# Celebrities who have actually served time in jail while famous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085 "2006-08-02T22:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/21 "2006-08-03T13:07:05Z")
Kelsey Grammer did time for cocaine possession. Gary Glitter was lucky to not face the [death penalty.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Glitter#Arrest_.26_trial) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/22 "2006-08-03T13:43:20Z")
You didn’t ask for U.S. celebrities, so I’ll add Salman Khan, who I believe spent jail time for poaching and possibly again for a car accident. I think. I don’t follow US celebrities much, and indian ones even less. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/23 "2006-08-03T13:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Robert Downey Jr. Muhammed Ali (who played himself in the movie, so…actor?) [/QUOTE] To the best of my knowledge Muhammad Ali did not do any jail time. When he refused induction into the Army he was charged, had his passport lifted and had his boxing licences cancelled. He was free while he appealed (all the way to the Supreme Court). Had he lost his case he faced 5 years in jail. During the appeal process he made some money doing speaking engagements, mostly on college campuses. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/24 "2006-08-03T14:07:02Z")
Christian Slater was sentenced to 3 months in jail, and actually served 2, in late 1997. IIRC, he got a 1 day furlough to attend the premiere of his eminently forgettable _Hard Rain_, the dihydrogen oxide disaster movie. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/25 "2006-08-03T14:10:14Z")
Papa John Phillips did time for abuse of prescription drugs. His book is a fascinating read. It’s amazing he lived as long as he did, considering. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/26 "2006-08-03T14:28:02Z")
Rudolph Valentino briefly served jail time for bigamy in, I believe, 1921 or '22. Mae West was jailed for two weeks for obscenity charges in the late 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/27 "2006-08-03T14:37:08Z")
Tim Allen did some time for drugs back in the late 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/28 "2006-08-03T15:31:16Z")
[QUOTE=Clothahump] Tim Allen did some time for drugs back in the late 70s. [/QUOTE] Was he famous in the late 70s? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/29 "2006-08-03T17:18:09Z")
[QUOTE=mittu] I seem to recall Craig Charles serving time in prison for a rape charge. In fact I think his detainment delayed the filming of the cult sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf and he would certainly be classed as famous at this point of his career (if only in the U.K., i’m not sure if Red Dwarf was ever big across the pond). [/QUOTE] He was detained awaiting trial, for some reason bail wasn’t offered. He was proven completely innocent in the trial when it eventually occured. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/30 "2006-08-03T17:22:50Z")
Does Gandhi count? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/31 "2006-08-03T17:48:42Z")
Does appearing on reality TV make one an actor? Original _Survivor_ winner Richard Hatch just began a [51-month sentence](http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/02082006/2/entertainment-survivor-winner-richard-hatch-sent-federal-prison-west-virginia.html) for failing to pay taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/32 "2006-08-03T18:01:34Z")
[QUOTE=FormerMarineGuy] Does Gandhi count? [/QUOTE] Nah, his sitcom tanked. Robert Blake was arrested for the murder of his wife, but later acquitted. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/33 "2006-08-03T20:05:53Z")
[QUOTE=Dooku] MLB Closer Ugueth Urbina was charged with attempted murder in Venezuela; he allegedly attacked some people with a machete, poured paint thinner on them and lit them on fire. Not sure about the outcome of that one. [/QUOTE] Attempted, after all that? Now that is incompetence. I hope he was a better pitcher than a murderer. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/34 "2006-08-03T20:36:59Z")
Both Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash had their run ins with the law, Haggard even serving prison time, but before he was really famous. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/35 "2006-08-03T20:37:12Z")
Bobby Brown, Tommy Lee ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/36 "2006-08-03T21:07:43Z")
[Stacy Keach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacy_Keach) did six months for smuggling cocaine into the UK. [Craig Charles](http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/5849/rd/craigc.html), who for some reason spent 3 months in jail before being able to get bail on a rape charge he was subsequently acquitted of. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/37 "2006-08-03T21:08:17Z")
Famous enough in the UK, comedian [Ken Dodd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Dodd) and jockey [Lester Piggott](http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/23/newsid_3755000/3755282.stm) both did time for tax evasion. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/38 "2006-08-03T21:35:13Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Attempted, after all that? Now that is incompetence. I hope he was a better pitcher than a murderer. [/QUOTE] [This](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2256632) article is the latest I can find on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/39 "2006-08-03T21:42:35Z")
[Denny McLain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_McLain), last major league pitcher to win 30 games in a season. Drug trafficking, embezzlement and racketeering. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085/40 "2006-08-03T21:45:14Z")
[QUOTE=Dooku] [This](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2256632) article is the latest I can find on the subject. [/QUOTE] I love the logic behind this: > [@](#): > > Five ranch hands, employees of Urbina for only a month, claim that Urbina and several of his friends attacked them after falsely accusing them of taking a pistol from his home. > > One suffered machete wounds to his shoulders, back and hands. Two others suffered severe burns and accuse Urbina of ordering his friends to set them on fire. If i thought someone had stolen a handgun from me, and was thinking of going after them, i’d probably arm myself with more than machetes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-have-actually-served-time-in-jail-while-famous/367085.md?page=3)