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Fame at a young age doesn't always lead to a happy ending... Join us as we count down our picks for child stars who later made headlines for all the wrong reasons! Our list includes former actors from beloved shows and movies who later faced serious legal troubles ranging from assault charges to armed robbery and worse.
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00:00And he put a mask on me, a Hannibal mask and a lead jacket, and ushered me into my private
00:04little dwelling. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're discussing child stars who later went on
00:09to make headlines for their terrible behavior as adults. Some of these former performers have
00:13since cleaned up their act, but nevertheless have made some mistakes along the way.
00:18I feel like some things just need to stop.
00:23Brian Bonsall
00:24At just five years old, Bonsall joined the cast of Family Ties mid-series,
00:28taking on the role of the newest addition to the Keaton family, Andy.
00:31You are a natural-born booze man, Andy.
00:33You are too, bro.
00:35His performance was acclaimed for both his natural acting talents and adorable on-screen presence.
00:40After the series ended, Bonsall appeared in films like Fatherhood and Blank Check,
00:43and even had his moment in the Star Trek universe. At 14, Bonsall was ready to retire from acting.
00:48I decided I wanted to play music and go to normal school. I think my dreams changed a little bit.
00:56After finishing out his teen years in relative normality, Bonsall started having run-ins with
01:00the law. From 2004 to 2010, he was arrested for a DUI and two incidents of assault.
01:05I had a rough run for a little while. I made some mistakes as far as drinking and self-medicating.
01:12But, you know, I've learned a lot about myself, and I'm healthy and happy.
01:15Bonsall has since gotten sober and is now a husband and father.
01:19Jamie Whalett
01:19Though his role was small, fans of Harry Potter will easily recognize this actor as Vincent
01:24Crabb, one of Draco Malfoy's goonish sidekicks. Harry Potter is Whalett's only acting credit,
01:28and he only appeared in six of the eight films.
01:30Bloody hell.
01:33We still sound like ourselves.
01:36You need to sound more like Crabb.
01:38Uh, bloody hell.
01:40Excellent.
01:41Prior to the two-part finale, he ran into some legal issues that likely led to his character
01:45being quietly cut. In 2009, Whalett was pulled over while carrying a knife and eight bags of
01:50cannabis. Police later found his growing operation at his mother's house.
01:53He's let himself down hugely, really, and it's a disappointment for him and the franchise,
01:59really.
01:59Two years later, Whalett was arrested again, this time for his participation in the violent
02:03London riot. Whalett was sentenced to two years in prison for violent disorder,
02:07specifically relating to the Molotov cocktail he was pictured carrying.
02:11They're an embarrassment to the wizarding world, all of them.
02:16What's wrong with you, Crabb?
02:19It's a stomachache.
02:21Marcus T. Polk.
02:22Known for his role as the mischievous younger brother Miles Mitchell on Moesha, Marcus T.
02:27Polk had a successful run of film and TV roles in the late 90s and early 2000s.
02:31Hey, you disrespect my woman, you disrespect me.
02:34Now I know you didn't lost your mind.
02:38Then in 2013, Polk turned himself in after getting into a physical altercation with his
02:42girlfriend. The violent incident ultimately sent his girlfriend to the hospital with internal
02:46injuries. After pleading no contest to the crime, Polk was ordered to attend a domestic
02:50violence treatment program. After a few quiet years, Polk was arrested in Arizona for driving
02:55under the influence.
02:56Scottsdale police arrested former child actor Marcus Polk. Police say Polk was under the influence
03:02of marijuana and alcohol when they pulled him over.
03:05Though still active in the entertainment industry, Polk prefers work behind the scenes
03:09as a director, producer, and modeling agency owner.
03:12As it happens, you just live through it. And I've always been a person who, as I get
03:18opportunities, if I can create opportunities for other people, then that's great.
03:22Jeremy Jackson.
03:23I knew I was going to be on TV. I knew I was going to be a star. I manifested up.
