Childhood fame, immeasurable wealth and a cosseted life spent living in the media spotlight… it’s the stuff dreams are made of, isn’t it? Well, perhaps, but some might say it’s a cautionary tale with a long list of casualties to prove it.
Just ask Tylor Chase. A former Nickelodeon child star with a long list of TV credits to his name, the actor looked unrecognisable after being found sleeping rough on the streets of Los Angeles, a city in the midst of an escalating homelessness crisis.
Chase, 36, perhaps best known for his role as Martin Qwerly on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide in the 2000’s, was filmed looking dirty and disheveled in Riverside this September.
Shared across social media, the encounter sparked widespread sadness from fans, among them the actor’s former co-stars.
Devon Werkheiser, Daniel Curtis Lee, and Lindsey Shaw, addressed the news on Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide on September 24.
‘There was some bad news that I received earlier this week about our dear friend Tylor Chase. It was a lot to process for me,’ Lee said, describing the video as ‘scary’.
Former Nickelodeon star Tylor Chase has been found homeless on the streets of Los Angeles in a heartbreaking video which his co-stars have described as ‘scary’
Chase, 36, played Martin Qwerly on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide in the 2000’s
‘When I first saw, I was angry, because I was like, why put a camera on someone’s face in hard times? But then I was upset with myself because I feel powerless because there’s not much that I felt I could do.’
‘I didn’t want to believe it at first, I was like, oh they just caught him at a bad time,’ Lee added. But then I saw some other videos, and it looks like a brother is going through some stuff.
‘I fully believe that he can recover, but that’s also wishful thinking from me.
‘I gotta go and see him, and want to get through this fight, and try to connect with him somehow, but I also don’t want to waste my time and put him on the spot.’
But Chase isn’t the only child star to fall on hard times; here, Daily Mail lays bare the many others whose lives unravelled when the cameras stopped rolling.
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Does Hollywood do enough to protect child stars?
1. MACAULAY CULKIN
Macaulay Culkin became one of the most well-known child stars on the globe after he starred in the beloved Christmas classic Home Alone in 1990. He’s seen in the movie
After years of wild partying, public outbursts, and multiple drug charges, Macaulay (seen in 2017) beat the curse that has unfortunately befallen so many other kid stars
After years of wild partying, public outbursts, and multiple drug charges, former child star Macaulay Culkin beat the curse that has unfortunately befallen so many other kids who were thrust into the spotlight at a young age.
Macaulay’s journey has been a rollercoaster ride filled with numerous ups and downs that started long before he turned to partying to cope with his difficult childhood and immense fame.
The star, now 45, grew up in poverty, sharing one room in a tiny apartment with his six siblings.
He started acting when he was only four – after a neighbor suggested that his parents try to turn him into a star – and right away, thanks to his adorable looks and charismatic personality, his star power was undeniable.
Macaulay was born to Christopher Cornelius ‘Kit’ Culkin, a former child star himself, and Patricia Brentrup, a traffic controller. He’s seen in 1990 with his parents and brother Kieran
The actor landed his first major role in the 1988 movie Rocket Gibraltar (seen) – at age six – after a neighbor introduced his family to casting director Billy Hopkins
In 1990, at age 10, he landed the role that would change his life forever – the beloved holiday flick Home Alone
Macaulay landed role after role, and by the time he was 10, he was cast as Kevin McCallister in the beloved Christmas classic Home Alone – which turned him into one of the most well-known kid stars on the globe.
And while his sudden stardom seemed like it would be a dream come true to most children, he later admitted that he struggled with his newfound fame and began to crumble under the immense pressure that came with it.
To make matters worse, he says his father, who also worked as his manager, began ‘physically and mentally abusing’ him, forcing him to stay up for hours to learn lines even when he was exhausted, and threatening physical violence if he ever messed up on set.
To the outside world, Macaulay seemed like a happy-go-lucky kid who was in for the ride of his life, but behind-the-scenes, he recalled feeling desperate for a break.
His dad also kept his earnings a secret from him, while unbeknownst to Macaulay, taking a big chunk of the profits for himself.
