"Just do it!" With those three words, Shia LeBeouf achieved two things. Firstly, he ensured that he'd live forever as an internet meme, and secondly, he ensured that his once-promising movie career was all-but over. The bizarre 'motivational' video that was posted on YouTube was just the first in a series of bizarre 'performance art' stunts that LaBeouf has undertaken in the past few years, which have seen him written off as a pretentious crank. His two arrests for drunk and disorderly behavior, during which he was abusive to police officers, are the cherry on the cake in terms of reasons to dislike him.
Is it wrong to dislike artists purely because of their art, though? During one of LeBeouf's performance artworks, he sat in a call center in Liverpool, England, during which callers were invited to tell him their deepest secrets. LeBeouf is understood to have helped dissuade people from suicide during that time, as well as listening to their problems and offering them perspective. He may take himself a little too seriously, but he isn't selfish.
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.