30 Most Famous People in Prison Right Now

30 Most Famous People in Prison Right Now

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re exploring the most well-known celebrities currently locked up in jail around the world. We won’t be looking at those who became famous solely for their crime. Instead, we’ll focus on those who gained some measure of fame before their arrests.

Shannon Richardson

With several minor roles in productions, most notably portraying zombies in “The Walking Dead,” Richardson’s life got significantly harder in 2013. On top of going through a divorce, she accused her estranged husband, Nathan, of being behind the ricin-laced letters sent to several targets, including then-President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. However, it soon emerged that wasn’t true and that she was responsible. Richardson attempted to shift the blame again by claiming Nathan had forced her to post the letters, which was another lie, as she admitted later. After agreeing to a plea deal, the former actor pleaded guilty to her crimes. In 2014, Richardson was sentenced to 18 years in jail.

Quincy Promes

As a promising professional footballer, as well as representing his country, the Netherlands, Promes lent his talents to big European teams, including Ajax, Sevilla, and Spartak Moscow. While enjoying a second stint at the latter in 2023, the midfielder was found guilty of attacking his cousin in the Netherlands in 2020, earning him 18 months of jail. However, due to no extradition treaty with Russia, Promes couldn’t be sent back. Yet it got more complicated for him when his home country found him guilty of trafficking illegal substances, earning him another six years in jail. Promes was arrested while playing in the United Arab Emirates, resulting in his extradition to the Netherlands to serve his sentence.

Clifford Etienne

Right before facing Etienne in 2003, Mike Tyson got his famous face tattoo. Sadly, for Etienne, “Iron Mike” had no issues with the fresh artwork as he knocked the Louisiana heavyweight out within 49 seconds. In 2005, with a history of time in jail for armed robbery, Etienne was arrested for a spree of crimes after taking illegal substances. This included robbing a store, carjacking, and attempting to shoot police officers, only for the weapon to thankfully jam. In 2006, the disgraced boxer was sentenced to an incredible 160 years in jail. However, the term was later reduced to 105 years, reportedly due to a technicality from a procedure error.

Rashid Byrd

As well as taking on acting roles, Byrd was also carving out a basketball career for himself, playing for developmental teams such as California’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, now known as the South Bay Lakers. Yet away from film sets and the court, he was convicted multiple times for assault in 2005 and 2010. In 2020, Byrd was arrested for another attack on a woman the year before. During that time, the police found a connection between the basketballer and a series of assaults around the Los Angeles area from 2015 to 2020. In 2024, after being found guilty, Byrd was sentenced to 90 years in jail.

Austin Jones

Beginning his YouTube career in 2007, Jones quickly grew his reputation on the platform with his music, often creating videos of him doing a cappella covers. In 2015, he found himself in controversy for asking for inappropriate material from his young fans, requiring him to publish a video apology. It got much worse for Jones in 2017 when the authorities searched his home in Bloomingdale, Illinois, and found indecent material of minors. Reportedly, he encouraged his young fanbase to send him the media. In 2019, after pleading guilty to a charge of receiving such illegal content, Jones was sentenced to ten years in jail and will have to register as an offender for life.

Kris Wu

After making his name in the music industry as a member of the South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, Wu broke out on his own, releasing music and even acting in films. However, in 2021, that reputation he’d built for himself came tumbling down when he was accused of assault. While Wu denied the allegations, brands quickly dropped him, followed shortly by his arrest. In 2022, the musician was found guilty of multiple counts, earning him 13 years in jail. On top of that, Wu was also fined around $84 million for tax evasion. In 2025, rumors emerged online that Wu had died in prison. However, the Chinese authorities have disputed them and claimed he’s still alive and serving his sentence.

Robinho

With a glittering career playing for Santos, AC Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester City, as well as playing for the Brazil national team, Robinho threw all that away in 2013 after he assaulted a woman in Italy. In 2017, he was sentenced to nine years. However, due to being in Brazil at the time, and the country not allowing extradition, Robinho didn’t serve his sentence. When he rejoined Santos in 2020, the backlash caused sponsors of the club to drop out. Over the next few years, the disgraced footballer appealed the sentence. However, in 2023, Italy’s authorities requested Robinho to serve his sentence in Brazil, which the South American nation agreed to. In 2024, after another appeal being dismissed, Robinho finally began his 2017 sentence.