In 2004, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and two controlled substances. He plead guilty and received a one-year deferred sentence for each charge
In 2005, more attention was put on Macaulay when he was called to testify in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial. They are seen together in 1991
In 2018, he launched a podcast and website called Bunny Ears, which became his main focus. He’s seen in 2018
The actor was finally able to take the much-needed break from acting that he longed for after his parents separated in 1994 and his mom got full custody of him.
Soon after, he became embroiled in a fierce legal battle against his dad in order to get access to his massive fortune, which he ultimately won.
While it seemed like things were looking up for Macaulay, when he returned to the spotlight in 2000 and started acting again after a six-year hiatus, the former child star struggled to adjust back into the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.
Pictures began emerging that showed him looking extremely frail, and rumors quickly started to swirl that he was using drugs. And in 2004, he was arrested for possession marijuana and two controlled substances.
In addition, he was involved in a very-public romance and split with actress Mila Kunis, and got dragged into hitmaker Michael Jackson‘s child molestation trial.
It seemed as though the star went from living a semi-normal life to having the eyes of the entire world on him again in a matter of months, and the question quickly emerged: Would he be able to turn his life around or would he continue on his downward spiral?
Thankfully, Macaulay was able to ultimately overcome his problems, and he now lives a much quieter and drug-free life mostly out of the spotlight.
2. SHAUN WEISS
In 2023, Shaun Weiss spoke about his struggles in a rare TV interview, two years after overcoming a serious drug addiction (Pictured left on Channel Nine’s Today Extra, and right in 1992’s The Mighty Ducks)
Fans were left shocked in 2017 when Weiss’ haggard and unrecognisable mug shot went viral after his arrest for petty theft. At the time, he was living on the streets due to his drug addiction
In 2023, Shaun Weiss spoke about his struggles in a rare TV interview, two years after overcoming a serious drug addiction.
The former child star, who shot to fame in 1992 playing Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks and as Josh Birnbaum in the 1995 film Heavyweights, was hooked on methamphetamine and heroin for three years before finally getting sober in 2020.
Appearing on Today Extra, the 46-year-old said he was grateful to have his life back, and thanked his former castmates for helping him through dark times.
‘I’m feeling better than I have in years and being able to get back and do movies again is, like, just a dream come true,’ he told co-hosts Sylvia Jeffreys and David Campbell.
‘I’ll be honest, when all that stuff was going on, I really never thought that I’d be at a spot where I could look back at all that in my rear-view mirror. So to be able to be here now, I feel like I got a second chance,’ he added.
Appearing on Today Extra, the actor said he was grateful to have his life back, and thanked his former castmates for helping him through dark times
Weiss praised the cast and crew of The Mighty Ducks for inspiring him to reach sobriety, referring to them as his ‘real-life family’. Pictured: the cast of D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
Weiss insisted that, unlike other child stars who fell on hard times, Hollywood wasn’t to blame for his downward spiral into drugs.
‘I think [my addiction] had less to do with Hollywood and a lot to do with other things,’ he said.
‘My depression is what led to my drug addiction, and I figured that out over a thousand hours of therapy.’
Weiss also praised the cast and crew of The Mighty Ducks and Heavyweights for inspiring him to reach sobriety, referring to them as his ‘real-life family’.
‘That support has really meant everything to me, because I just got to a spot where I really didn’t care about myself as much. But I really didn’t want to let all these people down that were pulling for me,’ he said.
At the time, he was living on the streets due to his drug addiction and had turned to a life of crime.
He spent 12 days in jail before being released due to overcrowding, but just five days later was arrested again and sentenced to 90 days in jail for meth possession.
Weiss was arrested again in January 2020, this time for residential burglary and being under the influence of methamphetamine.
Now clean and sober, he has since featured in 2023 biopic Jesus Revolution, playing the role of a Vietnam veteran who is recovering from drug addiction.
3. JACK VEAL
Last December Marvel star Jack Veal, who starred alongside Tom Hiddleston in Loki, revealed he was homeless and issued a plea to his fans begging for help
The 18-year-old actor, known for his role as Kid Loki (pictured, with Hiddleston),went viral on TikTok, revealing that he’s been living in a trailer in London
Last December Marvel star Jack Veal, who starred alongside Tom Hiddleston in Loki, revealed he was homeless and issued a plea to his fans begging for help.
