Hollywood has the power to corrupt even the most innocent actors if they step on the wrong path. Some stars appear in movies at a very early age, and all the fame and money that follow their success can sometimes be too much to handle.
Here are eight stories about young actors who ruined their lives after becoming famous.
1. Tatum O’Neal
In 1974, Tatum O’Neal became the youngest actress ever to win an Oscar. The success came after her debut role in the drama “Paper Moon,” where she played alongside her father. Shortly after becoming famous, her parents divorced, leaving Tatum with her junkie father. At 23, she married the famous tennis player John McEnroe, but it didn’t work out. The divorce that followed hit the actress’s psyche hard, leaving only one way out — drugs. In 2018, she made some sexual assault allegations without naming names, but if it’s all true, no wonder she’s turned out bad.
2. Drew Barrymore
Success came to Drew when she was only seven years old, thanks to the role of Gertie in Steven Spielberg’s “Alien.” Today we know her as the star of Charlie’s Angels, a slew of romantic comedies, and the severely underrated zombie-mom from “Santa Clarita Diet.” But due to early success, young Drew’s life started rolling downhill. When she was 9, Drew became addicted to smoking; at 11, she started drinking; at 12, she smoked her first joint, and by 13, Drew started using cocaine. All this mess lead to a suicide attempt, but rehab came in clutch. Fortunately, the actress was able to take her life back and even wrote a book called The Lost Little Girl.
3. Shia LaBeouf
Shia’s TV career began quite early, but it was never easy due to his father’s heavy drinking. At the age of 19, LeBeouf started butting heads with the law, doing drugs, and having anger issues. Despite all that, Shia managed to achieve financial success, starring in three parts of “Transformers” and other box-office blockbusters. Since 2013, the actor has been the focus of internet memes and even several scandals, almost as if he wanted to remind us that Shia is still alive and kicking.