Jonathan “War Machine” Koppenhaver

Best known for his MMA work as “War Machine” for companies such as UFC and Bellator, Koppenhaver’s legacy was forever tarnished in 2014. That year, Christy Mack, as well as discussing the abuse she experienced from him during their relationship, spoke about the terrible attack she sustained at his hands after their split. The fighter broke into her Las Vegas, Nevada, home, beat her then-partner and Mack, and attempted to assault her. Amazingly, despite suffering many injuries, she managed to escape and get help from a neighbor. The former MMA star was eventually tracked down and arrested. In 2017, Koppenhaver was found guilty of many counts, earning him life imprisonment with a possibility of parole after 36 years.

Jacob Hoggard

In 2004, a year after forming the Canadian pop-rock band Hedley and becoming its lead vocalist, Hoggard went on to appear in and finish third in “Canadian Idol.” In 2018, after releasing one album after another with his group and achieving success in Canada, Hoggard suddenly quit the music industry and became a carpenter. A few months later, he was arrested after allegations he'd assaulted two females. In 2022, the trial, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, found Hoggard guilty of one charge against the woman, earning him five years in jail. That same year, he was also charged with assault in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. In 2024, Hoggard was acquitted of this charge.

Darren Sharper

In 2010, Sharper finally reached the pinnacle of the NFL by winning the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints. Yet a year after retiring from the sport, allegations of the former safety’s criminality came to light. It wasn’t until 2014 that the arrests for Sharper began as he was accused of assaulting women across several US states and even distributing prescribed medications to enact his crimes. From 2015 to 2016, the former NFL star was convicted of attacks in Nevada, Louisiana, California, and Arizona. As a result, in 2016, Sharper received various concurrent sentences, earning him 20 years in jail altogether.

Kidd Creole

After rising to fame as a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Nathaniel Glover, better known as Kidd Creole, stepped away from the music business as the groups success faltered. In 2017, then working as a handyman in Manhattan, New York City, Creole spoke to homeless man, John Jolly. First spotted on CCTV, the duo then moved out of view. At this point, Creola fatally stabbed Jolly. The former musician claimed he stabbed him after Jolly made advances towards him. However, the criminal system didnt agree with his claim of self-defense. In 2022, Creola was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and received 16 years in jail. Upon release, he will undergo a further 5 years of supervision.

Mel Hall

For over a decade, Hall played his trade for several MLB teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and the New York Yankees. He even played in Japan before hanging up his bat in 1996. However, none of that mattered in 2007 when he was arrested in Lewisville, Texas, for sexual assault. Over time, more women came forward with their experiences with Hall, which were committed when they were minors. In one case, Hall integrated himself into a family’s home on the promise he wanted to marry their daughter. He had used his sporting celebrity to prey on victims. In 2009, Hall was found guilty on several counts and was sentenced to 45 years in jail.

C-Murder

As a member of the hip-hop group TRU, Corey Miller, better known as C-Murder, enjoyed success with them as well as releasing his own work. In the '90s especially, his albums were regularly high in the charts. However, in 2002, all that vanished when C-Murder was arrested for the killing of a teenager named Steve Thomas. On top of receiving a 10-year sentence for a separate attempted murder charge, in 2009, the musician was found guilty of Thomass killing and sentenced to life. C-Murder had contested the charge and has appealed unsuccessfully several times over the years. In 2018, two witnesses recanted their testimonies and claimed they had been forced to give them by the police. However, in 2023, C-Murders sentence was upheld by a judge.

Tammy Lynn Sytch

In her heyday, there wasn't a more famous woman in professional wrestling than Sytch. Known as Sunny with the WWE, in 1996, the wrestling manager became the most downloaded celebrity online. In 2011, Sytch was rewarded for her legacy by the WWE by being inducted into their Hall of Fame. However, away from the ring, Sytch has regularly had run-ins with the legal system. It got significantly worse in 2022. While driving under the influence in Volusia County, Florida, Sytch crashed into the back of another car, taking the life of the driver, Julian Lasseter. In 2023, after pleading no contest, Sytch was sentenced to 17 and a half years in jail. Afterward, shell undergo 8 years of probation.

Joe Son

Alongside a brief professional wrestling stint and non-winning MMA and kickboxing careers, Son also appeared in films, such as 1997’s “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” Yet in 2008, his life fell apart when he was sentenced to 60 days in jail for vandalism. As part of the process, Son’s DNA was taken, which matched with an assault case on a woman in 1990. While the statute of limitations ruled out some charges, Son was found guilty of others, earning him a life sentence in 2011. Weeks later, it got worse for him when he was charged with murdering his cellmate. This earned him another conviction, this time for voluntary manslaughter, adding an additional 27 years to Son’s life sentence in 2017.