The 18-year-old actor, known for his role as Kid Loki, went viral on TikTok, revealing that he’s been living in a trailer in London.
‘Hi. I’m a famous actor, I’m 17, and I’m homeless,’ he said. ‘I haven’t mentioned much about what’s been going on in my life, but I think it’s time to reveal the truth.’
Veal claimed he was abused when he was younger and said he had faced mental health difficulties.
‘I struggle with mental health. I have autism, ADHD, and am being screened for bipolar and psychosis,’ he added.
‘I can’t stay at my grandparents. I have nowhere else to go, and I need help. Social services refuses to help me despite what I have told them. I am desperate.
He added: ‘I’ve been sleeping in the streets. I am currently sleeping in a trailer that has smashed-in windows, is unsafe, is two hours away from my work, which means I struggle to get to work every day.
He said: ‘I’ve been sleeping in the streets. I am currently sleeping in a trailer that has smashed-in windows’
Jack panned the camera around to show the area and his food supplies as he looked for help
‘It’s difficult. Life is hard. At the moment, I have nothing else. I am on my knees begging for you guys to just share this, do something, spread the message of how the government are treating kids.
‘I need help. Please share, please share it with whoever you can. You don’t have to pay me anything, I don’t need anything. I just need you to make this go as viral as possible.
‘I’ll continue to put some more stuff out, but, please, I need help.’
Less than 24 hours later, Veal shared another update with a much more hopeful tone.
‘I just got a call from social services saying they want a meeting with me tomorrow to potentially get me into foster care and support and accommodations,’ the actor said as his eyes filled with tears.
‘I don’t know what you guys have done but it’s gotten out there and it’s really, really helped me and they’re taking action now.
‘They’re actually doing something so God bless you all.’
He continued, ‘I’ll let you know how the meeting goes and there’s no promises, but this is the first time they’ve considered me for accommodation so thank you, thank you so much. I love you all.’
4 AUSTIN MAJORS
Austin Majors is said to have died in 2023 after ‘ingesting a fatal amount of fentanyl,’ TMZ reported. He’s pictured in 2009
An autopsy on Austin’s body is scheduled to be completed, and final toxicology results are expected in a few months; seen in 1999 on NYPD Blue
Hollywood was stunned in 2023 when former child star Austin Majors died following a fentanyl overdose, aged just 27.
The young actor had appeared in the movie The Price of Air and the TV series Providence before landing his big break as Theo Sipowicz, the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) in the hit series NYPD Blue from 1999 to 2004.
In 2002, he won a Young Artists Award for Best Performance In A Television Series for his role in NYPD Blue.
Austin also voiced Young Jim in the animated film Treasure Planet in 2002, which saw him receiving a nomination for best performance in a voice-over role.
He also had stints in ER, Hercules, NCIS, Threshold, Desperate Housewives, An Accidental Christmas, and made his final on-screen appearance in a 2009 episode of How I Met Your Mother.
Following his death, TMZ reported that there was ‘no foul play suspected’ and that it is ‘believed he may have ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl.’
In a statement to People, the childhood star’s family described him as a ‘loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being.’
![The family released a statement to TMZ telling the outlet: '[Austin] was a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being (Austin is seen in 2002)](https://www.americanpolibeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1766479464_284_The-tragic-downfall-of-Hollywoods-brightest-child-stars-The-troubled.jpeg)
The family released a statement to TMZ telling the outlet: ‘[Austin] was a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being (Austin is seen in 2002)
Austin’s first role was in 1997 in the film Nevada, playing a young boy (seen in 2004)
Austin’s family continued: ‘Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing.
‘Austin’s younger sister, Kali, says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with “Kids With a Cause,” and backpacking together. Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.’
Clear Talent Group, who represented the former child actor, also issued a statement about his death to People.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the passing of our talented client, Austin Majors. Most people will remember him as young Theo Sipowicz on ABC’s NYPD Blue and the voice of Young Jim in Disney’s Treasure Planet, but we will remember him as the caring, generous, and kindhearted individual that he was.
‘A graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion for directing and music producing, Austin’s talents were boundless. Our hearts, prayers, and condolences go out to his family.’
