Don't be fooled by the rocks that she's got, she's still (she's still) Jenny from the Block. That's the problem with Jennifer Lopez though; she isn't. Much as she makes frequent references in her music to being 'real' and still being the same person who grew up poor, it doesn't resonate well with the public when she's a millionaire living in a mansion. Her relationship with Ben Affleck (during which the couple was obnoxiously referred to as 'Bennifer') saw her become over-exposed in the tabloid press to the point where she felt omnipresent, and her rumored diva-esque behavior with her personal staff make her appear detached from reality.
The thing is, Lopez denies such behavior even happens. She forced the 'Daily Mail' newspaper to apologize for reporting that she insisted her staff don't talk to her or make eye contact with her, so that was a lie. She's also an icon among the LGBT community, having helped to raise millions of dollars for their causes across the world.
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.