Tory Lanez

Bursting onto the music scene in 2016, Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, better known as Tory Lanez, was carving out a successful career as a singer and rapper with a string of top-selling albums and singles. However, in 2020, Lanez was arrested in Los Angeles, California, for carrying a concealed weapon after violence took place at a house party. Soon after, Megan Thee Stallion publicly stated he had shot her multiple times. While Lanez denied the accusation, even releasing an album nearly entirely about the allegations, and allegedly endorsed a smear campaign against Megan, he was still arrested. In 2023, after the Canadian was found guilty on several counts, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Lee Murray

Best known for his one-off appearance in the UFC in 2004, Murray's MMA fighter’s career was cut short following his being severely stabbed in 2005. However, a year later, he found a way to continue to make money, albeit in a criminal fashion. That year, the Securitas depot robbery in Tonbridge, England, took place, where a gang Murray was involved with kidnapped a manager and his family, forcing him to help the group steal nearly £53 million! This heist is one of the biggest to have taken place in the world, especially during non-war times. Murray was soon tracked down in Morocco and arrested. In 2010, Murray was sentenced to 10 years in jail, which was later increased to 25 years.

Ryan Grantham

Following his first screen acting role in 2007, Grantham should’ve had a long career in the industry, especially after performances in “Supernatural,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “iZombie,” and “Riverdale.” However, that career was forever broken in 2020. Grantham, with a desire to attack Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, fatally shot his own mother in Squamish, British Columbia, to apparently spare her from seeing his planned assassination. He then recorded his confession. On his way to Trudeau in a car filled with weapons, Grantham changed his mind, eventually giving himself to the police. In 2022, the former actor pleaded guilty to his crime and was sentenced to life in prison, with possible parole after 14 years.

Mark Rogowski

Starting his professional skateboarding career in 1980, Rogowski soon became a success, earning him thousands of dollars per month and even appearing in Tom Petty’s 1989 music video for “Free Fallin’.” However, following his breakup with fellow skateboarder Brandi McClain, he snapped. In 1991, he invited McClain’s friend, Jessica Bergsten, to his house in San Diego, California. Rogowski proceeded to assault her and take her life. A couple of months later, shortly after Bergsten’s remains were found, Rogowski confessed to the police what he’d done and admitted it was out of revenge against McClain. In 1992, he received a 31-year-to-life sentence. In recent years, Rogowski has been granted parole by the board multiple times, only to have them denied by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Sean “Diddy” Combs

Alongside a celebrated rapping career, Combs became one of the music industry’s most powerful and richest record producers and executives. Yet that legacy was destroyed in 2023 when his crimes were discovered. That year, his former partner, Cassie Ventura, issued a lawsuit against Combs for several charges, including assault. This was the catalyst for many more women coming forward. They made allegations against Combs that they’d been assaulted by him, only for his team to cover it up. In 2024, the mountain of accusations and evidence led the police to arrest Combs and charge him with several offences involving assault. In 2025, Combs was found guilty of two counts, earning him a sentence of four years and two months in jail.

Gary Glitter

With sparkly costumes and big hair, Glitter was one of the faces of the glam rock genre of music, providing him with a string of hits. Yet his legendary status was destroyed when he was sentenced to jail for possessing indecent material of minors in 1999. After his release, Glitter traveled around the world. In 2006, he was convicted in Vietnam for assaulting youth. After his release, he reluctantly returned to the UK. In 2015, as part of Operation Yewtree, Glitter was found guilty of historical cases of assault against minors and sentenced to 16 years. While he was released in 2023, Glitter broke his license terms after allegedly looking at offensive material on his phone and was recalled to jail.

Michael Jace

Best known for his work as Officer Julien Lowe in The Shield and a minor role in Forrest Gump, Jaces life was set to change in 2014 when his wife, April, requested a divorce. Rather than accept her decision, Jace fatally shot her at their home in Los Angeles, California, when she returned after collecting their kids from baseball practice. He planned to injure her and even taunted April over her passion for running during the attack. But instead, Jace took her life. Shortly after, he called 9-1-1 to tell them what he’d done. In 2016, the disgraced actor was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years to life in jail.