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Coroner’s website noted that Austin’s cause of death is unknown and the case is ‘pending additional investigation.’
5. DREW BARRYMORE
Drew started partying two years after she starred in ET in 1982 when she was just six years old (pictured left). As an adult (pictured right in 2022), she has opened up about how she became addicted to drugs as a tween
After starring in E.T., the actress found herself partying in nightclubs with her mom five days a week when she was eight
This actress perfectly depicts a child star that was left with no other choice but to grow up too quickly when she was thrown into the spotlight.
At six years old, Drew made her first on-screen appearance and starred in the 1982 film E.T..
Following the film, the actress found the party scene much sooner that anyone could have anticipated.
At just eight years old, Drew was partying in nightclubs alongside her mom five days a week.
‘I had a mom, but she was more like my best friend,’ she said on Norm Macdonald Had A Show, according to Today.
‘She was like, “Do you want to go to school and get bullied all day, or do you want to go to Studio 54?” And I was like, “Yes, absolutely!”‘
After surviving addiction, Drew (seen in 1994) got married to Jeremy Thomas in 1994 at the young age of 19
The actress (seen in May 2022) now jokes that she’s grateful for getting ‘midlife crisis, institutionalized, blacklisted, no family’ done by 14
At nine years old, the child’s troubling habits began to worsen after her parents got divorced.
By the time she was 12, she was addicted to alcohol and cocaine.
She was blacklisted from Hollywood due to her addiction and had a brief stint in rehab before hitting rock bottom when she was 13 years old.
‘When I was 13, that was probably the lowest,’ she told The Guardian.
‘Just knowing that I really was alone. And it felt… terrible. It was a really rebellious time. I would run off. I was very, very angry.’
At 13, the star could no longer face the pain of her alcohol and drug abuse along with her mental health struggles and attempted suicide.
She was institutionalized by her mom and spent 18 months at the hospital.
Following her release at 14, she requested to be emancipated from her parents, explaining that the decision was necessary as she wasn’t learning how to responsibly care for herself.
‘It really is a recipe for disaster,’ she told Norm.
‘But you know what’s exciting? I got my s*** over with at, like, 14. Like, midlife crisis, institutionalized, blacklisted, no family, like, got it done, and then got into the cycle of being my own parent, figuring it out.
‘It’s sad that there’s this weird alchemy about kids doing this line of work that f***ed all of them up, and I’m no different.’
At 19, the TV personality married her first husband, Jeremy Thomas, in 1994, but divorced just one year later.
She then got married and divorced to Tom Green and later Will Kopelman.
But Drew now enjoys her life as a single woman.
The now 50-year-old has been open about her former lifestyle and said that she stays away from hard drugs, but still drinks in moderation.
6. ANISSA JONES
With her blonde pigtails and her eager grin, Anissa charmed viewers at just six years old with her role as Buffy in the 1960s TV series Family Affair. Anissa seen in 1971
But like many other child stars, when the cameras were off, her life fell to shambles. Anissa seen in 1969
With her blonde pigtails and her eager grin, Anissa charmed viewers at just six years old with her role as Buffy in the 1960s TV series Family Affair.
But like many other child stars, when the cameras were off, her life fell to shambles.
In 1971, the TV show was abruptly cancelled, but Anissa, who was 13 at the time, didn’t let it get her down as she was eager to audition for other roles.
However, the more she auditioned, the more she felt like she was held back by her reputation as the adorable and clever Buffy.
With no movie gigs coming in, the star turned to drugs and shoplifting to fill her time.
She was then relieved to be done with acting and was finally ready to have her turn at being a ‘normal’ teen again, but she took her newfound freedom to extreme lengths.
Many of the star’s new friends were drug abusers, causing the next five years of the 13-year-old’s life to turn into a downward spiral.
Anissa struggled both in her professional and personal life as her family began to have many issues.
In 1971, the TV show was abruptly cancelled, but Anissa, who was 13 at the time, didn’t let it get her down as she was eager to audition for other roles. The star seen in 1967
Her parents’ divorce led to a bitter custody battle that ultimately saw her dad winning custody of Anissa and her brother. Anissa seen in 1969
Her parents’ divorce led to a bitter custody battle that ultimately saw her dad winning custody of Anissa and her brother.
