10 Child Stars Who Found Fame Too Much To Handle
#1
Britney Spears.
Britney had been in the spotlight for most of her childhood, but fame really kicked in at age 17 when she released Baby One More Time. After a few years in Hollywood everything got a bit crazy. She married a childhood friend and broke up with him two days later, she was caught driving with her young son on her lap, and shaved her head. These days, life is a bit steadier for Britney.
#2
Amanda Bynes.
Amanda also got her start in commercials at age 7, and by 14 she was a regular feature on the Disney channel. In 2012, she announced she was retiring from acting, and everything went downhill. She was caught several times driving while using a cellphone, driving drunk, and on a hit-and-run. She was caught with pot, and caught starting a fire in front of a stranger's apartment. She ended up in a mental health treatment centre, but is now out and has gone to study. Hopefully this is another story with a happy ending.
#3
Lindsay Lohan.
The once adorable Lohan's troubles have been well documented. The Mean Girls star looked set for stardom in the early 2000s. She was beautiful, talented and had a disarming charm that resonated with audiences. Her career arc was pointing upwards until she began having troubles with drugs, alcohol and authority. Things are looking up for Lohan, thankfully. In May 2015, a judge ended her probation after she completed the community service that resulted from her 2012 reckless driving, making it the first time in nearly 8 years that she was probation free.
#4
Jamiee Foxworth.
Jamie was known for her long-running role in Family Matters, but was eventually written out of the show. By her 20s she'd run out of money and turned to porn films to make some cash. She started using drugs and developed an alcohol addiction, but eventually got clean on Celebrity Rehab. Now she has two kids and a tumultuous relationship with her longtime boyfriend, but she's doing better.
#5
Dana Plato.
At age 13, this talented kid had to choose between a figure skating career or a place on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes. She chose acting, a her life took a terrible turn. Along with her cast members, she start using pot and cocaine to cope with the pressures of being a child actor and, in 1984, she fell pregnant and was kicked off the show. She lost custody of her child, posed naked for Playboy, and found her accountant had embezzled all her savings. This story didn't end well, and Dana was found dead of a drug overdose at age 34.
#6
Jeremy Jackson.
Jeremy Jackson started acting in commercials at the tender age of 7, and by 10 he'd beaten out Leonardo DiCaprio to land a starring role on Baywatch. He was on the show for nine years, but eventually left because "drugs gave him a crazed sense of self importance." At just 20 years old he checked himself into rehab and emerged clean and sober.
#7
Taran Noah Smith.
Taran's famous for playing Mark Taylor on Home Improvement, from when he was 7 to when he was 16. After Home Improvement was cancelled Taran was adrift, and the next year, at age 17, he married a 33-year-old woman. The marriage lasted for 6 years, during which he sued his parents for control of his trust fund and opened a vegan cheese factory.
#8
Danny Bonaduce.
He starred as the cute young Danny in The Partridge Family, but heavy drug and alcohol abuse took its toll. In his late teens and early twenties, Bonaduce was even homeless. He has thankfully managed to get his act together and tries to help others avoid the troubles he experienced.
#9
Edward Furlong.
The star of Terminator 2: Judgement Day and American History X, Edward Furlong was one of Hollywood's brightest talents. As well as bringing bad boy looks, with the 90s boy band hair, he had a great depth as an actor that had people very excited about his future. He has since seriously struggled with substance abuse and the law, having been arrested numerous times.
#10
Brian Bonsall.
This guy went from being adorably cute when he had the role of Andrew Keaton, on the television show Family Ties to now being downright scary-looking with a full neck tattoo and two lip rings. Lots of drug use and being arrested for assault seemed to change the once adorable Andrew. He gave up acting in 1995 to live with his father and joined several punk bands.
