# Corey Haim has died....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 10, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967 "2010-03-10T13:42:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/21 "2010-03-10T16:49:29Z")

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> [@fuzzypickles](#):
>
> Hate to be crass but…he was still alive?
> 
> Seriously, I could’ve sworn he OD’d years ago.

Nah, he was in a coma after ODing and I think was rushed to hospital a bunch of other times. I think he got beat up by his (much older) ex-girlfriend too, when trying to get money from her to buy drugs.

The dude was trying to sell his rotted teeth and clumps of hair on eBay until they pulled the auctions for TOS violations. He’s been in a bad way for awhile.

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**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/22 "2010-03-10T16:56:44Z")

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> [@Lips\_Obsession](#):
>
> I always thought for sure that Feldman would be the first to OD…

> [@melodyharmonius](#):
>
> Except isn’t Feldman in the midst of a divorce now?

Feldman is going through a divorce right now, but he actually pretty much got his act together quite some time ago - I think back in the 1990s when he was in “Dweebs” or some other sitcom that didn’t last long. I think he attributed getting his shit together to his relationship with his wife that made him grow up and stop being a jackass. He’s had a couple relapses with drugs and jackassitude, but overall he’s probably been less f\*cked up than, say, Charlie Sheen.

He’s had a pretty solid career doing voice work, IIRC.

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**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/23 "2010-03-10T17:24:31Z")

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> [@Lips\_Obsession](#):
>
> I always thought for sure that Feldman would be the first to OD…

I would say Corey Feldman probably has a worse reputation, possibly underservedly post-wildchild days, because he was still functional enough to keep working and have at least one foot still toeing the limelight. He was still visible and in the public eye, even if it mostly meant that his primary relevancy was as the butt of jokes.

Corey Haim, on the other hand, has been essentially unemployable (fired in 1996 for on-set drug use, filed for bankruptcy in 1997) and has been withering, ignored by the public for probably more than a decade. He’s been half-dead for a decade. His mom still managed the rubble of his career and would drag his carcass to conventions to sell autographs, but he was pretty much ignored by showbiz media. He was barely able to get a scrap of newspaper space here, in his home town, when he was in a coma after a drug-abuse induced stroke. He got just a few lines of coverage on snark sites when was trying to sell his teeth online to pay for the stroke-related medical bills.

So Feldman’s rep is bad, but Haim’s reality was far worse.

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/24 "2010-03-10T17:36:47Z")

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Well, that’s sad. Sad life, sad death.

I don’t know about Corey Feldman getting his shit together - he was in Surreal Life in an early season, and he looked like a complete jerk in that. Saying that he was the _good_ Corey isn’t saying much.

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**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/25 "2010-03-10T18:00:05Z")

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> [@Eats\_Crayons](#):
>
> I would say Corey Feldman probably has a worse reputation, possibly underservedly post-wildchild days, because he was still functional enough to keep working and have at least one foot still toeing the limelight.

So in reality he didn’t screw up as bad, but he was screwing up _publicly_? Yeah, I can see that. Feldman is the guy you look at thinking “Man, I wanna slap the smirk right off his face.” But Haim fell right off the planet.

> [@Cat Whisperer](#):
>
> I don’t know about Corey Feldman getting his shit together - he was in Surreal Life in an early season, and he looked like a complete jerk in that. Saying that he was the good Corey isn’t saying much.

He was the good f_ck-up, but still a major f_ck-up. Feldman was the douchebaggier one personality-wise, but I think Haim seemed genuinely stupid.

ETA: not meaning to speak ill of the dead.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/26 "2010-03-10T18:03:35Z")

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> [@melodyharmonius](#):
>
> The important thing is that you aim _high_.

Saw what you did there . . .

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/27 "2010-03-10T18:56:51Z")

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The pity is that he had a couple of real chances and incentives to get it together- the lame reality show with Feldman and the revival of _The Lost Boys_. IIRC he had just a cameo in _Lost Boys 2_ because of his unreliability (Feldman had a featured part) and Haim even fu[dg]ed the cameo up because he couldn’t stay straight.

