10 Celebrities Gone Wild

Will Smith and the Academy Awards debacle that happened on Sunday, March 27, 2022, is just another rich, privileged, famous person who thinks they are above everyone else. Whether you think he was right or wrong, the main takeaway is that it doesn’t really matter. Either way, he will be treated differently than a nonentity.

Unfortunately, the more famous you are, the more you can get away with not following the rules of society. Sometimes it can be small things like a slap, cursing out someone, or throwing a tantrum in public. But other times it can be extreme cases like physically assaulting people, violent attacks, rape, and even murder.

Here is a list of 10 celebrities that have publicly done things that would get others arrested, jailed, or even shot. But because of their acclaim and clout, they were able to avoid justice.

Will Smith

For those who have no idea what I am talking about, pretty much all around the world on Monday morning, all the news outlets were talking about Will Smith getting up, walking on stage, and slapping Chris Rock after he made an unfunny joke about Will’s wife Jada.

The slap in question was on loop on every channel and the internet was filled with gifs and memes immortalizing the incident. I live in Japan, have no real interest in Will Smith, the Oscars, or celebrities in general, but even I was subjected to hours of coverage about a slap.

Chris Rock, who is a comedian who deals with crude jokes, always walks a thin line between funny and offensive. His comedy includes pokes at race, gender, LGBTQ issues, society, poverty, and many social issues. Much like Dave Chapelle, Louis C.K., or Ricky Gervais, you can expect to hear offensive comedy.

With that in mind, poking fun at the bald head of Jada Pinkett-Smith, who suffers from alopecia, a form of baldness that can be temporary or permanent and which the cause is not fully understood, doesn’t seem that out of line from Chris Rock’s comedy.

Personally, although any disease is tough and takes a toll on the body and mind, making fun of it in a comedy show seems pretty standard. People make jokes about cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases and we laugh. Not because we think diseases are funny, but because laughing helps us deal with trauma and fear.

Will Smith, didn’t find it funny though, and instead of brushing it off, he decided to confront the situation with violence. He was okay with Chris Rock making fun of other people, just not him and his family. He is WILL SMITH! How dare someone talk ill of him or his family, whether it’s a joke or not.

This type of thinking is common amongst those who have money, power, and a giant audience. Much like God, they sit above on a throne presenting information to us, and we should graciously accept it without question. If we offend the Gods, we deserve their wrath.

Although the Oscars later said they will look into it and find some sort of punishment for Will’s actions, most likely he will get a minor disciplinary action. He will go on various talk shows and apologize and shed a tear as he did in his victory speech later that evening. We will forgive and forget because that’s what we have been trained to do.

If Will Smith was just Joe Smith, his slap would have definitely got him arrested, charged with assault, and he would be awaiting a court date no doubt.

Kanye West

Speaking of award show controversies, another big one was with Kanye West, the famous rapper, businessman, and ex-husband of Kim Kardashian. While giving her acceptance speech for the best female video award at the MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye.

Taking the microphone away from her, he announced, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” Basically stating that she didn’t deserve the award but Beyoncé did.

Here there was nothing illegal or violent done, but the fact that Kanye felt he knew more than the people at MTV who give the awards, shows how privileged and how important he thinks his voice is.

If a normal person was to get on stage and take the microphone away from someone while they were giving an acceptance speech, security would have tackled them and escorted them out of the ceremony hall.

Of course, throughout the years, whether it’s because of the fame that has gone to his head, mental illness that has gone unchecked or untreated, or just because drama follows Kanye wherever he goes, Kanye has gotten into many situations where he has done or said the wrong thing.

The fact that he still has a huge following, a platform to spout his nonsense, and the sense that he is a God is what makes his celebrity status toxic. He thinks of himself as a God because everyone around him treats him like one.

Caitlyn Jenner

Speaking of the Kardashians, Caitlyn Jenner, born Bruce Jenner, was an Olympic gold medal champion who ended up marrying into the Kardashian family after Robert Kardashian died in 2003.

He became the stepfather of the Kardashian kids before transitioning into Caitlyn. With the fame of the Kardashian reality show, Caitlyn also burst into the spotlight and was a big influence on transgender people and their rights.

