When most people imagine life as a Hollywood star, they think of glitz, glam, and all the money you could possibly dream of. A-list celebrities are paid huge amounts of money to appear in films, television shows, and even advertisements. These stars hang out at the most exclusive clubs, drink the most expensive drinks, and wear the finest clothes. It’s all too easy to assume that someone of such high status would remain extremely rich throughout their life.
Sadly, however, this isn’t the case. A lot of celebrities are stunned when they receive their first large check for work in a film or television show. There are a lot of celebrities who come from a poor background, and never learned how to properly manage large amounts of money. If you’re getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, it’s easy to think that that money will never run out.
Spending Money Lavishly
As a result, these celebrities will squander their money on a lavish lifestyle without understanding the consequences. If that overspending becomes a habit, even the most prestigious role won’t earn them enough money to keep afloat. After some time, many celebrities realize with horror that they are tremendously in debt.
In some cases, these celebrities are able to get their life back on track by learning good financial habits. Nicholas Cage, for example, grew very used to a comfortable lifestyle, and spent over $150 million on cars, houses, and other expensive things. He soon found himself broke, but was able to turn his life back around after coming face to face with the reality that he had run out of money.
Not every celebrity has been so fortunate, however. There are dozens of huge celebrities that were unable to fix their precarious financial situations, and ultimately died incredibly poor. In today’s video, we’re going to take a look at sixteen celebrities who sadly died broke. Make sure you stick around, because we’re going to reveal how Ava Gardner, one of the most iconic female actors in America, tragically died poor.
Corey Haim
Corey Haim was a Canadian actor who found fame as a teenager in films like License to Drive, Dream a Little Dram, and The Lost Boys. He and his fellow actor Corey Feldman worked wonderfully together, and the iconic duo became household names in the 1980s, when they appeared in seven films together and even had their own reality show, called The Two Coreys. Sadly, however, Corey Haim fell into a life of drugs, and he squandered away his money until he died of pneumonia on March 10th, 2010. He was so poor that his family couldn’t even afford to pay for his funeral, and they had to ask for fans to donate.
Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner was one of the most influential actors of her time. Her career was incredibly successful from the 1940s to the 1970s. She was most famous for her acting in the film Mogambo, but she was also well known for her lavish lifestyle and famous friends and lovers, including Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, and Ernest Hemingway. Towards the end of her life, however, her roles dried up, and so did her money. While nobody knows exactly how all of her fortune disappeared, it was very clear that she relied on her ex-husband, Frank Sinatra’s financial support to get her through the final years of her life.
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is a film legend, best known for his roles in the movies Black Stallion and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. However, his family mismanaged most of his finances, forcing him to sell his assets. He died at age 93 nearly penniless.
Bobby Driscoll
Bobby Driscoll was a huge Disney star in the 1940s and 50s. He was the voice actor behind the beloved character Peter Pan, and also starred in Treasure Island. He became addicted to drugs at the tender age of 17, however, which ultimately tanked his career. Then, he lost all his money and died in 1968 from excessive drug use.
Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi became a legend for his work in horror films, most notably in the film Dracula in 1931. He grew frustrated with being typecast, however, and tried to break out into different roles, which didn’t end well. His career suffered, and he grew dependent on drugs. He died very poor, but is remembered today as a horror film legend.
Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman was a beloved actor in the 1970s and 80s, known best for his roles in Jimmy the Kid, The Kid With the Broken Halo,and On the Right Track. He suffered from numerous health problems, however, and his finances suffered as a result, and he filed for bankruptcy in the 1990s. In 2010, he sadly died from a fall that was likely caused by a seizure.
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is well known for his work in films like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Towards the end of his career, however, his roles became less prominent, and he retired bitterly. While he had plenty of money after his retirement, he was a notorious gambler. He squandered all of his money to the addiction, and he died terribly poor.
Hedy Lamarr
In the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was famous for her unparalleled beauty in the film industry. She ultimately left film in the 1960s, however, and soon ran out of money entirely. In 1966, she was so poor that she was caught shoplifting. In the 1970s, she attempted to sue countless people in an attempt to regain some of her wealth. It didn’t work, however, and she died with very little money.
People were shocked to discover that such a huge star could end her life with so little money. Make sure you stick around until the very end, though, because we’re going to reveal how an even more iconic star, Judy Garland, died completely broke! And if you’re enjoying the video so far, please take a moment to like this video and subscribe to our channel for more!
Ed Wood
Ed Wood was famously mocked for the terrible films he directed. He had a bizarre taste which ultimately ruined his career. He and his wife struggled to pay rent and became alcoholics out of depression. They enlisted the help of a friend, who allowed them to move into his home. Sadly, however, just three days after the couple moved in, Ed Wood died of a heart attack.
Frances Farmer
Frances Farmer was a huge star in the 1930s and early 1940s. She started getting in trouble with the police, however, and rumors flew around of erratic and dangerous behavior. She was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and committed to a mental institution, where she suffered horrible injustices. By the time she was finally released, she was unable to to begin her career anew. She died in 1970 completely broke.
Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle
Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was famous for being the highest-paid celebrity in the early days of Hollywood. In 1921, however, he was sent to court for raping fellow actress Virginia Rappe. While he was never charged, people all over the world were disgusted with his actions, and his career was over. While he was about to make a comeback through a contract with Warner Bros., he died of a heart attack June 29th, 1933, completely broke.
Erin Moran
Erin Moran was incredibly famous as a teen, when she played Joanie in the show Happy Days, and later reprised the role in the spin-off series Joanie Loves Chachi. Unfortunately, however, directors struggled to envision her playing any role other than Joanie, and she was unable to find steady work. She suffered from major money problems, and had to move in with her mother-in-law in 2010. Sadly, she died on April 10th, 2017 from throat cancer.
Mabel Normand
Mabel Normand was a huge star between 1910 and 1920, appearing alongside legends like Charles Chaplin and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. In 1922, however, her lover William Desmond Taylor was shot, and she was a lead suspect in the case. This had a huge negative impact on her career, but just as it seemed she was about to make a comeback, her friend Courtland S. Dines was shot by her chauffeur while she was present. The second scandal ruined her career. She died in 1930 of tuberculosis, extremely poor.
Veronica Lake
Veronica Lake was an icon in the 1940s, and she starred in many major films like The Glass Key and Sullivan’s Travels. Her career began to slow down due to personal struggles with alcoholism, however. She tried to revitalize her career in the 1960s, but it was to no avail. Her money began running out, and she died poor in 1973.
Anita Ekberg
Anita Ekberg may not be one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but she was incredibly famous for her role in the Italian film La Dolce Vita. Sadly, she broke her hip in 2011, and her home was robbed while she was recovering in the hospital. Tragically, her house later caught on fire, and she ultimately died with nothing.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland is a film legend, known for her roles in The Wizard of Oz, A Star iIs Born, Judgment at Nuremberg, and countless others. However, she became dependent on drugs and alcohol at a young age, and she poorly managed her finances. By the end of her life, she was incredibly in debt, and ultimately died of an overdose.
It’s incredibly tragic that so many stars died with so little money. Which star were you more surprised to learn died broke, Judy Garland or Ava Gardner? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