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/28 "2010-03-10T19:19:02Z")

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According to his mother, who is battling breast cancer, Haim was helping her out at home. So, say whatever else about him, but at least he tried to do some good near the end of his life.

[http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/03/corey-haim-passed-while-helping-mother-judy-battle-cancer.html](http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/03/corey-haim-passed-while-helping-mother-judy-battle-cancer.html)

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/29 "2010-03-10T19:25:56Z")

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Which one was friends with Michael Jackson?

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**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/30 "2010-03-10T19:28:54Z")

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> [@Markxxx](#):
>
> Which one was friends with Michael Jackson?

Corey Feldman - he emulated him and was influenced by him.

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/31 "2010-03-10T19:29:29Z")

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> [@Chimera](#):
>
> I think anyone who saw _The Two Coreys_ knew Feldman had his shit together and that Haim was pretty much on the waiting list for death.

To be fair, it’s all relative. Having your shit together compared to Haim wasn’t much of a feat.

Sadly, clearly, it was a long time coming. I know people who worked with him maybe a decade ago and they can’t believe he held on so long. Where he was, you either go through a complete transformation or you burn out completely. He seemed to be barely holding on, in and out of rehab with glimmers of hope getting weaker and weaker.

It is a real shame that A&E didn’t even try to do something genuine with the reality show. What a mess that was, with the stupid, obvious set-ups and bad sitcom music. I would have much preferred to see the real thing. Though part of me wonders if it was just former child star instinct to act when a camera was around.

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**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/32 "2010-03-10T19:38:45Z")

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I watched the Two Coreys show and mentioned to my wife that he wasn’t long in this world. It’s sad that he never really grew up!  
On the show, they alluded to a “friend” who took advantage of both of them, and that Corey Feldman was still friends with. He also resented the fact that Corey had movies before him and still had somewhat of a career.  
He really was a lost boy.

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/33 "2010-03-10T19:50:47Z")

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Apparently the Jackie Coogan Laws that were enacted to protect the money of child actors are pretty much a joke. Corey Feldman said he earned millions before he was 17 and had $40,000 left in an account, which he gave to his father as his “fee” for not challenging his emancipation. Haim also was broke by the time he was in his late teens- ditto the _Diff’rent Strokes_ cast, and while Macauley Culkin isn’t broke his parents earned millions from his work.  
Does anybody know how those laws work? Apparently the parents can access a good portion of it and have some control over the rest. I had thought the lion’s share of the money was supposed to be tied up in trusts until they were in their 20s or whatever.

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**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/34 "2010-03-10T20:20:18Z")

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Yes there are ways to get around the “Jackie Coogan Law.”

First of all remember the “Jackie Coogan Law,” is a California law, not a nationwide law. Since most movies and TV take place in California, it works for the most part. And most states have similar type laws but those aren’t as strict as California’s law.

Second remember that a parent is entitled to a portion of his child’s income, whether it’s in a film or if he works at Taco Bell. (There are a few exceptions to this)

A lot of money earned by child actors is missing but it’s not really missing. Like any actor they still have to pay, managers (10% to 20%) agency fees (another 10% to 15%) then accountants, lawyer fees etc.

OK if I recall the kids on “Home Improvement” earned $10,000/episode. The show ran for 9 years and ran for 204 episodes. OK let’s say for the sake of argument one of the kids was in all 204 episodes.

$10,000 X 204 = $2,040,000

Out of that amount subtract out 10% for agent fees and 10% for manager fees (it was probably higher)

2,040,000 - 408,000 = -1,632.000 now how much of that goes to taxes 40% or more? Let's say 40% or 816,000 (off the 2+ Million). So subtract that from 1.6 million and get $816,000

OK the math is a little weak with the estimates,l but you can see alreayd this Over two million dollars earned by a child actor over 9 years isn’t even a million dollars now

And again, I wasn’t even accounting for lawyers and such which also grab a cut.