However, when the former child star’s father died, she moved in with a friend.
Anissa began shoplifting, quitting jobs, and developed bad eating and sleeping patterns.
On her 18th birthday, the actress inherited the money she earned from Family Affair, which was about $200,000, but she spent it all within months.
At 18 years old, her life came to a tragic end when she died of a drug overdose while at a friend’s house in 1976.
At 18 years old, her life came to a tragic end when she died of a drug overdose while at a friend’s house in 1976
Her Family Affair co-star, Kathy Garver, spoke to Fox News in 2015 about the child star’s downward spiral.
‘I really reached out and went to her 18th birthday party and her mother had come up to me and said, “You know I wish you could spend some time with Anissa because she’s in the wrong crowd,”‘ Kathy recalled.
‘And that crowd was taking drugs. Unfortunately I had to go away for a project and didn’t get back for two months and in that time she had died of a drug overdose.’
The doctor who had been providing Anissa with drugs was later arrested and charged that same year, according to The New York Times.
7. ROBERT DOWNEY JR
Downey Jr. fell into a life of addiction after securing his big break in the 1985 film Weird Science at the age of 20 (pictured left), but got clean (pictured in 2019)
In 1994, as pictured above, the star was arrested for speeding while drunk, and having heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .356 magnum in his passenger seat
Since the Marvel star’s father was a successful Hollywood producer and actor, the Iron Man star became immersed in the spotlight from an early age.
In addition to being a big-shot in Hollywood, Robert Downey Sr. was also a drug addict who had no shame in inviting his young son into his world.
During an interview with The New Breed, Downey Jr. revealed his father brought him to a party and let him try marijuana for the first time at the age of eight.
‘There was always a lot of pot and coke around,’ Downey Jr. said of his childhood.
Eventually, it became the only way he knew how to connect with his father.
‘When my dad and I would do drugs together,’ he explained. ‘It was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how.’
Downey Jr. pursued his own career in acting while he was a teenager. He got his break when he starred in Weird Science in 1985 at the age of 20 and was cast on Saturday Night Live in the same year.
Downey Jr. is pictured here in his mugshot from September 1999
While appearing in court in 1999, the actor admitted: ‘Taking drugs to me is like having a shotgun in my mouth…and I like the taste of the gun metal.’
However, his drug usage only ramped up as he gained more fame.
In 1994, the star was arrested for speeding while drunk, and having heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .356 magnum in his passenger seat.
The next few years saw the actor getting arrested numerous times for his drug-fueled behavior.
By 1996, his neighbor had called 911 on him after her had accidentally passed out in their teenaged son’s bed.
This reckless trend continued throughout the 90s and eventually led to him spending time in jail.
Once he was at the other end of his drug addiction, he revived his career by landing the role of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008
While appearing in court in 1999, the actor admitted: ‘Taking drugs to me is like having a shotgun in my mouth with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal.’
In 2003, his wife-to-be, Susan, gave him an ultimatum and told him he’d have to give up drugs if he wanted to marry her in August 2005.
In 2013, he told the Daily Mail that he went through a 12-step program to get sober.
Once he was at the other end of his drug addiction, he revived his career by landing the role of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
8. LINDSAY LOHAN
Lindsay was just 11 years old when she starred in the 1998 hit The Parent Trap (pictured left) and just recently made a comeback, announcing new projects and starring in commercials (pictured right)
She starred in hits like Mean Girls in 2004 before her arrests
Lindsay was a beloved child star who first won over audiences while starring as twins Annie and Hallie in the 1998 hit movie The Parent Trap, a role that she secured at the tender age of 11.
After featuring in the movie, which also starred Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid, Lohan skyrocketed to fame, quickly racking up a slew of other high-profile credits, including Freaky Friday in 2003 and Mean Girls in 2004.
However, the pressures of the industry took a toll on Lindsay.
The actress initially claimed the first time she had tried cocaine was when she was 21 and was never much of a drinker, despite later saying she had her first hangover at age 17.
Lindsay made headlines in 2007 when she was arrested for cocaine possession and drunk driving. She described the arrest as ‘totally irresponsible – a stupid mistake’ on CNN’s Piers Morgan Live and insisted it was her first time trying cocaine.