Suge Knight

As the co-founder of Death Row Records, Suge Knight played a significant role in shaping the West Coast hip-hop scene. But just as his influence grew, so did his run-ins with the law. In 2015, while on the set of the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, Knight got into an altercation with two men, Terry Carter and Cle Bone Sloan. He is alleged to have run over both of them with a pickup truck, killing Carter and leaving Sloan with severe injuries. Authorities initially charged Knight with murder and attempted murder, but he later pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. In 2018, he was handed a 28-year prison term, and will be eligible for parole in 2034.

Joe Exotic

Controversial zookeeper and businessman Joe Exotic gained international recognition when he was featured in the wildly popular Netflix series Tiger King. Among other things, the show depicted the intense rivalry between Exotic and animal rights activist Carole Baskin. The relationship between the two was so strained that Exotic reportedly paid hitmen to have Baskin murdered. Additionally, he was accused of killing five tigers and selling others across state lines, in violation of federal wildlife laws. In 2019, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on 17 charges of animal cruelty and two counts of attempted murder-for-hire. Exotic was sentenced to 22 years in prison. After appealing his conviction, his sentence was reduced by just one year.

Danny Masterson

That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson had faced sexual assault allegations since March 2017, with the incidents dating as far back as the early 2000s. Masterson denied the claims, but was dropped by his agency and fired from the Netflix sitcom The Ranch. Just like Masterson, some of his alleged victims were also members of the Church of Scientology, and they reported being harassed by the institution after coming forward. Mastersons first court case ended in a mistrial, but in May 2023, a second jury found him guilty of two of the three criminal counts he was facing. In September he was sentenced to 30 years to life behind bars.

Elizabeth Holmes

The healthcare technology company Theranos was founded in 2003 by Elizabeth Holmes with the promise of revolutionizing blood testing. Holmes raised nearly a billion dollars from investors on claims that her seemingly exceptional machine - the Edison - could run multiple tests using only a few drops of blood. It was later revealed, however, that Theranos technology did not work as claimed, and the company knowingly defrauded investors. In June 2018, Holmes was charged with multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following a highly-publicized trial, Holmes was found guilty of four criminal counts and sentenced to over 11 years in prison. She began serving her term in May of 2023.

Josh Duggar

The TLC reality series “19 Kids and Counting” focused on the lives of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, and, as the title suggests, their 19 children. The show was a huge success until its abrupt cancellation in 2015 following some pretty shocking revelations. The eldest child Josh Duggar admitted to inappropriate behavior against underage individuals, including some of his own sisters. However, as the statute of limitations had passed, Duggar didn’t face any criminal charges. In 2021, Duggar was arrested for receiving and possessing explicit material involving minors. He opted to fight the charges in court and was ultimately found guilty. With a nearly 13-year prison sentence handed down to him, Duggar's earliest possible release date is in 2032.

Jared Fogle

For 15 years, Jared Fogle was the face of restaurant chain Subway. Fogle claimed that a diet consisting mostly of Subway sandwiches had helped him lose nearly 250 pounds in one year. In 2015, however, his partnership with the franchise came to an end. That year, Fogles home was raided by the FBI, where they uncovered evidence that he had distributed and received obscene images and videos of minors. He also admitted to traveling across state lines to engage in unlawful conduct with an underage individual. Fogle faced a possible 50 years in prison, but after accepting a plea deal, he was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months. He is eligible for early release in 2029.

R. Kelly

Throughout most of his career, disgraced R&B star R. Kelly had been dogged by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. The claims first came to light in 2002 when Kelly was arrested after a leaked video seemingly showed him engaging in inappropriate contact with a minor. He was, however, acquitted of those charges in 2008. It would take more than a decade for his day of reckoning to eventually come. In 2019, the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which featured testimonies from some of his accusers, brought the case back to the spotlight. Kelly was arrested soon after and faced multiple federal and state criminal charges. Altogether, he is serving a 31-year sentence, with a release scheduled for December 2045.

Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein’s Hollywood empire crumbled in 2017 when The New York Times and The New Yorker revealed numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him. The revelations ignited the MeToo movement, which saw many individuals come forward with their own experiences of misconduct. In total, more than 100 women accused Weinstein of either harassing or assaulting them, with some dating as far back as 1980. As a result, multiple criminal charges were unveiled against the producer in New York and Los Angeles. In 2020, he was sentenced to 23 years in the New York case, followed by a 16-year sentence in the Los Angeles case the next year. However, the New York conviction was overturned, requiring a retrial on those charges.

Which of the cases we’ve mentioned in the video shocked you the most when news broke of their crimes? Let us know below.