10 Celebs With a Secret Criminal in the Family

10 Celebs With a Secret Criminal in the Family

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notable celebrities with family members who have a criminal past that’s somewhat known but not extensively discussed.

Keanu Reeves

Hollywood action star Keanu Reeves was only three years old when his father, Samuel Reeves Jr., walked out on the family. The two barely spoke afterwards, and last met in person when Reeves was 13. As the actor’s career began to flourish, his father’s life went on a downward spiral. In the early 90s, Reeves Jr. was arrested for possession of narcotics and received a 10-year prison sentence. His subsequent attempts to reestablish a connection with Reeves were unsuccessful, as the actor chose to remain estranged from his father and rarely ever acknowledged him in public. Reeves Jr. passed away in 2018, and reports indicate that neither Reeves nor his sister, Kim, attended the funeral.

Julia Fox

Actress Julia Fox gained fame for her breakout performance in the crime thriller “Uncut Gems.” But it seems her ties to criminals extend far beyond the 2019 film. In 2023, Fox's brother, Christopher, and their father, Thomas, were arrested from their Manhattan apartment after police found ghost guns, narcotics and explosive materials in the residence. Although it appears Thomas was spared of criminal charges, Christopher was brought up on a variety of offenses, including criminal possession of a controlled substance, manufacture of a machine gun and criminal possession of a firearm. Fox initially avoided addressing the issue in public, but she later admitted to feeling “embarrassed” by the whole situation.

Kimora Lee Simmons

In many ways, Kimora Lee Simmons’ life mirrored that of her father, Vernon Whitlock Jr. Both distinguished themselves early in their respective careers. Simmons rose to the top of the fashion industry, becoming one of the first women of color to head a major label. Meanwhile, her father excelled in law enforcement and was the first African-American Deputy Federal Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri. However, things took a troubling turn for Whitlock Jr. after he left law enforcement to become a bail bondsman. He was discovered to have traded bonds for jewelry or sexual favors, and also dealt drugs. Whitlock Jr. was sentenced to 24 years in prison, but was released after three years upon agreeing to turn on his supplier.

Michael Douglas

He may have garnered acclaim for playing fictional criminals, but in real life, it’s Michael Douglas’ son, Cameron, who has a criminal past. Cameron’s first run-in with the law was in 2007 when he faced charges for possession of a controlled substance. Then, in 2010, while under house arrest for a previous offense, Cameron was found with drugs his girlfriend had smuggled to him for personal use and distribution. This earned him a five-year prison sentence, which was later extended by 54 months. Thankfully, since his release in 2016, Cameron has achieved sobriety and appears to be getting his life back on track. He shared his journey in the 2019 memoir, “Long Way Home,” recounting his time behind bars.

Paris Hilton

Since emerging into the public eye, Paris Hilton has had several run-ins with the law that wouldn’t necessarily be news to anyone at this point. Back in 2007, she infamously served time in jail for a probation violation. But while Hilton’s legal issues are well-known, those of her younger brother, Conrad, have largely flown under the radar. Over the years, Conrad has been arrested for several offenses, including threatening crew members on a flight and allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home. In 2016, Conrad was sentenced to two months in prison for violating the terms of his parole by engaging in illicit drug use. While his family found the news of his sentence disappointing, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s rise to fame was plagued by several controversies and legal troubles. But he’s not the only one in the family who has faced such challenges. His father, Jeremy, has also seen his fair share of arrests and jail time. Back in 1997, Jeremy was sentenced to 90 days in jail along with two years of probation for the crime of assault causing bodily harm. After regaining his freedom, he violated his probation, which led to even more jail time. Even as Bieber soared to global pop stardom during his teenage years, Jeremy didn’t seem to set a positive example, as he consistently made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Tobey Maguire

Long before he became a big name in Hollywood, Tobey Maguire endured a tough upbringing, marked by years of poverty. Compounding the family’s struggles, Maguire’s father, Vincent, faced a terrifying health diagnosis, which led him to commit a drastic act: robbing a bank. Shockingly, Vincent targeted the branch just across the street from his house in Reseda, California. Even worse, he decided to carry out the robbery in broad daylight, without any form of disguise. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before he was caught. Vincent ended up pleading guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison. Although he has mentioned the incident in an interview, Maguire has refrained from discussing it in depth.

Marlon Brando

Throughout his life, the great Marlon Brando was romantically involved with several women, fathering 11 children with them. Among his offspring, only the first, Christian Brando, gained notoriety. That’s because on May 16th 1990, Christian shot and killed Dag Drollet, the partner of his half-sister Cheyenne, who was eight months pregnant at the time. Christian claimed the shooting was accidental, stating that he only intended to intimidate Drollet after learning of his violent behavior towards Cheyenne. Initially arraigned on first-degree murder, Christian eventually reached a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to manslaughter and receiving a prison sentence of five years. The incident was a huge scandal for Brando, who admitted feeling like he had “failed as a father.”

Billy Bob Thornton

Between 1978 and 1980, actor Billy Bob Thornton was married to Melissa Gatlin, with whom he had one daughter, Amanda Brumfield. After Thornton and Gatlin separated, he and Brumfield remained estranged, but by 2005, they had reconnected and seemed to have a good relationship. However, in 2008, Brumfield was arrested for the murder of her friend’s daughter, who was left in her care. She initially said it was an accident, but prosecutors argued that the girl’s injuries suggested otherwise. Consequently, Brumfield was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Later on, evidence emerged suggesting Brumfield might not have been guilty. In 2020, she reached a deal with prosecutors, resulting in her release, although her conviction was not overturned.

Woody Harrelson

Actor Woody Harrelson’s parents couldn’t have been more starkly different. While his mother, Diane, worked as a secretary, his father, Charles, pursued a darker profession as a hitman. Charles’ most notorious crime occurred in 1979 when he was hired by a drug dealer to kill U.S. district judge John H. Wood Jr. This was the first time a federal judge was assassinated in the 20th century, and it earned Charles two life sentences. Prior to this, Charles had already served five years in prison for another murder. He later made unverified claims of his involvement in the John F. Kennedy assassination, though there is little evidence supporting this. In 2007, he died in prison of a heart attack.



What other convicted criminals from famous families do you know of? Let us know in the comments below.