‘And from then on, the press were on me all the time,’ Lindsay said.
‘It was the first time I’d taken drugs. I was out in a club with people I shouldn’t have been with, and took cocaine, and got in the car. It was so stupid.’
The actress (pictured on New Year’s Eve in Miami in 2007) was arrested for cocaine possession and drunk driving in 2007, and was forced to take a break from acting
The Mean Girls star (pictured leaving the Beverly Hills courthouse in 2010) claimed ‘somewhere inside knew I wanted to go to jail’ when she went behind bars in 2010
She insisted that since that incident, she had only used the drug three or four times.
During that same interview, she admitted she uses ‘pot’ and ‘ecstasy’ as her drug of choice.
However, her father, Michael, claimed that was far from the truth and that she had been doing drugs at least since she was 18 years old, revealing a time he got a call about her overdosing.
‘Lindsay was filming in New Orleans and I got a call saying she had overdosed on cocaine. One of her assistants had given her the drug,’ he told The Sun.
‘I was so angry I got a gun from the house and planned to go to New Orleans to kill him.’
Michael also alleged she was abusing Adderall and vodka at that point.
It was then that the Mean Girls star got at least a little more candid about her history with drug use.
Since starting her recovery, Lindsay has returned to acting in Freakier Friday (pictured)
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the actress admitted that she had used cocaine closer to 10 to 15 times.
‘I was terrified of being judged,’ she admitted, and additionally fessed up to being an ‘addict’ when it came to alcohol.
‘That, in the past, was a gateway to other things for me,’ she said. ‘I tried cocaine with alcohol.’
‘I never felt good the next day,’ she added while explaining that she’d have the drug because it ‘allowed me to drink more.’
‘It was a party thing. People would have it, and I’d do it,’ Lindsay said.
The actress had been in and out of rehab six times by that point.
She also opened up about the jail time she did in 2010 for violating her probation and how she saw her own cry for help.
‘Having all the chaos around me that I was so comfortable with, I somewhere inside knew I wanted to go to jail,’ she said.
‘And I think that that was subconsciously being put out there just by my actions, or lack thereof.’
Lindsay fell of the radar for sometime but re-emerged as a business owner in 2019 and continues to identify as being in recovery.
After opening a since-shuttered nightclub in Greece, the former child star married Bader Shammas in 2022 and has since returned to acting in Freakier Friday.
9. AMANDA BYNES
Amanda’s career skyrocketed when she got her own TV series, The Amanda Show, in 1999 (pictured left) at age 13, but is now focused on living a sober lifestyle (pictured right in 2022)
The actress admitted that she first tried Adderall in 2007 when she was in Hairspray after reading that they were ‘skinny pills’
Amanda Bynes was an icon during her child-acting days. She landed the coveted gig of being on the tween sketch show All That and her popularity on the show lead to her getting her own series called The Amanda Show.
Once she booked the TV series What I Like About You in 2002 when she was 16 years old, she began smoking marijuana.
‘Even though everyone thought I was the “good girl,” I did smoke marijuana from that point on,’ she said during her renowned interview with Paper in 2018.
From that point on, she started experimenting with harder drugs.
‘[I tried] cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice,’ she explained. Then she discovered Adderall.
‘I definitely abused Adderall,’ she told the outlet. She shared that she was ‘reading an article in a magazine that [called Adderall] “the new skinny pill”‘ while filming Hairspray in 2007.
Amanda was arrested a number of times for drug charges including in 2012
She revealed that ‘I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting’ after watching herself in Easy A
‘They were talking about how women were taking it to stay thin. I was like, “Well, I have to get my hands on that,”‘ she recalled and that’s when her addiction began.
She continued to abuse the drug as she filmed the 2010 flicks, Easy A and Hall Pass.
‘When I was doing Hall Pass, I remember being in the trailer and I used to chew the Adderall tablets because I thought they made me [more] high [that way],’ she admitted.
‘I remember chewing on a bunch of them and literally being scatterbrained and not being able to focus on my lines or memorize them for that matter.’
Amanda ended up quitting the movie mid-filming due to ‘the mixture of being so high that I couldn’t remember my lines and not liking my appearance.’