Considered one of the most famous transgender women in the world, she is an activist and fights for transgender rights.

Unfortunately, though she has brought with her some acceptance for the transgender community, her profile and wealth have brought with her much power and influence.

When she was in a car accident slamming her SUV into cars that caused another car to be pushed into traffic and hit causing death, prosecutors refused to prosecute her.

According to USA Today, Investigators had found that Jenner was driving “unsafely for the prevailing road conditions.” But despite this, she was not charged nor served any jail time. Her actions caused many cars to be damaged and one life to be lost, but she was free.

Civil suits filed by the other cars and the family of the deceased person were all settled, meaning Caitlyn’s wealth was able to pay off everyone. Settling usually means the person is guilty, doesn’t it?

Was it not for Caitlyn’s wealth and notoriety, most likely she would have been charged with vehicular manslaughter or reckless driving causing death. Instead, she faced zero repercussions legally and continues to live her life just as happily as before the accident.

Mel Gibson

Another celebrity involved in various controversies involves Mel Gibson and his run-in with a cop who stopped him on suspicion of speeding and driving under the influence.

According to Wikipedia, Gibson started ranting to the officer about his life saying, “My life is over. I’m f — — . Robyn’s going to leave me.” But when the officer wasn’t awed by Gibson’s fame or sympathetic to his life’s problems, Gibson blew up and went on an antisemitic tirade.

He went on interviews and apologized for his outbursts and met with Jewish leaders to help him heal. When he was once again in trouble for a leaked recording where he used racial slurs and degraded his girlfriend, once again he was in hot water.

But he went back to the media to apologize and even admitted to misdemeanor battery charges for beating his girlfriend from the leaked tapes. It seemed maybe his alcoholism, racism, antisemitism, domestic violence, and driving violations would be the end of his career.

Nope.

He was “black-listed” from Hollywood for a few years which meant he had to live off his millions of dollars of royalties from all his past projects. He was stuck on a long vacation until people forgot.

Then he went back to making and directing movies, won more Academy Awards, and continues to have a successful and wealthy life. Even more so than before the incidents happened.

The moral of the story was that once you do something bad, wait until you get caught. Then go on talk shows and apologize. Lay low, hang out at beaches, or travel the world, then go back to life as it was.

None of us can get canceled, live in a mansion, and enjoy a long vacation, then get right back to where we left off. Celebrities like Mel Gibson can because we let him.

Christian Bale

Whether you consider him an American Psycho, Batman, or John Conner from Terminator Salvation, Christian Bale is one of the biggest stars of Hollywood who appear in blockbusters and has made quite a name for himself in the acting world.

He got into trouble for a huge rant where he berated the director of photography on the Terminator Salvation set. The anger and lashing that Bale handed out to the man was for him accidentally stepping into the scene while Bale was performing.

Once the recording was leaked, Bale had to apologize profusely to not only the director of photography but to all the public who was witness to his dark side.

Maybe this one incident could be explained away as a man who was stressed out, focused on his work, and frustrated by the distraction. But it wasn’t just a short burst of anger telling the man to get out of the way or pay more attention. The rant was four minutes long and was threatening and disturbing.

Threats of having the man fired and belittling his intelligence showed that Bale was above everyone else and was the most important part of the project. The true privilege and rights that he demanded and was expected were available for all to hear.

What’s worse was that this was not the first time. Just days before this incident, Bale was arrested when both his mother and sister called the police on him. Though he was not charged, his own family complained of his temper and anger issues.

It’s unfortunate that a man who yells and screams and demands respect is not willing to give it himself. Even towards his own family and coworkers, he cuts them down. That shows how much regard he shows for regular folk.

Alec Baldwin

I will admit, I heard that Alec Baldwin had punched out a paparazzi photographer. I felt a bit sympathetic towards him because those guys are really aggressive, get in your face, and don’t take no for an answer.

However, once I read up on Alec Baldwin, my sympathy for him faded when I found out fighting photographers is an ongoing theme with him. People.com gave a list of altercations that Baldwin has had over his career.

Starting in 1995 when he approached the car of a photographer who was camped outside Baldwin’s home. He sprayed the windows with shaving cream, then allegedly punched him breaking his nose.

