Top 20 Celebrities Whose Kids Got Arrested
#20: Keith Richards
As for creating epic pieces of graffiti that capture the public mood, Theodora Richards is definitely no Banksy. The fashion model and daughter of the Rolling Stones co-founder Keith Richards had the cuffs slapped on her in 2011 for vandalizing a property in New York City. On the exterior of a building that housed a convent, Richards had written “T heart A,” referring to herself and her sister Alexandra. Richards was taken in for illegal artwork and for possessing controlled substances. Thanks to a plea deal, the charges against her were dropped. As part of the agreement, Richards had to spend one day in a drug treatment program and complete two days of community service.
#19: Ice-T
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While his father, Ice-T, has been playing a cop on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 2000, Tracy “Little Ice” Marrow Jr. has encountered legal issues over the years. In 2011, he visited a strip club in Los Angeles, California. For whatever reason, instead of using the bathroom, Marrow went outside the property to urinate and was arrested for public indecency. Then, in 2012, Marrow launched into a furious Twitter rant after he was pulled over by the cops for playing loud music. During his interaction with the officers, they realized that there was a $10,000 warrant out for him due to a prior speeding incident. As such, he was arrested once more.
#18: Jon Bon Jovi
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In 2012, emergency services responded to a distress call at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. The report was about an unresponsive woman in a dormitory. There, they found Stephanie Bongiovi, the daughter of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, who had suffered a drug overdose. Thankfully, she survived the experience. After getting medical help, both Bongiovi and her friend Ian Grant, who had been with her that night, were arrested on several drug-related charges. However, the case was quickly dismissed due to the state’s Good Samaritan law, which protects anyone who suffers or reports an overdose from being prosecuted. Bon Jovi described this incident as his “worst moment as a father.”
#17: Michael Jordan
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Marcus Jordan certainly had an eventful time as a student at the University of Central Florida. Firstly, in 2010, the son of the basketball legend was investigated after he bragged about splashing $35,000 at a nightclub, despite being underage. Then, in 2012, Jordan was found causing a disturbance outside the Embassy Suites hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. He had gotten into a drunken argument with two women and refused to calm down, despite the intervention of an off-duty cop. After more officers arrived on the scene, Jordan was arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing justice. He eventually pleaded no contest to a ‘disturbing the peace’ charge and was fined $250 plus court costs.
#16: Hugh Hefner
In public, Marston Hefner and Playmate Claire Sinclair seemed to be happy. But behind the scenes, the son of Hugh Hefner acted horrendously. In 2012, the police arrived at the couple’s home in Pasadena, California, after being notified about a domestic violence situation. Hefner had attacked Sinclair, leaving her with injuries and damaging her laptop. After he was arrested, Sinclair quickly filed a restraining order against him. Father Hugh didn't appear to be concerned with the incident, saying, “If they care about each other, they’ll patch it up.” Yikes. Hefner pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and was sentenced to attend a 52-week rehabilitation program. He was also ordered to avoid contact with Sinclair for at least three years.
#15: Dog the Bounty Hunter
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In 2008, Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman was booking someone in at the police station in Pueblo, Colorado. Little did he know, his eldest son Christopher Hecht was also there. Spooky coincidence. However, instead of being part of the family business and bringing in a felon, Hecht was the one behind the metal bars. He had been arrested for assault, reportedly due to attacking an at-risk adult at a local bar. But that marked just one chapter of Hecht’s lengthy history of run-ins with the law. He found himself in handcuffs again in 2020 for a menacing charge, which landed him a three-year prison sentence.
#14: Lionel Richie
The adopted daughter of the iconic singer Lionel, Nicole Richie has had numerous legal issues over the years. By 2003, “The Simple Life” star had been arrested on multiple occasions, including an incident involving a nightclub brawl. However, her most infamous mugshot moment happened in 2006 when she was pulled over for wrong-way driving while under the influence of controlled substances. In 2007, the five-month-pregnant Richie pleaded guilty to the DUI. She was fined over $2,000, placed on three years of probation, and required to take part in an alcohol education program. Additionally, she received a four-day jail sentence. Richie endured this sentence for 82 minutes before she was released early due to overcrowding.
