Here Are 7 of Tinseltown’s Biggest Troublemakers
Behind the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest stars lies a dark underbelly of substance abuse, scandalous behavior, and personal demons. From iconic actors like Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, whose talents were matched only by their notorious reputations, to modern-day celebrities like Charlie Sheen and Robert Downey Jr. , who battled very public addictions in the spotlight, the film industry has long been a breeding ground for troubled talents. Brace yourself for a wild ride through the seedy underbelly of Tinseltown’s most notorious hellraisers.
1. Robert Downey Jr.
Downey Jr.’s alcohol and drug addiction led him to run into trouble frequently during the 1990s. His actions resulted in multiple arrests; however, Susan Downey’s ultimatum, pressuring him to participate in 12-step programs while abstaining from alcohol , marked a turning point in his life. “With someone with addiction, you know it has nothing to do with someone else, they have to be ready. If you can be a small part of creating an alternative world for them that says, ‘Hey I’m here if you’re clean.'” “There’s no credit I will ever take other than basically saying, ‘Here’s what I need to have happen, or more importantly what can’t be happening,’ but it’s entirely that person,” she stated as per The Hollywood Reporter .
2. Jack Nicholson
Although he is regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation, Nicholson’s successful movies haven’t been able to make up for the negative aspects of his personal life. With the most school detentions, the Terms of Endearment star was troublesome long before he made his Hollywood debut. Additionally, Nicholson stirred up allegations at the time that he had slept with 2,000 women, which he partially verified when he told the Daily Mail that he “never counted” them. Despite his years of drug and alcohol abuse, Nicholson has maintained a low profile. Nicholson reportedly suffers from dementia, as per The Mirror .
3. Charlie Sheen
Sheen treated his alcoholism in the summer of 1990 by spending a month in a rehab center in Santa Monica, California , and attending 12-step meetings. He made headlines in the years that followed for reportedly abusing his ex-girlfriend Brittany Ashland and for having failed marriages. Sheen also experienced health problems, rehab visits, and arrests in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was fired from Two and a Half Men due to his drug abuse. He disclosed on Today in 2015 that he had tested positive for HIV.
4. Errol Flynn
Flynn’s first notorious incident happened when he was dismissed from school for stealing in 1926. The actor from The Adventures of Robinhood , however, claimed that his affair with an older maid at the neighborhood school was the reason he was fired. After that, Flynn’s troubled existence persisted, as the Santa Fe Trail star spent his days binge drinking and attempting to satisfy his physical cravings, as per Vanity Fair . He got attention for his rape trial in 1943 as well, and everyone was surprised when he was found not guilty of any of the allegations of assault and statutory rape. In 1959, the hellraiser passed away at the age of 50 due to a heart attack.
5. Kiefer Sutherland
Sutherland’s name isn’t just lighting up the big and small screens – it’s also made appearances in the courtroom. In 1989, while driving under the influence of alcohol and carrying a loaded firearm hidden, he had his first run-in with the law. After entering a not-guilty plea, his charges were withdrawn, but he kept on drunk driving. Sutherland was charged for beating designer Jack McCollough in Manhattan in 2009. He was reportedly given a ticket at the time, but the charges were eventually dismissed, according to the New York Times .
6. Marlon Brando
Brando had a difficult upbringing and a controversial adulthood filled with both success and somewhat weird tales. As an out bisexual man, Brando experienced unsuccessful marriages and “gay encounters.” His first wife, Anna Kashfi, did not mince words when she described her former husband, branding him a “wife-beating bisexual.” Kashfi claimed, “He was sexually insatiable.” “He cheated on me on locations and when he returned to L.A. there were fights in which he would beat me in front of my child. He ruined my life,” as per The Free Library .
7. Dennis Hopper
Drugs and alcohol dominated Hopper’s life for many years prior to his passing. Hopper was very open and honest about his excessive drug and alcohol use for many years. He acknowledged in a 2009 interview with Piers Morgan that he drank 28 beers and half a gallon of rum in addition to the three grams of cocaine he took in each day. Additionally, when filming Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Nicholson, he unintentionally snorted the ashes of a BBS executive’s wife.