judge’s son, every high-school principal’s son, every cop’s son in Louisiana has gotten into trouble for alcohol consumption at some point in New Orleans,” he said.
Today he dedicates much of his time to environmental and humanitarian programs, as well as collecting Teen Choice Awards.
BRADLEY COOPER
The Crime: Arrested for underage drinking when he was 15.
How He Turned Out Okay: Cooper has been sober for over a decade. “I don’t drink or do drugs at all anymore” he told the Huffington Post.
He’s now one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, with two Oscar nominations under his belt—most recently for his leading role in American Sniper.
CARON BUTLER
The Crime: The NBA player grew up in a rough neighborhood and got tangled up in drugs. He began dealing at age 11, and was arrested 15 times before he turned 15.
How He Turned Out Okay: Butler focused on his game and cleaned up his act. He received a scholarship to attend UConn, and in 2002 was a lottery pick in the NBA draft, getting picked up by the Miami Heat.
Today he plays for the Detroit Pistons and has become a successful businessman, owning 6 Burger King franchises—where he once worked as a troubled teen. “I know the business,” he told the Journal Times. “I know it from the janitorial spot all the way through the management side. I know that game inside and out.”
MICHAEL PHELPS
The Crime: Arrested for underage drinking and DUI at 19.
How He Turned Out Okay: He’s won 22 Olympic Medals, which is “okay” by any standard. But then last October, he was arrested for a second time for driving while intoxicated.
“I recognize that this is not my first lapse in judgment,” he tweeted to his 1.6 million followers. “I am extremely disappointed with myself.” After a six-month suspension, the Olympian is back in the pool, poised for a comeback.
TODD BRIDGES
The Crime: The Diff’rent Strokes actor has a long rap sheet, with arrests for concealing a firearm, making a bomb threat, and armed robbery, among other charges.
How He Turned Out Okay: After his last transgression in 1997, when he was arrested for assault and battery, Bridges became a born-again Christian, and now travels the country speaking about addiction.
In 2001, Bridges made headlines once again, but for a much more welcome reason: He saved a woman who fell out of her wheelchair while fishing.
CHARLES DUTTON
The Crime: Manslaughter for stabbing someone to death at age 17.
How He Turned Out Okay: After beating down a prison guard duringanother stint in jail, Dutton discovered acting and turned his life around.
“In a few years, I ended up going from jail to Yale,” the two-time Tony-nominated and multiple Emmy award-winning actor said. “I used to be a hardcore, hard-hearted guy. Once you make the decision to change, all kinds of things happen.”
DWAYNE JOHNSON
The Crime: “By the time I was 16, I had been arrested eight or nine times for a variety of things,” Johnson told the U.K. newspaper Metro.
How He Turned Out Okay: He managed to turn his pro-wrestling career into a successful movie career, and now gives back by visiting prisons, encouraging inmates to take control of their lives.
In his cover profile in the June issue of Men’s Health, Johnson reflects on his difficult upbringing, and how it motivated him to try harder. “I remember thinking, ‘I will do whatever I can to make sure this never happens again,’” he told us.
STEPHEN FRY
The Crime: At age 17, he was arrested for credit card fraud, after (in his words) ”going ape” with a family friend’s credit card for three months.
How He Turned Out Okay: The future comedian turned his life around after his jail sentence, returning to college, devoting himself to his studies, and eventually becoming one of Britain’s biggest stars.
As he wrote in his 1997 autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot: “I used many times to touch my own chest and feel, under its asthmatic quiver, the engine of the heart and lungs and blood and feel amazed at what I sensed was the enormity of the power I possessed. Not magical power, not all that Carrie teenage telekinetic wank, but real power. The power simply to go on, the power to endure, that is power enough.”
DANNY TREJO
The Crime: Arrested for assault and battery at age 10.
How He Turned Out Okay: Before he became the star of Machete and hundreds of other movies, Trejo would return to prison several times in his life—including for an attempted liquor store robbery with a live grenade. But during a five-year sentence for drug dealing, everything changed.
“I said ‘God, if you’re there, then it’s going to be alright, and if you’re not, I’m screwed.’ And that was my prayer. I’ve never forgotten it. And that was just a complete turning point in my life,” he told the Huffington Post.
MIKE TYSON
The Crime: By the age of 13, he had been arrested a staggering 38 times.
How He Turned Out Okay: We know what you’re thinking, but Mike Tysondid turn out okay… eventually. Sure, it took many more arrests, beat-downs, and a good amount of prison time to become the adorable, pigeon-loving lug he is today, but he did get there.
MARK WAHLBERG
The Crime: At just 16 years old, Wahlberg served a 45-day jail sentence for partially blinding a man during an attack.
How He Turned Out Okay: One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Wahlberg only beats people up in movies now. He is heavily involved in charity work, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
“The things I’ve been through, the bad times, they’ve been the source of strength I draw on,” Wahlberg told Men’s Health in this exclusive interview. “You know what I’m saying? I lived through that. You really do come out stronger on the other side.
BILL GATES
The Crime: Arrested for speeding and driving without a license at age 19
How He Turned Out Okay: founded Microsoft and is worth about $80 billion. So yeah, he’ll be fine.
(Metro)