However, it was the film that she went through with that led to her quitting acting.
‘I was absolutely convinced I needed to stop acting after seeing [Easy A],’ she said, adding that her thoughts were possibly a result of her being ‘high on marijuana.’
During her famous 2018 Paper interview, she revealed she was clean
That’s when she infamously announced her acting retirement on Twitter.
‘If I was going to retire [the right way], I should’ve done it in a press statement — but I did it on Twitter,’ the actress said.
‘Real classy! But, you know, I was high and I was like, “You know what? I am so over this,” so I just did it.’
Unfortunately, her addiction only spiraled further out of control after she left Hollywood.
‘I got really into my drug usage and it became a really dark, sad world for me,’ she explained.
It was during that 2018 interview, though, that she revealed she was clean.
She was also in sober living, where she met her fiance, Paul Michael, and was under a conservatorship.
However, as of March 2022, Amanda was granted freedom from the conservatorship after being inspired by Britney Spears.
10 TODD BRIDGES
Two years after Diff’rent Strokes, which he first started filming in 1978 at age 13, he was living on the streets and addicted to drugs (pictured left) but he made a recovery and returned to act in Live From A Studio Audience in 2021 (pictured right)
Todd appeared in court in 1993 after he was arrested on drug charges while he was addicted to heroin
Todd became a sitcom sensation after he starred as ‘What you talkin bout’ Willis Jackson when he was just 13 years old.
Unfortunately, a life in the limelight that was preceded by years of abuse from his father and being molested by a family member led him down a dark path.
Todd started doing drugs while he was still filming the sitcom when he was 15 or 16 years old.
‘I wouldn’t do it on the set. I would never do that. I would always wait until the weekends and do it just to try to forget what I was going through,’ he clarified during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
By the time he was 20, he was addicted to drugs and two years after Diff’rent Strokes wrapped in 1986, he was living on the streets.
‘I had no shoes on, no shirt on, no money in my pocket, and I felt horrible about myself,’ he explained. ‘I felt that my life was over.’
He started dealing drugs including marijuana, cocaine and speed in order to survive.
‘I wasn’t Willis when I was over here. I was Todd Bridges, the drug dealer,’ he stated. ‘I was considered a pretty notorious character.’
Bridges (pictured above in 2019) got sober after he was arrested following a 14-day heroin bender and credits his jail time for ‘saving his life’
He added: ‘I had a .45-caliber MAC-10 I used to carry on me. I had a 9mm, and if I showed you it and it came out of my waistband, you were shot. It was a matter of survival of the fittest.’
He hit a low point when he became addicted to meth and cut himself off from his family. The former child star once stayed up doing drugs for 14 days straight.
He explained that he ‘started having grand mal seizures,’ and extremely vivid and intense hallucinations of ‘little green men’ that he was shooting at.
When he was 26 years old, he was pulled over by police and contemplated committing suicide by police by pointing his gun at them.
‘I put my hand on my gun because I was so tired of living,’ he confessed.
‘Not that I was going to shoot the police officers, but I was going to point it at them and make them shoot me to really take away the pain.’
However, he chose not to and decided to use the opportunity to get clean.
‘This voice said to me: “Don’t do that. Let go of it and let them take you in,”‘ he explained.
‘I always say that the Burbank police officers didn’t really arrest me. They rescued me in my time of need.’
He was treated for recovery while he was there, but the process wasn’t easy.
The actor had an outburst during his recovery that was so aggressive he was stripped down, strapped to a bed and was forced to wear a diaper.
‘I go: “This has got to stop. I’ve got to get my life together,”‘ he declared at the time and that was the moment he decided he’d be taking recovery seriously and is still sober to this day.
He even made a brief return to acting in a cameo for ABC’s 2021 Live In Front Of A Studio Audience.
11. RIVER PHOENIX
River seemed to be the next big thing after he landed his breakout role in the TV show’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1982, when he was just 11 years old. Seen in 1985
Tragically in October, the truth about what went on behind the scenes was revealed and the then 23-year-old died of a drug overdose. River seen with Joaquin in 1985
River seemed to be the next big thing after he landed his breakout role in the TV show’s Seven Brides For Seven Brothers in 1982 when he was just 11 years old.
