10 Child Celebrities Who Made Horrible Life Decisions

Although the life of a child-star often seems fun and care-free, it is no secret that these young entertainers often find themselves struggling to cope with adulthood.  While there are many former child-stars who have been able to successfully transition into adulthood and/or life away from the camera, there is an overwhelmingly larger number who have not been so lucky.  Over the years, stories of child-stars who have simply gone bad have multiplied.  Unfortunately, many of these celebrities have often hit rock-bottom before reaching the prime of their lives.  Here are 10 child celebrities who have made horrible life decisions.

10. Jodie Sweetin

Jodie Sweetin is best known for her role as the beloved middle child, Stephanie Tanner, on the hit sitcom Full House.  The show, which aired from 1987 to 1995, helped Sweetin become a mainstream success.  However, when Full House ended, so did Sweetin’s career as a starring artist.  Adjusting to life out of the spotlight proved to be too much for Sweetin, and she eventually turned to substance abuse.  She chronicled her struggle in her 2009 memoir, unSweetined in which she stated: “I was pulling off the deceit. It was hard for people to believe I was doing that much drugs. I look at photos from that event, and I didn’t even look strung out!” Sweetin also admitted to driving drunk with her young daughter in the car.

9.  Jaimee Foxworth

Jamiee Foxworth became well-known in 1989 when she was cast as Judy Winslow on the popular sitcom Family Matters.  However, after four seasons on the show, Foxworth and her character mysteriously disappeared from both the show and the public eye.  According to sources, Foxworth’s removal from the show was a result of the introduction of Jaleel White’s infamous character, Steve Urkel, and Foxworth’s demand for a raise.  After the show, Foxworth struggled to find work and ultimately fell into depression drug use. In 2000, under the name Crave, Foxworth began a career in the adult film industry.

8. Justin Bieber

When Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube in 2007, he was a clean-cut and likable kid who had the potential to become a superstar.  Over the years, Bieber has slowly shed his good guy image and recently he has become one of the entertainment industry’s most notorious bad boys.  Bieber has been accused of vandalism, reckless driving, and assault.  Bieber’s ridiculous behavior has followed him all over the world and has led to him being labeled 2014’s most annoying celebrity.

7.  Britney Spears

Britney Spears has been in the spot light for more than 20 years.  After competing on the talent search series, Star Search in 1992, Spears became a member of the Mickey Mouse Club’s cast the following year.  Although she had been working for years, Spears’ career didn’t officially take off until 1999 with the release of her debut album  …Baby One More Time.  Since the album’s release, Spears has enjoyed a successful career which has earned her dozens of accolades and made her one of the most popular artists of her generation.  Even with her undeniable success, Spears’ career has also been marked with several unfortunate events.  In 2007, Spears admitted to abusing drugs and spent time in a rehab facility.  However, Spears’ most questionable decision also came in 2007 when she decided to shave her head with a pair of electronic clippers.  Spears fans everywhere could not ignore the fact that the pop star had begun to unravel.  Over the next several years Spears continued to struggle with substance abuse and also lost custody of her children.

6. Miley Cyrus

Introduced to the world as Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus was once one of TV’s most innocent child stars.  However, when her Disney Channel show ended its run – and Cyrus embarked on a solo music career -things quickly changed.  After a series of questionable choices, Cyrus crossed the line at 2013 MTV Video Music Awards when she decided to twerk on then married (and much older) Robin Thicke.  Even some of Cyrus’ most dedicated fans had trouble defending her dancing decision.

5. Corey Feldman

Popular 80s child star, rose to fame as a part of the infamous duo with fellow young actor, Corey Haim.  Throughout the 80s Feldman appeared in several hit films including Gremlins and The Lost Boys.  However, after the 80s, Feldman’s career began to decline and he has since admitted that he struggled with a heroin addiction for man years.  However, Feldman has shared that he has been sober for more than 20 years.

4. Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Culkin is best-known for his role as Kevin McCallister in the first two installments of the Home Alone series. Although Culkin is considered one of the greatest child stars of all-time he chose to retire from acting at the age of 14.  Since walking away from the spotlight, Culkin has lived a rather strange and secluded life. In 2004, Culkin was arrested for possessing marijuana and controlled substances which led to a brief stint in jail. In 2013, reports began to surface that Culkin suffered a mini melt-down after his ex-girlfriend, Mila Kunis, did not respond to his advances.  The rejection caused Culkin to act out and he reportedly lunged at a photographer.

3.  Shia LaBoeuf

Former Even Stevens star, Shia LaBeouf is one of the few child stars who was able to transition into a career as an adult actor.  However, LaBeouf was unable to completely escape the pitfall of bad decisions that usually follows child stars.  In 2005, LaBoeuf was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after purposely driving into his neighbor’s car.  Over the next several years, LaBoeuf was arrested for numberous crime including criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.  LaBoeuf’s behavior became even more strange when he appeared at on the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival with a brown paper bag over his head.

2. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was once Disney’s go-to girl for popular films.  In 2003, Lohan was able to break free of her squeaky clean image when she landed a starring role in the comedy film Mean Girls. However, the days of Lohan starring in anything seem to be long gone.  Now 28, the former child star has suffered a series of self-inflicted tragic events. In 2007, after being released from rehab, Lohan was arrested for driving under the influence, an incident which led to several court appearances.  In 2011, Lohan graduated to stealing when she was arrested burglary after leaving a jewelry store with a necklace she did not pay for.  Even through her legal issues, Lohan has attempted to revive her career; however, she has been unsuccessful so far.

1. Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes is perhaps the most bizarre former child star of them all.  She rose to fame during the late 90s as a cast member on Nickelodeon’s variety show, All That.  Bynes’ work on the show led to a solo spin-off, The Amanda Show, which aired for three years.  Even after parting ways with Nickelodeon, Bynes enjoyed a successful career in both film and tv; however, things quickly began to unravel for the star in 2012 when she was arrested for driving under the influence.  Since her initial run-in with the law, Bynes has displayed bizarre behavior and has announced on two separate occasions that she would be retire from acting.  Bynes has also attracted a lot of public attention for her strange tweets.  In 2014, her behavior led her to be placed on a psychiatric hold.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)