Nearly bankrupt: These celebs lost all their money at some point

Jason Momoa: just one season in 'Game of Thrones'
Will Smith's debts to the Treasury
On the verge of bankruptcy
Michael Jackson, consumed by the flames of glory
Big spending habits
Kim Basinger's risky investment
Had to pay $3.8 million
Chris Pratt was poor before he became a star
He had to work as a waiter
Johnny Depp and his astronomical expenses
He was spending $33,000 a month on wine
Lindsay Lohan's financial problems
She tried the music business
Donald Trump, millionaire on paper
Jodie Sweetin and her tax debts
Alimony and expenses of her four divorces took its toll on her
When 50 Cent went bankrupt
'Bitcoin made him a millionaire'
Nicolas Cage: a castle and an island
Medieval castle Midford
Brendan Fraser: alimony troubles
Had to pay $900,000 a year in alimony for the three children
Burt Reynolds, a life marked by excess
He filed for bankruptcy in 1996 with a debt of $10 million
Stephen Baldwin: enemy of the tax man
He lost his house
Wesley Snipes, bankruptcy and prison
Did you know Walt Disney also had serious financial problems?
Jason Momoa: just one season in 'Game of Thrones'

It may be hard to believe, but after Jason Momoa finished his part of Khal Drogo in 'Game of Thrones,' he was completely broke and did not know how to support his family. Momoa only appeared in the first season of the legendary series and did not get a lot of roles afterward.

 

"I couldn’t get work"

Years later, Momoa told InStyle that he'd been "starving" to pay all the bills for his two young children with actress Lisa Bonet. "I couldn’t get work. It’s very challenging when you have babies and you’re completely in debt."

Will Smith's debts to the Treasury

'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' saved Will Smith from a million-dollar debt. He had made a lot of money with his 1988 rap album 'Parents Just Don't Understand,' but the artist did not declare it to the IRS. Soon enough, the tax authorities demanded $2.8 million from him.

 

On the verge of bankruptcy

On the verge of filing for bankruptcy, the actor signed a contract with NBC to play in The Prince of Bel-Air. For the first three seasons, the Treasury kept 70% of his salary.

Michael Jackson, consumed by the flames of glory

Michael Jackson's sudden death in 2009 led to the discovery of a debt of nearly half a billion dollars. His famous Neverland ranch was about to be foreclosed.

 

Big spending habits

The cause of all of this was the King of Pop's big spending habits. He had taken out one loan after another. Fortunately, his heirs easily repaid the debt through his estate.

Kim Basinger's risky investment

The Hollywood muse of the 1980s invested $20 million in a company that would create a tourist resort and a film and television production center in Braselton, Georgia in 1993. The project failed and the actress lost everything she had invested.

 

Had to pay $3.8 million

To top it off, Main Line Pictures sued Basinger for the breach of a verbal contract to act in the film 'Boxing Helena.' She reached an agreement with the production company in 1995 and had to pay them $3.8 million.

Chris Pratt was poor before he became a star

Unlike many colleagues, Chris Pratt knew what poverty was before he came to Hollywood. He slept in a van or on the beach and worked as a waiter to pay for his food and gas.

 

He had to work as a waiter

At the time he was working as a waiter, Rae Dawn Chong spotted him and offered him an audition for 'Cursed: Part III.' It was the first film role of a successful career.

Johnny Depp and his astronomical expenses

At one point in his career, Johnny Depp managed to earn an average of $30 million per film. A nice sum he immediately reinvested in mansions, cars, islands, parties, and a not-so-sustainable lifestyle.

 

He was spending $33,000 a month on wine

In 2017, he sued his financial team, accusing them of letting him go bankrupt. When he was reminded that he was spending $33,000 a month on wine, the actor was outraged because it didn't seem that much to him.

Lindsay Lohan's financial problems

After being Disney's rising star, Lindsay Lohan became famous for her party-girl lifestyle. LiLo's fortunes went from one million to a meager $800,000 in 2018.

 

She tried the music business

To get back on her feet, the actress decided to release an album that turned out to be, unsurprisingly, a resounding failure.

Donald Trump, millionaire on paper

Although Donald Trump has never personally filed for bankruptcy, his companies filed for bankruptcy up to six times, according to Politifact. His Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City was the first to go bankrupt in 1991.

 

 

"I used the laws of the land to my advantage"

After that, and until 2009, the businessman's casinos, hotels, and resorts suffered the same fate. "Basically, I used the laws of the land to my advantage, like many others at the top of the business world," he told Forbes.

 

Jodie Sweetin and her tax debts

She was the child star of the 80s sitcom 'Full House.' When that ended, Jodie Sweetin took refuge in the consumption of all sorts of substances. She accumulated a debt of $53,000 to the public treasury.

 

Alimony and expenses of her four divorces took its toll on her

To her debts, Jodie Sweetin had to add the alimony payments for her two children and the expenses caused by her four divorces. When she was hired to act in 'Fuller House,' the remake of the sitcom in 2016, Sweetin was literally broke.

When 50 Cent went bankrupt

The rapper and actor, a 21st-century superstar, had a debt of 32.5 million dollars that forced him to go bankrupt in 2013. The reasons for this debt were several lawsuits and arrears in alimony payments.

 

'Bitcoin made him a millionaire'

However, three years later, TMZ reported that 50 Cent had become a millionaire thanks to the 700 bitcoins he had earned for an album. The rapper himself has always denied it.

Nicolas Cage: a castle and an island

There were years when the actor earned $40 million for his work in Hollywood. However, he spent it faster than he made it. Between 1996 and 2011, Nicholas Cage wasted over $150 million.

 

 

Medieval castle Midford

The actor had a mansion in Malibu, the medieval castle Midford, and even an island in the Exuma archipelago. His 15 properties led him to file for bankruptcy and accept whatever roles he could get in recent years.

Brendan Fraser: alimony troubles

The man who aspired to become a big Hollywood star with 'The Mummy' had several bad moments in his career. For a long time, until he triumphed with his Oscar-winning role in 'The Whale' (2022), Fraser had to pick up small roles and watch his spending.

 

Had to pay $900,000 a year in alimony for the three children

According to several media reports, Brendan Fraser has had to pay $900,000 a year in alimony for the three children he had with his ex-wife Afton Smith. That's more than he makes.

Burt Reynolds, a life marked by excess

"I've squandered more money than you can imagine," the actor told Vanity Fair in 2015. A private plane and up to $100,000 in wigs in the 1980s were among his many excesses.

 

He filed for bankruptcy in 1996 with a debt of $10 million

Add to those expenses his divorce from Loni Anderson in 1994, for which Reynolds had to pay $2 million plus a monthly pension of $47,000, and there was not much left in his pocket. He filed for bankruptcy in 1996 with a debt of $10 million.

Stephen Baldwin: enemy of the tax man

In 2009, Stephen Baldwin had to file for bankruptcy because he could not afford to pay the taxes he owed nor repay his two big loans. The ordeal was repeated in 2017.

 

He lost his house

After six years without paying his mortgage, he lost his house. He also spent five years on parole for failing to pay his taxes for three consecutive years. In short, Baldwin is not a friend of the IRS.

Wesley Snipes, bankruptcy and prison

In 2006, the legendary Blade went bankrupt. A few months later, he was found guilty of tax fraud and tax evasion for an income of $12 million. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

Did you know Walt Disney also had serious financial problems?

It is hard to believe that the creator of today's largest entertainment empire was suffering from financial difficulties. Yet his early productions were not as successful as expected. Everything changed when Mickey Mouse came into his life.

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