10 Times Child Stars Got Arrested

Top 10 Times Child Stars Got Arrested

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 times child stars got arrested.

For this list, we’ll be looking at actors who achieved fame at a young age, but went on to have run-ins with the law. Some of them served time in prison while others had to pay a fine and do community service.

Which one of these stories shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!

#10: Shia LaBeouf

As a kid, Shia LaBeouf was best known for his role in “Even Stevens.” But little do people know that he was held in jail for the first time when he was nine years old after stealing a pair of Nikes. He was held for six hours. But his first serious arrest happened in 2007 when he tried to stab his neighbor and spent two days in jail. In the same year, he was arrested again after refusing to leave the Chicago Walgreens store in the middle of the night. Since then, he’s been arrested at least half a dozen other times, most notably in 2014, when he drunkenly shouted obscenities during a Broadway performance of “Cabaret”.

#9: Mischa Barton

Back in the day, Mischa Barton was the IT girl of 2003. But going into adulthood, she got herself into several controversies, including her DUI arrest in 2007. She was driving under the influence in West Hollywood and as a result, she was given a 36 months probation along with a fine and alcohol education classes. She revealed that the arrest was her wake up call and a low point in her life as she never thought she’d ever be arrested in her life. She was so embarrassed she didn’t even want to leave her house!

#8: Orlando Brown

You probably remember Orlando Brown from “That’s So Raven.” But do you remember his complicated legal history? Following a public altercation with his girlfriend, he was charged in 2016 for domestic battery, obstruction of justice, and drug possession with intent to sell. He was arrested several more times in 2018, for domestic battery, drug possession, and even burglary! In the latter instance, he was caught breaking into a restaurant owned by his longtime friend Danny Boy and attempting to change the locks. Boy called the cops, and Brown ended up in jail on a $13,000 bail.

#7: Tatum O'Neal

At the age of 10, Tatum O’Neal was the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award. However, she had an extremely difficult childhood, which she’s attributed to her parents’ alleged drug use. After her divorce in 1994 from tennis player John McEnroe, she developed her own addiction. In 2008, she was arrested on suspicion of buying drugs on the streets of New York City. She spent a night in jail after claiming she was only doing research for one of her future roles. She later changed her story and said that she’d relapsed and that the arrest saved her.

#6: Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment got his breakthrough role as Forrest Junior in the classic “Forrest Gump” movie. It was an instant claim to fame and one that gave him a sneak peek into the Hollywood lifestyle at a young age. But in 2006, things took a dark turn as Osment was charged with three misdemeanors, one of which included driving under the influence. His blood-alcohol content was double the legal limit, which resulted in him crashing his car. He was also charged for marijuana possession and driving under the age of 21 while intoxicated.

#5: Bug Hall

This little rascal became a big rascal! Bug Hall is best known for his shenanigans as Alfalfa in “Little Rascals.” But to the Texas police, Bug, whose real name is Brandon, is known for allegedly huffing. In case you’re not familiar with the lingo, huffing involves inhaling fumes from household substances - and it’s extremely dangerous. Bug was arrested in 2020 after police were called to the scene for possible poisoning over huffing by the dumpster. However, since then it looks like Bug has been keeping a low profile and hasn’t caused any other scenes - at least as far as we know!

#4: Mitchel Musso

Yup, that’s right. Our very own Oliver Oken from “Hannah Montana” was arrested for drunken driving in 2011, when he was still underage. He was 20 years old when he failed to slow down when approaching an intersection and was pulled over by police. He failed a field sobriety test as his blood alcohol content was reported to be over the .08 limit. This seemed to have been Mitchel’s only demeanor. He got several roles after his arrest so it’s safe to say that it didn’t seem to affect his career too much, but he is extremely lucky he didn’t have or cause an accident.

#3: Macaulay Culkin

The “Home Alone” star had a very public spiral from his childhood stardom into a very hectic 20s and beyond. In 2004, Culkin’s mugshot was all over the news. He was charged with marijuana and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. In later years, he often seeed to look frail and rumors of substance abuse started to spread. However, Culkin has said that he’s cleaned up his act, calling recreational drugs “old friends” that he “[outgrew]”. In 2021, he welcomed his first child with Brenda Song, another popular actress that grew to fame from being a child star.

#2: Amanda Bynes

Speaking of public spirals, people started to notice that the “Amanda Show” star was experiencing one of her own when she started posting a series of extremely odd tweets. The first time Bynes was arrested was in 2012 - she was driving under the influence and hit a stopped police car. Four days later, she hit another car and fled the scene. A couple of months later, she was charged with a DUI and asked President Obama on Twitter to fire the cop that arrested her … before hitting another car a few months later. The following year, she was hit with drug charges, and detained after allegedly lighting a fire in a stranger’s driveway.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Jake Lloyd
Arrested in 2015 After Leading Police Officers on a High Speed Chase

David Faustino
Arrested in 2007 for Possessing Pot

Lalaine
Arrested in 2017 for Felony Possession

Kyle Massey
Arrested in 2021 for Immoral Communication with a Minor

#1: Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan has had plenty of run-ins with the law over the years. From DUIs to drug charges, she’s no stranger to getting arrested. Her first arrest happened in 2007, when she was charged with driving under the influence and possession of drugs. A couple of months later, it happened again. In August that year, she spent one day in jail and had to do 10 days of community service. In November, she spent another 84 minutes in jail but was released due to overcrowding. Since then, she’s been involved in numerous other run-ins with the law, including for stealing a necklace worth $2,500!