We have no choice in choosing parents. Celebrities do, too. Some were touched by domestic violence during childhood, some were estranged or sent to foster care by their own biological parents, and some were even raised by criminal parents. This might explain how they grew up so well-adjusted.
It's sad but true that some huge stars' parents are criminals. These parents either have been arrested numerous times or did something so crazy that people considered them villains in their own movies. Although these celebs tried to keep their family issues a secret, the world learned about them. And you might be interested in hearing those stories.
Famous celebrities' life looks glamorous as they have both fame and wealth. They must have gone to a private school and had a nanny remove the crusts from their sandwiches. They all seem so blessed. Not all glitters are gold, guys. These celeb's past is far from what we saw.
15 celebrities in the list below actually have criminal parents. Scroll down to check them out!
#1 Keanu Reeves
Source: Reuters
Turbulent. This is the most suitable word to describe the past of
Keanu Reeves. Although his life has been marked by tragedy of various sorts, the actor seems to be the kindest and nicest human being on the planet.
Reeves' father, Samuel Reeves, was arrested at the Hilo International Airport while trying to sell heroin. He ended up being sentenced to 10 years in prison but got released two years later following a parole. His father spent 20 years battling a heroin addiction. Meanwhile, Reeve's mother raised him and his siblings on her own for the most part. By all accounts, Keanu has little, if any, contact with his father.
#2 Nicki Minaj
Source: Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Nicki Minaj experienced a tough childhood. Her parents fought and yelled and hit each other all the time. Her crack-addicted father attempted to murder Nicki and her mother several times. One night in 1987, her father started demanding money from her mother and burned down their house while Nicki and her mother were still inside. There was another time when her father pulled her mother out of a car and dragged her on the ground for two blocks.
#3 Kevin Spacey
Source: KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE
Kevin Spacey doesn't just avoid speaking about his father. He refuses to speak about his past. The legendary actor has little to no contact with his father and changed his last name to his mother's maiden name. Spacey's brother, Randall once spoke at length about how their father was a Nazi sympathizer and would dress up like Hitler. Randall also claimed that he and another family member were sexually abused by their own father when they were children.
#4 Tobey Maguire
Source: JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC
Tobey Maguire doesn't want to speak a lot about his past. His father was arrested back in 1993 for robbing a bank and ended up being jailed for two years. That man allegedly entered a bank in Reseda, California without a mask in broad daylight and robbed the institution, leaving with a bag of money. One of his neighbors saw him and reportedly called the police.
#5 Kellie Pickler
Source: PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES
Kellie Pickler's father becomes notorious for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested for assault and battery in regards to a stabbing in 2003. He was sentenced to three years in prison. However, her father left the state without reporting to his probation officer and was declared a fugitive by the state of Florida.
#6 Woody Harrelson
Source: Britannica
The tales of Woody Harrelson's father are much learned about now. His father was a convicted hitman and died while serving a life sentence in prison. Woody claims hadn't seen or heard from his father since he left their family home in 1968. One day, he heard on the news his dad had been arrested for the murder of Judge John Wood, a Texas federal judge. Wood became pretty famous as the murder was the first assassination of a federal judge in the 20th century.
#7 Lilly And Alfie Allen
Source: Eamonn McCormack/WireImage
Lilly and Alfie didn't speak much about their father, Keith. At teenage age, Keith was kicked out of school and sent to a detention center by the age of 15. As an adult, Keith has been arrested a few times for various reasons, involving drugs and alcohol and different forms of vandalism and violence. He was also put into prison for damaging the Zanzibar club in the 80s.
#8 Leighton Meester
Source: justjared
Leighton Meester's mother was pregnant with her when being arrested for drug trafficking. Actually, her mother was part of a huge drug ring that transported marijuana between the US and Jamaica. Leighton was born in a hospital and nursed in a halfway house for a few months. Her mother, later, went right back to prison to serve out the rest of her sentence.
#9 Hope Solo
Source: Sam Wasson / Getty Images file
Hope Solo's childhood received quite a bit of empathy from people. Her mother was pregnant with her while her father was in prison for embezzlement at Walla Walla State Penitentiary. At seven her parents separated and Solo and her brother were kidnapped by their father for several days. Eventually, her father was arrested and charged for taking the children.
#10 Terrence Howard
Source: baltimoretimes
Terrence Howard was sentenced to 11 months in prison for manslaughter. While his family was in line to sit on Santa's knee in a shopping mall, a fight broke out between his father and another man. His father ended up stabbing the man many times with an unknown sharp object. The man die from his injuries and Terrence's father was put into jail for manslaughter.
#11 Jackie Chan
Source: Reuters
Jackie Chan's parents had written a long story filled with crime and excitement. His mother and father reunited in Shanghai after years of living separately. His mother was caught by a police officer while selling opium to survive. Luckily, he let her mother go and also gave her the opium back. This cop, who would become Jackie's father, turned out to be a part of the street gang called the "Shandong Gang." After this encounter, Jackie's mother got into gambling and had a long string of wins but when that turned south, she resorted to pawning everything she owned.
#12 Drew Barrymore
Source: MICHAEL BUCKNER FOR VARIETY
Rich people can be criminals. Drew Barrymore's family, a very well-known and prestigious family in the industry is an example. Her father, John Drew, seems to have problems with the law. He was arrested and spent time in prison for various drinking and driving infractions and even some domestic abuse. He was also involved in a series of street brawls in the 60s and went to jail for possession of marijuana in 1964.
#13 Jamie Foreman
Source: BBC
Jamie Foreman's father was a well-known gangster in South London and was an associate of the Kray twins. His father was accused of several murders, but was charged with disposing of the body of Jack "the Hat" McVitie, ending up serving 10 years in prison for his involvement. Later, his father was sentenced to 9 or 10 years in prison for being part of the Shoreditch Security Express robbery, the largest cash robbery in the UK at the time.
#14 Judith Barsi
Source: VimBuzz
Judith Barsi's father was in charge of her death. Her notorious alcoholic father had been arrested on drinking and driving charges multiple times. Her mother had gone to the police numerous times regarding some disturbing death threats from her father. However, no police action was ever taken against again her father. Tragedy happened. That cruel man had shot and killed both the girl and her mother before burning their bodies. He then shot and killed himself before police found him.
#15 Charlize Theron
Source: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Prior to the big event in Charlize Theron's teenage life, none of her parents were involved in any criminal activity. Everything changed when she was 15. On that fateful night, her father came home drunk and started shooting his gun, threatening to kill both Charlize and her mother. Her mother, then, grabbed another gun and shot and killed Charles. Her mother was declared innocent due to self-defence. They then moved away from South Africa.