Celebrities Who Get Away With Serious Crimes Thanks To Their Fame
This frequently occurs when stars are permitted to break the law on occasion because of their popularity and because they have the money to hire the best legal defense they can afford. Some may object, but the legality of being able to finance your own defense team is undeniable. However, some in Hollywood have never had the moral fortitude to step up and declare, "Yes, I did it," which is highly doubtful.
There are fans who will defend their favorite actors to the end, just as lawyers will, as long as payments are made. Still, every now and then, it feels worthwhile to point out that fame and fortune have managed to save several actors and high-profile celebrities who would otherwise have spent a significant amount of time behind bars, as this would be the punishment levied against someone who isn't famous or wealthy enough to hire a private attorney to champion they're less than stellar case.
1. Rick James
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"In 1991, him and his girlfriend kidnapped and tortured a girl, to include but not limited to; sexual abuse, forcing her to smoke crack cocaine, burning her with the hot crack pipe….
I sure do love me some funk, but he was a certified piece of shit."
2. Don King
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"Don King, likely one of, if not the most famous boxing promoters of all time.
Set up the "Rumble in The Jungle" and the "Thrilla in Manilla".
Served less than 4 years for stomping a man to death because he owed him $600. Pardoned."
3. Vince Neil
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4. Victor Salva
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"Victor Salva, (director of Jeepers Creepers) the man is a convicted pedophile who filmed himself molesting a 12 year old boy and only served 15 months, still making movies now."
5. Steven Tyler
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"In 1975, Aerosmith Vocalist Steven Tyler convinced the parents of 14 year old groupie Julia Holcomb to sign over guardianship to him so that she could live with him in Boston.
Tyler who was 27 at the time, dated and did drugs with Julia for 3 years before they eventually broke up after unplanned pregnancy which resulted in an abortion. Tyler then returned Julia to her parents at the age of 17.
That’s just barely scratching the tip of the iceberg, it gets more messed up the more you dig into it, but nevertheless Tyler would continue his successful music career and even be inducted to the hall of fame in 2001"
6. R Kelly
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From drunkrips916 "I know R Kelly is in trouble now, but long long did he go free after that whole "pissing on a kid thing"?! A decade?"
7. Elvis Presley
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"Elvis Presley always had a thing for young girls and would invite them over for ‘sleepovers’……He was obsessed with virginal girls and called them ‘cherries’. Of course, he met his wife, Priscilla, when she was only 14. Yet people just shrug this off and thought it was fine."
8. James Brown
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"James Brown. Look him up and what legal trouble he got into over the years. Didn’t seem like a very nice guy and he got arrested and charged a lot. Lots of assault and in one case he kept a woman trapped so he could use her for sexual gratification. Might not all be true but sure were alot of charges over the years."
9. Charlie Sheen
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"Pretty sure Charlie Sheen has alot to answer for yet has somehow never served any serious jail time.
Aside from other numerous domestic abuse accusations in his past, he actually shot Kelly Preston in the arm during their relationship. I don’t think anything came from that. Preston was probably just glad to get away alive."
10. Roman Polanski
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11. Marcos Alonso
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"Marcos Alonso. A Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea. He killed a 19 year old girl while driving drunk and got away with little real punishment"
12. Salman Khan
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From Wolvington52 "Salman Khan, so many famous crimes- killing a blackbuck, hit and run with his car, etc. They even made a game on one of his crimes (and he got that game banned from play store).
Note- Not the guy from Khan Academy"
13. Phil Spector.
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"I'm really surprised to not have seen anyone mention Phil Spector.
Yeah he was convicted for two murders in the early 2000's but it was straight up out in the open that he was an abusive, violent, and unhinged menace for the whole 40 years before that.
He put The Ramones through the fucking wringer, and pointed a gun at Dee Dee over him not wanting to get back in the recording booth after spending twelve straight hours overnight in there.
After that incident Dee Dee went on to say something along the lines of "it's only a matter of time until he kills someone." And so he would.
Edit: "ringer" to "wringer" and he actually only had one murder conviction, but two trials.
Wringer? Hardly know 'er!"
14. Jon Hamm
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"Jon Hamm was charged in a violent hazing incident at his college fraternity that led to it being shut down in 1993. Hamm and his fraternity brothers nearly beat a pledge to death with a paddle, assaulted his genitals with a claw hammer, then set his pants on fire. The court let him go on the hazing charge on the condition that he would complete probation. Hamm shortly fled Texas before the court could file a new separate assault charge."
15. Prince Andrew
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16. OJ Simpson
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"After watching the documentary miniseries* about OJ Simpson and his trial that came out a few years ago, the most charitable thing I can say about the jury is that the majority of them apparently decided to do an act of jury nullification to stick it to the LAPD, who collectively had it coming. But in doing so they let a guilty man go free.
Also, I think Robert Kardashian was an accomplice after the fact, though I can’t prove it.
Not the dramatized “People versus OJ” miniseries that was on FX, the pure documentary series broadcast by I want to say ESPN?
Edit: “OJ: Made in America” thanks yall"
17. Ted Kennedy
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From Reaganson : "Ted Kennedy for leaving Mary Jo Kopechne to drown."
18. Chris Brown
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19. Caitlyn Jenner
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"Caitlyn Jenner (drunkenly?) vehicularly manslaughtered someone and basically got a slap on the wrist
Apparently its slightly different as apparently it was and accident?? I read about it years ago so it wasn't that fresh in my memory."
20. Jimmy Saville
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"·He had that “we can’t touch him because he raises millions for charity” thing going on.
John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) called it out in 1978 and was then effectively banned from the BBC for life. Here is the recording. It starts about 50 seconds in, and while he’s being deliberately provocative there is a truth where he says “we’re not allowed to talk about it”.
Savile got away with it.
EDIT: Courtney Love also called out Harvey Weinstein in 2005."