From rags to riches- The stories of 9 celebs
#1: Halle Berry
Halle Berry is known as an Oscar-winning actress and international beauty, but she didn't always live the high life. Early in her career, Berry moved to NYC to pursue her dream as a model and actress. Berry, while trying to find work in New York, stayed in a homeless shelter. At the age of 21, this star never gave up and had no financial help from her parents. Now, she's a multiple award winner and an unforgettable talent.
#2: Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Long Island, in near poverty. Lack of any toys or other fun things to do, she found her own "fun" by doing things like poisoning her dog and setting her parents' car on fire. Later, she moved to NYC to try her luck. She met a Columbia Records exec by coincidence at a party, and not very long after that she was introduced to the world.
#3: Oprah Winfrey
Winfrey's childhood was filled with enough turmoil to all but ensure she would never make it. She spent her early childhood living with her grandmother on a farm in Kosciusko, Miss., while her unwed teenage mother searched for work. She was reportedly sexually molested at an early age and worked as a housemaid. At 17 years old, Oprah got her first big break when she won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant, launching her into a journalism job in Baltimore. The media mogul is now worth around $2.7 billion, according to Forbes.
#4: Leighton Meester
She played a privileged Upper East Side kid on the CW's "Gossip Girl," but Leighton Meester was actually born in jail to her mother Constance Meester, who was serving time for drug smuggling.
#5: Mark Walhberg
Mark Walhberg dropped out of school at the age of 14 and went to work as a street thug. After a couple years of bad actions: making drug deals and getting high, he was convicted of assaulting two men and sentenced to 50 days in prison. After that his older brother Donnie helped him out and got him a record deal! And yes, you know the rest of the story. Recently he completed his high school education and graduated with a complete high school degree.
#6: Jay-Z
Today, Jay-Z is the leader of a real financial empire, but he grew up in a family where even bread was a luxury item. Ever since he was a child he got used to violence and to lack of money, but through ambition he managed to become one of the richest men in the world.
#7: Jim Carey
All his jokes aside, Jim Carrey has a dark past. The Canadian actor grew up in poverty and at 12 years old was forced to get an after-school factory job working eight hours per day. "My father lost his job when he was 51 and that was the real 'wow', the kick in the guts. We lived in a van for a while, and we worked all together as security guards and janitors," Carrey once said of the experience. Later he was able to get himself into Hollywood from where his 2003 film "Bruce Almighty" grossed $484.6 million according to the Washington Times.
#8: Snoop Dogg
Like a lot of famous rappers, Snoop grew up in squalor. In his early days selling drugs was everything he had. But after a few short stints in jail, Snoop started making tapes with his friend who just so happened to be the step brother of Dr. Dre. Since then he has never looked back.
#9: Demi Moore
As a child, Demi Moore spent part of her years in a trailer park, and had the misfortune of having an abusive father who spent his days drinking instead of working. But she just couldn't take that living situation, so she dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood at age 16.