#13: NeNe Leakes
In 2012, reality star NeNe Leakes had her personal life brought to the forefront during production of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”. An episode of the show documented her son Bryson Bryant’s arrest for shoplifting razors. Since then, Bryant’s run-ins with the law have only continued. In 2023, he was arrested at a house in Lawrenceville, Georgia when illicit substances were discovered on him. To make things worse, he reportedly gave the cops his younger brother’s name instead of his own and listed his mother’s former address as his residence. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t work. With Bryant’s iffy legal history and the catalog of charges against him, such as a probation violation and possession, he’s set to remain in jail until 2024.
#12: Rod Stewart
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The "Maggie May" singer's son, Sean Stewart, is seemingly quick to react aggressively, and often finds himself in hot water with the law. In 2002, he received a three-month sentence for kicking a stranger unconscious in Los Angeles, California. Five years later, Stewart was arrested after he threw a brick at a couple in a car, but the charges were later dropped. Then, in 2019, Papa Stewart teamed up with his son to physically assault a hotel security guard in Palm Beach, Florida, resulting in the two being arrested. Their legal team negotiated a deal in 2021, which saw them plead guilty to the charge of simple battery, although they essentially got off scot-free.
#11: Robert Downey Jr.
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The Marvel icon has infamously had troubles with the law, stemming from his issues with substance use disorder. But nowadays, Robert Downey Jr. is in a much, much better place. Yet in 2014, it might’ve been frightening when his son Indio appeared to be treading in his father’s footsteps. The younger Downey was arrested in West Hollywood, California, after being spotted using illegal substances in a car. After being released on bail, he was admitted to a rehabilitation center, while his father publicly thanked the cops for stepping in. After 20 months in rehab, Downey arrived in court in 2016. The judge dismissed the charges against him and cleared his record, recognizing his efforts to overcome the situation.
#10: Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas has two Academy awards and five Golden Globes under his belt. His eldest son, on the other hand, hasn’t fared nearly as well. Cameron Douglas was caught selling illicit substances out of a high-end hotel in Manhattan, and for that he received a sentence of 5 years. But the story doesn’t end there: Douglas repeatedly violated prison rules when he had his lawyer smuggle drugs to him while in jail. Consequently, his sentence was extended. Douglas was released early after serving 7 years in prison, 2 of which were in solitary confinement. Following a stint in an NYC halfway house, he released a book in 2019 detailing his experience with the law.
#9: James Brown
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If you had to pick a song from this iconic soul singer’s catalog to describe the behavior of his daughter, Venisha Brown, it’d have to be “Super Bad”. In 2012, Brown was working at St. Stephens Ministry of Augusta Inc, from which she reportedly stole an SUV. When her boss encountered her in the vehicle at an intersection the next day, the two of them had a confrontation. Brown reportedly sped off in the middle of it, dragging her boss over the hood of a parked car in the process. She was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, as well as first-degree assault and battery. Sadly, Brown passed away in 2018 from complications due to pneumonia.
#8: Tom Hanks
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Chet Hanks, son of the legendary American actor Tom, has seemingly always been the black sheep of his family, but his drug related run-in with the law (as well as another car) confirmed this. In 2015, he rear-ended a man in California while intoxicated. Not long after that incident, he checked himself into rehab. Tom and wife Rita were named as co-defendants in the case because the car was registered in their name and it was alleged that they knew about their son’s struggles. However, at the end of 2016, Chet, who is an actor and has played roles in “Fantastic Four” and the TV series “Shameless”, told Instagram that his newly born daughter motivated him to get sober.