He went on to star in 1986’s Stand By Me, and My Own Private Idaho, The Mosquito Coast, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, and Little Nikita.
It seemed as though the actor was on the path to becoming a major movie star, however, the fate that met many other child stars caught up with him.
To the public, River was known to be one of the cleanest-living stars in Hollywood because he grew up in a family that was opposed to drugs, alcohol, and meat.
Tragically in October, the truth about what went on behind the scenes was revealed and the then 23-year-old died of a drug overdose.
After collapsing outside of an LA nightclub in front of his siblings, he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The New York Times reported that the coroner found ‘deadly levels of cocaine and morphine’ in his system. River seen in 1998
The New York Times reported that the coroner found ‘deadly levels of cocaine and morphine’ in his system.
Later, River’s close friend Bob Forrest said that drugs were the norm in their showbiz circle.
In his book Running With Monsters, the musician said: ‘The drug routine stayed pretty consistent for all of us. First, smoke crack or shoot coke directly into a vein for that ninety-second, electric brain-bell jangle.
‘Then shoot heroin to get a grip and come down enough to be able to carry on a conversation for a few minutes before you start the cycle again.’
Speaking of the night River died, he said: ‘River was obviously wasted and was as unsteady as a boxer who had taken one too many headshots during a fifteen-round bout.’
Bob claimed that just before Phoenix began to seize, he said: ‘Bob, I don’t feel so good, I think I’m OD’ing.’
12. EDWARD FURLONG
Edward (pictured right in 2019) had a relationship with a 26-year-old as he filmed the 1991 movie Terminator 2 when he was just 13 years old (pictured left)
Edward was unexpectedly thrown into the world of acting when he was discovered by Terminator 2’s casting director Mali Finn.
‘[Edward] didn’t come in through an agency, he’d never been in anything, she literally just went out to find raw untried talent,’ the film’s director James Cameron told EW.
‘I was in a place called the Pasadena Boys Club,’ Edward recalled.
‘[Mali] says, “Can I have you come and audition for a movie? I can’t tell you what it is, but take my number down, and call me.”‘
While Terminator 2 was a big hit at theaters in 1991, behind the scenes, he began dating his 26-year-old tutor, Jackie Domac, when he was just 13 years old.
The controversial relationship continued until 1999 when Jackie sued him for domestic violence.
In court documents obtained by the New York Post, Jackie ‘was subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse, threats, violent outbursts [and] outrageous and unlawful attacks.’
All the while, Edward continued to consistently book roles.
However, he also picked up on some other dangerous habits.
By 2000, when he was 23 years old, the actor checked into rehab but it didn’t keep him from continuing to use after he was released.
Edward is pictured here with Paris Hilton in 2000. He was discovered by Terminator 2’s casting director Mali Finn
It was revealed that he was still using drugs in 2006 after his ex-wife claimed their baby tested positive for cocaine
‘I was a heroin and cocaine addict. It was really scary,’ he admitted to People in 2012.
The star was initially considered for the 2003 Terminator 3 sequel, but was fired due to his addiction.
‘Essentially, I overdosed on drugs. I had a contract. And that always really bummed me out,’ Edward told Forbes.
As he continued on with his career, his drug habits and violent tendencies continued as well.
Eventually, his name started appearing in headlines again after his wife, Rachael Bella, filed for divorce in 2009 – claiming that the son they had in 2006 tested positive for cocaine.
The actor ended up serving jail time in 2013 after he violated their restraining order in 2010.
In court, she claimed that he ‘grabbed me, bruised me, pushed me … left messages saying he would hire people to come and beat me with chains and bats. He is smoking cocaine and doing other various drugs. He is very unpredictable.’
Nowadays, the actor claims to be clean and has reflected on the impact that being a child actor had on his drug addiction.
‘It was literally overnight success. It was insane. I’m still coming to grips with the shock and awe of it all… I got into things that weren’t good for me – for a long time,’ he said during his 2019 interview with Forbes.
‘I was a kid who had a lot happening all at once. And I wasn’t really able to process it,’ he continued.
‘Early career, I remember it was crazy to me. It’s insane for a little kid to get that much power. Especially if you don’t really have any parents.’