03:27This 90s teen heartthrob played Hobie Buchanan on Baywatch, a role which very nearly went
03:32to eventual Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio. After snagging the coveted role,
03:37Jackson appeared in 159 episodes of the beachside drama.
03:40What's this note say?
03:41Hobie, no. Give it to me.
03:42I just want to read what he wrote.
03:44It's personal.
03:45Summer, you are like your name.
03:47I am going to kill you.
03:49Unfortunately, this achievement would ultimately lead to his downfall. Jackson credits his success
03:54on Baywatch is providing him with the money and celebrity lifestyle that would lead him
03:57down a path of substance abuse.
03:59You know, the party was over, and I was just doing something that was really hurtful, and
04:05you know, I could be driving a Lambo right now and dating a supermodel, and instead I'm
04:09out here getting busted.
04:10After multiple attempts at rehab and even being ejected from the Celebrity Big Brother house,
04:15Jackson's worst moments came in 2015. Jackson was arrested twice for stabbing two individuals
04:20and was sentenced to 270 days in jail.
04:22So the patience and the humility that it takes to crawl through the mud on the road back
04:30to sanity is probably the hardest part.
04:33Adam Hicks. After his breakout role in How to Eat Fried Worms, Adam Hicks became a regular
04:38on Disney Channel. From Lemonade Mouth to Zeke and Luther and Pair of Kings, Hicks was
04:42a recognizable face from many childhood favorites.
04:45You must be Wendell's mother.
04:47She's not my mom, okay? Are you kidding me? Look at her! Are you stupid?
04:52Though his career had quieted by 2017, Hicks was propelled back into the public eye when
04:57he was arrested for a string of armed robberies. At the time, Hicks had been struggling with
05:01a substance use disorder and was deemed unfit to stand trial. After becoming sober, Hicks
05:05realized the gravity of the situation and took full responsibility for his actions.
05:10I was in a very dark place at the time, mentally, and that's not an excuse for what happened,
05:15but I do take responsibility for what happened, and yeah, I've learned a lot.
05:20Since his release from prison, Hicks has remained sober and has become an advocate for mental
05:24health and substance abuse recovery.
05:26I actually started a non-profit, so we're starting that. It's called Soundtracks of Life. It's for
05:33people who've been formerly incarcerated, people who have mental health issues. We're actually going
05:37to open up at a couple locations in the valley.
05:38Danny Bonaduce. 70s kids will remember this freckled face as the precocious child Danny Partridge
05:44of the Partridge family, but his adult shenanigans were less TV-friendly.
05:48Greed plus opportunity equals exposure. Remember that?
05:52I've forgotten more formulas than you'll ever know.
05:55His first arrest was in 1990 when he was caught attempting to buy cocaine while in Florida
06:00to host an event for DARE.
06:02They turned on the news really loud about me being in jail, which got all the other people
06:09in jail, got all their attention, and there's one thing you don't want to be in jail, and
06:12that would be the center of attention.
06:14The following year, Bonaduce was arrested for his assault and robbery of a transgender sex worker.
06:18A controversial conservative radio host in his adulthood, Bonaduce has publicly called
06:23for the execution of liberal celebrities he considers traitors, including Jane Fonda
06:28and Rosie O'Donnell.
06:29You went through some really, really, really hard times.
06:33Really hard times. I think you put one too many reallys in there, but yeah, really, really,
06:37really, really hard times.
06:39Not what we expected from the mischievous but well-meaning Danny Partridge.
06:42Ryan Grantham. Less of a child star and more of a working child actor, Canadian Ryan Grantham
06:47can be spotted in small roles in several well-known films and television shows.
06:51Nail the firetide! Nail the firetide!
06:57Despite his modest success, his appearances in Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Riverdale were
07:01memorable enough for fans to notice his name making headlines in 2022.
07:05He told the police he did it.
07:08To protect me, but it wasn't him.
07:11Okay? It was me.
