She's come a very long way from the sweet and innocent Hannah Montana! Miley Cyrus took the opportunity to shake off her 'child star' reputation at the earliest opportunity. For much of the early part of the 2010s, she was rarely pictured with all of her clothes on. The self-confessed party girl was also very open about her love of drugs, especially MDMA and ecstasy, which didn't make her popular with parents or conservatives. Things reached fever-pitch for people disliking Miley when she rubbed herself provocatively against Robin Thicke at an awards ceremony, popularizing 'twerking' in the process.
Cyrus' unashamedly open sexuality has won her plenty of admirers in the LGBT scene, and in return, she promotes their causes wherever she goes. She even has an 'equals' sign tattooed on her finger to symbolize her support for equal marriage rights. Ike Taylor Swift, she has a special connection to her fans, and has been known to visit them when they're sick in hospital. Her 'Happy Hippie' foundation supports homeless people in Los Angeles.
Not all celebrities have fame and fortune, some are just famous – and in a ton of debt. They came from rags to riches, then went back to rags. Whether they’ve filed bankruptcy, ended up in court, or just can’t stop spending, celebrities mismanage their money just like everyone else. They just hide it well.
50 Cent coined the term “wanksta,” then “partied like it was his birthday” until he filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. The rapper was said to be anywhere between $10 million and $50 million in debt. In 2016, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut approved a plan for the founder of G-Unit to pay his debts back. He was able to get his bankruptcy discharged in February of the following year.
Following a 45-year-long career in Hollywood, acting in more than 70 films, actor Gary Busey found himself in more debt than he was worth. In 2012, it was reported that Busey owed between $500,000 and $1 million worth of debt, but only had $50,000 to his name. The 74-year-old actor owed money to hospitals, banks, the L.A. Waterworks District, and even a storage company. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy that same year. Despite his longstanding career in Hollywood, Busey's net worth is now only $500,000.
Burt Reynolds is still worth five million dollars, but his battles with debt date back more than 20 years. Between bad investments and a pricey divorce from actress Loni Anderson, the 1970s superstar had to deal with over $10 million in debt and decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996. While testifying in a 1994 custody hearing, the South Florida native said he spent $40 million getting through his divorce.
The former Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen owes the IRS nearly $5 million. But that's not all. In 2016, his net worth was reportedly still as high as $150 million, but he was nonetheless $12 million in debt at the time – including mortgages, legal fees, and taxes. That same year, Debt.com reported Sheen owed nearly $300,000 on an American Express card alone.