10 Celebs That Got Away With Their Crimes For Decades

10-Celebs-That-Got-Away-With-Crimes-For-Decades

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most infamous celebrities whose notorious actions went unchecked for several years before they were finally uncovered.

Stephen Collins

For about a decade, Stephen Collins portrayed a pastor and beloved father on the popular family drama “7th Heaven”. Throughout this period, Collins carefully crafted a wholesome image, which persisted even after the show ended. However, in 2014, a shocking audio recording of the actor made its way to the public. This recording, which was made two years prior during a marriage therapy session, captured Collins confessing to inappropriate contact with minors in the past. A few months later, he publicly acknowledged these crimes, specifying that they occurred between 1973 and 1994. Although Collins faced no criminal charges due to the statute of limitations, these revelations effectively brought an end to his decades-long career.

Andy Dick

Andy Dick made his mark on the comedy scene in the early ‘90s as a cast member on “The Ben Stiller Show”. Since then, he has had several run-ins with the law, mostly related to possession of substances and sexual battery. Although he was arrested multiple times for these offenses, Dick continued to enjoy success in Hollywood and managed to evade lengthy prison time. That is, until 2019 when he faced criminal charges for groping an Uber driver. Three years later, Dick was convicted of these charges and received a 90-day jail sentence, along with the requirement to register as a sex offender. While he continues to grapple with legal issues, the comedian has notably retreated from the mainstream media since.

Sean Combs

In November 2023, singer and actress Cassie filed a lawsuit against her former partner, music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The suit alleged that during their decade-long relationship, which began back in 2007, Combs subjected her to repeated incidents of physical and sexual assault. Despite denying the allegations through his attorney, Combs swiftly reached an out-of-court settlement with Cassie. The lawsuit triggered a series of additional accusations of sexual misconduct, including a case dating back to the early ‘90s and an alleged 2003 incident involving a minor. While the musician continues to contest these allegations, the repercussions have been significant. Combs stepped down as the chairman of the digital network Revolt TV and has since lost several business partnerships.

Roman Polanski

After running from the law, Roman Polanski remains a fugitive in the United States. Polanski’s criminal status stems from a 1977 incident in which he was charged with inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. The director later agreed to a plea deal, with probation as his penalty. Yet, upon discovering the judge’s intention to impose a prison sentence, Polanski fled the country, eventually settling in his native France. Despite attempts to extradite him to the U.S. to face justice, Polanski has remained a free man. He received support from prominent Hollywood figures and even won the 2002 Oscar for Best Director. Nevertheless, amid the rise of the MeToo movement and other assault allegations, Polanski was expelled from the Motion Picture Academy.

Russell Brand

Allegations of sexual misconduct have dogged Russell Brand from as far back as 2006. However, none of those led to any significant repercussions for the comedian. The turning point came in 2023, following a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and the Channel 4 documentary series “Dispatches”. This probe uncovered accusations from five women who claimed that they had been sexually assaulted by Brand between 2006 and 2013. The fallout was swift: Brand was dropped by his agent and some of his online platforms were demonetized. Yet, he staunchly denied all allegations. In September 2023, the Metropolitan Police initiated an investigation into the comedian, urging any potential victim to come forward.

Woody Allen

In 1992, Woody Allen faced serious accusations of sexual impropriety with a minor. Shockingly, the alleged victim was his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, from his relationship with actress Mia Farrow. Allen vehemently denied the allegations and continues to maintain his innocence. Nevertheless, the claims were investigated by state officials in Connecticut and New York, although neither resulted in criminal charges. The scandal gradually faded and Allen resumed his career, garnering numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In 2014, the controversy resurfaced when Allen received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement. It was also the subject of the 2021 HBO miniseries “Allen v. Farrow,” which the director criticized as a “hatchet job riddled with falsehoods”.

Danny Masterson

Famous for his work on “That '70s Show” and “The Ranch,” actor Danny Masterson made headlines in 2017 for all the wrong reasons. Masterson was the target of sexual assault allegations levelled by three women, which resulted in an investigation by the LAPD. In 2020, criminal charges were officially brought against the actor for the three incidents, which were alleged to have occurred back in 2001 and 2003. Masterson pleaded not guilty and faced two trials for the crimes. The first ended in a hung jury, but in the second trial, he was convicted of two out of the three cases. In September 2023, two decades after the crimes occurred, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Bill Cosby

60. At least 60 women have accused disgraced actor Bill Cosby of sexual assault, with the earliest incidents dating back to the 1960s. These accusations trailed Cosby for decades, but he somehow managed to maintain a pristine public image as “America’s Dad”. That all changed in October 2014 when comedian Hannibal Buress’ reference to the allegations in a stand-up routine reignited public attention. The following year, Cosby was charged with three counts of indecent assault for a 2004 incident that occurred at his home. He was eventually found guilty of these charges and sentenced to three to ten years in prison. However, this conviction was overturned on a legal technicality in 2021, resulting in Cosby’s release.

Harvey Weinstein

Once upon a time, Harvey Weinstein held significant influence as a Hollywood producer. However, he grossly misused this power, sexually assaulting and harassing dozens of women under the guise of advancing their careers. For decades, Weinstein’s actions were mere whispers in Hollywood, but they eventually gained widespread attention. That came in 2017 when The New York Times and The New Yorker published detailed accounts from many women, accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. These revelations sparked the global MeToo movement, which exposed widespread instances of sexual misconduct by powerful figures. In 2020, Weinstein’s day of reckoning finally came. He was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 23 years in prison.

R. Kelly

The first time R. Kelly faced criminal charges related to sexual misconduct was in 2002. Kelly had been found with inappropriate material apparently depicting him having unlawful contact with a minor. However, due to the alleged victim’s unwillingness to cooperate, Kelly was acquitted of all charges in 2008. He resumed his music career afterwards and continued to work for years, until the release of the bombshell Lifetime docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” in January 2019. The program detailed shocking accusations from multiple women about Kelly’s sexual misconduct. He was arrested and tried on multiple charges including racketeering. This time, Kelly was convicted and sentenced to a combined 31 years in prison. He is scheduled for release in 2045.


Which of these celebrity revelations stunned you the most? Let us know in the comments below.