Now if the family may try to save manager fees for example by making a parent the manager. This is usually a bad idea. Look at Macauley Culkin, his parents made BAD CHOICES for him in movie roles. He’s also not a good example, because “Home Alone,” was a fluke. It was low budget and no one ever thought it would do as good as it did. No one on that movie got paid what they were worth, 'cause no one though it’d be the megahit it was.

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**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/35 "2010-03-10T20:28:50Z")

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> [@cochrane](#):
>
> According to his mother, who is battling breast cancer, Haim was helping her out at home. So, say whatever else about him, but at least he tried to do some good near the end of his life.
> 
> [http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/03/corey-haim-passed-while-helping-mother-judy-battle-cancer.html](http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/03/corey-haim-passed-while-helping-mother-judy-battle-cancer.html)

Not to be a cynical bastard, but Corey Haim was living with his mom for a _long_ time, and not to help her out either, but rather because he was so screwed up that he had to move back in with mommy. A [Washed Up Celebrity](http://washedupcelebrities.blogspot.com/2007/01/corey-haim.html) site summarizes his trainwreckedness pretty well.

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/36 "2010-03-10T21:22:56Z")

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> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> Man, Lucas long has been a fave of mine, as it was shot in my current hometown. The movie theater, tennis courts, and high school are all along my daily walk to and from the train. Gonna have to recommend that the Glen host a retrospective. Come to think of it, watching that movie is the only time I’ve ever seen all of the lights on that marquee working…

_Lucas_ was always a favorite of mine, because one of the scenes in the film (the locker room scene) was actually filmed in my high school’s boys locker room. I know this, because I was in school on the day of filming. (The rest of the school scenes were filmed at a different school in a neighboring city, IIRC.) I wonder if we’re talking about the same city and school?

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**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/37 "2010-03-10T22:06:41Z")

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Huh. He was on prescription drugs, suffering from flu-like symptoms and collapsed in front of his mother who then called 911.

Doesn’t this sound like Brittany Murphy: The Sequel?

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/38 "2010-03-10T22:48:50Z")

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> **[Corey Haim Approached by 'Celebrity Rehab'](https://www.tmz.com/2010/03/10/corey-haim-celebrity-rehab-dr-drew-casting-died-death-drugs/)**
>
> Corey Haim was approached in the last 10 days by the casting company for "Celebrity Rehab" ... TMZ has learned.

Corey Haim was approached in the last 10 days by the casting company for “Celebrity Rehab” … TMZ has learned.

Sources connected with Dr. Drew’s show tell us casting producers called Corey. They say he was “extremely defensive and insulted, saying, ‘It’s the last show I’d ever do.’”

Our sources say the 3-minute conversation ended with Corey saying, “I do not need help.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/39 "2010-03-11T00:47:31Z")

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> [@Stephe96](#):
>
> Huh. He was on prescription drugs, suffering from flu-like symptoms and collapsed in front of his mother who then called 911.
> 
> Doesn’t this sound like Brittany Murphy: The Sequel?

It is possible that he died of natural causes, but given his history, it would be like saying a long-time alcoholic, John Smith, died of natural causes: cirrhosis of the liver leading to organ failure. Haim had a stroke at the age of 29 as a direct cause of drug use. At 38, his body may have been so screwed up, a cough lozenge and a case of the sniffles was enough to kill him. You just can’t abuse your body the way he did on an ongoing basis.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corey-haim-has-died/531967/40 "2010-03-11T04:12:34Z")

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> [@Markxxx](#):
>
> Out of that amount subtract out 10% for agent fees and 10% for manager fees (it was probably higher)
> 
> 2,040,000 - 408,000 = -1,632.000 now how much of that goes to taxes 40% or more? Let's say 40% or 816,000 (off the 2+ Million). So subtract that from 1.6 million and get $816,000

Since the agent and manager fees are business expenses, wouldn’t they be deductible?

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