While Hollywood darlings often get free passes for bad behavior, occasionally even actors get apprehended, convicted, and punished for their wrong-doings just like the rest of us. This is a list of actors who have spent more than 30 days in prison for offenses they definitely did commit. Have we all forgotten about Iron Man Robert Downey Jr.'s horrible years-long abuse of drugs and alcohol? Or Mark Wahlberg's extremely volatile history as a teen thug growing up in Boston? One Oscar-winning actor went to jail after beating up a photographer. These familiar faces have been busted and locked in the pen to really think about what they've done.
From 1999 to 2000, Downey spent almost a year in a California treatment facility and state prison after several parole violations associated with multiple charges related to drugs. In 1987, Academy Award winner Sean Penn spent 33 days in jail after assaulting an extra on a film set.
When he was 16 years old, Mark Wahlberg went after a Vietnamese man with a stick, knocking him unconscious while shouting epithets. On the very same day, he also nearly blinded a second Vietnamese man. Wahlberg was sentenced to two years in prison for attempted murder and served 45 days of the prison sentence.
Felicity Huffman reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA - about 40 miles east of San Francisco - on October 15, 2019, to serve her 14-day sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal.
She will also have to pay a fine of $30,000 and perform 250 hours of community service. The Oscar nominee was found guilty of paying someone to proctor and correct her daughter's college board testing, which resulted in an increase of 400 points over what she had earned on the PSATs. She will have to serve the full 14-day sentence, imposed by Judge Indira Talwani, because according to federal law there is no time off for good behavior for sentences less than one year.
Born: 12-09-1962
Age: 60
Birthplace: Bedford, New York, United States of America
On October 5, 2018, Mike Sorrentino, best known as the Situation from MTV's Jersey Shore, was sentenced to eight months in prison for not paying his taxes. Both Sorrentino and his lawyer tried to push for probation with no luck.
The judge also sentenced Sorrentino to two years of supervised release, 500 hours of community service upon release, and a $10,000 fine.
Born: 07-04-1982
Age: 40
Birthplace: West New Brighton, New York City, New York
From 1999 to 2000, Robert Downey, Jr. spent almost a year in a California treatment facility and state prison after several parole violations associated with charges related to drugs.
When he was 16 years old, Mark Wahlberg harmed a Vietnamese man with a stick, knocking him unconscious. On the very same day, he harmed a second Vietnamese man who had already lost an eye in the Vietnam conflict. Both offenses were found to be unprovoked.
After pleading guilty to both counts, he was sentenced to two years in prison but only ended up serving 45 days of that sentence.
The Oscar winner is no stranger to volatile outbursts, many leading to apprehensions, yet only one incident landed him behind bars. In 1987, Sean Penn was sentenced to 60 days after punching an extra on the set of his film Colors while on probation from two prior assaults.
Lucky for him, he only served a fraction of that time thanks to then-wife Madonna for not pressing charges for a particularly brutal domestic encounter.
In 1997, Christian Slater was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend and a police officer while intoxicated. After pleading guilty, he spent three months in prison and then three months in rehabilitation. Slater previously spent 10 days in jail for a drunk driving charge in 1989.