#7: Hulk Hogan
It can be tough living in the shadow of a successful father, especially one as famous as actor, musician, entrepreneur, wrestler and all-around household name Hulk Hogan. In 2007, the Hulkster’s son, Nick Hogan, was charged with reckless driving after crashing into a tree. Sure enough, his blood-alcohol level was revealed to be higher than the 0.02% legal limit. On top of that, he was a minor at the time. But perhaps the worst part of the incident is the fact that his passenger was severely injured in the crash and is expected to require constant care for the indefinite future.
#6: Laurence Fishburne
As the daughter of the legendary actor, Montana Fishburne turned heads when she briefly entered the adult film industry in 2010. Then, she was arrested for breaking into her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend’s house and attacking her. In 2011, Fishburne pleaded no contest to the charges and was sent to rehab for 180 days. Then, it got worse for her in 2017 after she was pulled over in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a suspected DUI after rear-ending a vehicle. Dashcam footage showed Fishburne relieving herself at the side of the road despite the officer’s protests. In 2018, she pleaded no contest to the multiple charges. Fishburne was sentenced to community service, 12 months of probation, and had to attend various rehabilitation programs.
#5: Farrah Fawcett & Ryan O'Neal
Despite the fact that – or perhaps because – his parents were both famous actors, Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal’s son Redmond has struggled most of his adult life. In July of 2015, he was sentenced to three years in prison for violating his probation when it was discovered that he was in possession of a controlled substance and a weapon the previous year. He was originally arrested in 2008 and ended up violating his parole a reported total of four times. In 2016, he was ultimately released early due to overcrowded prisons and was given credit for 300 days served.
#4: Jackie Chan
This action star is an acting icon, both in America and in his native Hong Kong, but his son isn’t what you’d call a chip off the old block. Born in 1982, Jaycee Chan is a singer and actor himself. But in 2014, he was caught up in a drug bust that led to his arrest. Authorities found significant amounts of controlled substances in his apartment. Under local law, he faced possible extreme sentences, including life imprisonment, or the death penalty. He was found guilty, but ultimately only wound up serving 6 months in jail. Regardless, it was a major embarrassment for Jackie Chan, who’s been an official anti-drug ambassador since 2009.
#3: Nicolas Cage
Weston Cage has a long list of troubles to his name – both big and small. In 2011, he was arrested not once, but twice for domestic violence against then-wife Nikki Williams. That same year, he got into a fight with his personal trainer over what he was and wasn’t allowed to eat. He reportedly attempted to kick the trainer, only to receive a severe beating in response. Though things seemed to be going well for Weston following a stint in rehab, the start of a new relationship and the birth of his son, he was arrested for a hit and run and issued a DUI in 2017.
#2: Martin Sheen
Son of the iconic Martin, the actor was first arrested in 1996 for attacking then-girlfriend Brittany Ashland, who also publicly sued him. Sheen pleaded no contest and received two years of probation and a suspended sentence. After breaking the parole, Sheen was arrested in 1998 but avoided jail by going to rehab instead. In 2009, Sheen got the cuffs again for domestic violence against his then-wife, Brooke Mueller. Due to a plea deal, he received three months of probation, anger management classes, and more time in rehab. With all this bad publicity, it’s no wonder “Two and a Half Men” publicly fired Sheen.
#1: Marlon Brando
Arguably one of the world’s most famous actors ever, Marlon Brando fathered a child with one of the most infamous criminal cases in the industry. Though he landed a handful of acting gigs when he was younger, the late Christian Brando is without a doubt best remembered for his heavily-publicized 1990 pre-trial and subsequent proceedings. After learning that his half-sister may have been maltreated by her boyfriend Dag Drollet, Christian shot and killed the man in the living room of his father’s Beverly Hills home. After pleading guilty to manslaughter, he spent 5 years in jail and then ironically went on to plead no contest to charges related to domestic violence years later. He ultimately died of pneumonia in 2008, before the case could be settled. Which of these entries shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
