On Steve Smith's first play as a professional football player, he returned a 93-yard kickoff for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in 2001. Every time Smith touched the field, he wanted to prove to his adversaries that he was the best player on the field. He wasn't afraid to express this vocally or with his play. His speed in combination with his ability to break through a tackle while remaining on his feet made him one of the most dangerous wide receivers of the 2000s and 2010s.
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Smith attended his collegiate years at the University of Utah before he was selected 74th overall in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Out of his sixteen-season NFL career, Smith spent most of it with the Panthers before playing his final three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and retiring in 2016. To this very day, Smith leads the Panthers in all-time touchdowns (67), receptions (836), and receiving yards (12,197). Until another player can even begin to reach these accomplishments, they can't be considered Carolina's best.
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.