07:14It was my fault.
07:15This was the year Grantham was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to killing
07:19his mother in 2020. Grantham alleged he killed her to spare her from seeing the violence he
07:24would go on to commit.
07:25What appears to have happened is Ryan Grantham experiencing a downward spiral of mental health
07:32and depression.
07:33Traveling with guns, ammunition, and Molotov cocktails, Grantham intended to kill Prime
07:38Minister Justin Trudeau and commit acts of mass violence.
07:40Thankfully, he instead turned himself in before committing any further violent acts.
07:52Orlando Brown
07:53After making his acting debut as the adorable tiger in Major Pain, Orlando Brown landed his
07:58most well-known role as Eddie on That's So Raven.
08:12Brown starred opposite Raven Simone for four seasons of psychic comedy gold.
08:16But when it came time for the show's 2017 reboot, Brown apparently didn't make the cut.
08:20This was likely due to recent legal troubles and his strained relationship with his former
08:24co-star Raven.
08:25Stand by her. If she feels like she's Britney Spears, then all by God, let her be Britney
08:30Spears.
08:30In 2016, Brown was arrested multiple times for various charges, including domestic violence,
08:35drug possession, and burglary. He's also claimed he and Raven Simone had a sexual relationship
08:40during their time on Disney Channel.
08:42Yes, he talks crazy about me and people always wonder why I never say anything. It's because
08:46I don't need to stoop that low because I've known him since I was 14. I am almost 40 and
08:53I don't have to do that to be popular.
08:56Undeterred by Raven's refusal to acknowledge Brown or his claims, he went ahead and got her
09:00face tattooed on his neck anyways.
09:02Shia LaBeouf
09:03After starring in childhood favorites like Even Stevens, Holes, and Surf's Up, Shia LaBeouf
09:07has gone from public figure to public nuisance.
09:09We need to go back to camp, okay? So let's wrap it up, get your bag, put this in, then we'll
09:14go.
09:14I'm not going back. You will die out here.
09:19His first sign of things to come was his 2007 arrest, occurring in a Chicago Walgreens that
09:24LaBeouf refused to leave. Subsequent events included his obnoxious paper bag stunt, interrupting
09:29a performance of cabaret, an outburst in a bowling alley bar, and a racist tirade against
09:33a black police officer.
09:35Now I'm ripping my shirt off and I'm doing push-ups like, you know, don't mess with
09:38me, dog, I'm crazy, you know what I'm saying? And the guy's like, what are you in here
09:42for? And I'm like, cabaret.
09:43Multiple women have also spoken out, alleging they've faced emotional and physical abuse
09:47from the actor. Though it seems LaBeouf was set to be a megastar in his adulthood with
09:51hits like Transformers, his behind-the-scenes behavior has cost him major roles, including
09:56the lead in Don't Worry Darling.
09:57We had to replace Shia. He is a fantastic actor, but it wasn't going to work. And,
10:04you know, when he gave me the ultimatum of, you know, him or Florence, I chose Florence.
10:10Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
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10:26Robert Blake. With a film career that spanned a whopping seven decades, Robert Blake was
10:30a well-known name in Hollywood for generations.
10:33If you talked, everybody on the set paid attention to you, which I interpreted as love.
10:40As a child, he was known for his work in The Hour Gang and Red Rider film franchises of the
10:441940s. As an adult, Blake was widely acclaimed for his role as real-life murderer of Perry
10:49Smith in the film adaptation of In Cold Blood. Then in 2001, Blake's wife, Bonnie Lee Backley,
11:07was found murdered while sitting in Blake's car. After a year-long investigation, Blake was
11:11arrested and charged with the killing. Facing a possible death penalty, at his trial, Blake
11:24was ultimately acquitted due to lack of evidence. Blake was found liable for her death in a civil
11:28case, but walked free until his death in 2023. Which of these child stars shocked you the most
11:48when they grew up? Let us know in the comments.
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