Alec demanded privacy and when he didn’t get it, he took matters into his own hands. He didn’t call the police but instead resorted to violence.

In 2011, he refused to turn off his phone on a flight after the doors were closed for departure. According to the airline, he berated the staff and used offensive language.

I tend to believe the staff as Baldwin later tweeted:

“Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. Last flight w American. Where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950’s find jobs as flight attendants.”

It doesn’t seem like he was holding anything back. The tweet confirms what he was probably doing and the way he was acting on the plane. Later on, he half apologized but blamed it on the flight attendant who singled him out.

In 2012, once again a photographer claimed that Baldwin shoved him, pushed, him, and punched him. Baldwin’s statement said there were no punches thrown and he was only protecting himself.

But he also later tweeted saying paparazzi should be waterboarded. Weird. The anger he has with people whose job it is to take pictures of him leads to violence. But he claims not to invoke it.

A few days later he was also caught yelling and shoving another cameraman. Then in 2013 he pinned another photographer against a car and threatened him. Then again later that year he was heard saying a homophobic slur towards a cameraman.

In 2014, Baldwin was arrested for riding his bike on the wrong side of the road and got into an argument with the cops which led to his arrest. He once again blamed them for doing their job, tweeting,

“Officer Moreno, badge number 23388, arrested me and handcuffed me for going the wrong way on Fifth Ave. Meanwhile, photographers outside my home ONCE AGAIN terrified my daughter and nearly hit her with a camera. The police did nothing. New York City is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity that is desperate for revenue and anxious to criminalize behavior once thought benign.”

Of course, the charges were dropped, because he is Alec Baldwin.

In 2018 he was once again arrested for punching someone over a parking spot. The amount of times that Alec Baldwin has laid his hands on other people in a violent way should have given him a rap sheet that led to his imprisonment.

Instead, he continues to mock the police, live life above the law, and claim he is in the right. Despite his violent streak and angry outbursts, he continues to thrive in Hollywood even being nominated for an Emmy in 2021.

Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick is the cute and adorable guy who played the character of Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He is the lovable voice of Simba in The Lion King and always plays nice, regular-guy type roles.

Unlike some other celebrities who use anger, power, intimidation, or aggressiveness to get his way, Matthew was able to use his name. In 1987, while on vacation in Ireland, he smashed a rented BMW in a head-on collision that killed a mother and her daughter.

Both he and his girlfriend were injured and were in hospital but survived the incident. He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving as he was at fault for driving into the wrong lane into oncoming traffic. If found guilty he could have been charged with up to 5 years in prison.

Instead, he was given a fine of $175. For killing a mother and daughter who were driving in the right lane at the right speed. His mistake caused the death of two family members and he had to pay less than the cost of the rental car.

What’s worse is that Matthew had promised to meet the son of the mother killed in 2003 but never made due on his promise. The son told reporters from Impartial Reporter, in February 2012, when Broderick was featured in a multi-million-dollar Honda commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, the meeting had still not taken place and that Broderick “wasn’t the greatest choice of drivers, knowing his past.”

Despite being guilty of the crime, the punishment was very light and offensive. Were two lives only worth less than $200? Something tells me, the judge was being lenient because Matthew was young, famous, and a “nice guy.”

Mark Wahlberg

Since a young age, even before becoming a celebrity, Mark Wahlberg has been violently attacking minorities and spreading racial hatred. According to Wikipedia, from age 15 he has been involved in taunting, bullying, and violently attacking people for their race.

He yelled “Kill the n —” towards black children, threw rocks and harassed them, and took part in violating the rights of his victims. When he was 16 he assaulted a Vietnamese man with a large wooden stick. Yelling racial slurs he beat the man unconscious. He then ran from the police and found another Vietnamese man who he also assaulted and blinded.

He was arrested and charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to two years in jail. However, he only served 45 days.

Once again, in 1992 he fractured the jaw of his neighbor by repeatedly kicking him in the face. Despite later apologizing to his victims, he never truly acknowledged the fact this his crimes were hate crimes and had a racial tone to them.

Despite his criminal past, he was able to become a successful rapper, musician, actor, producer, and businessman. I wonder if he had to check the box on the application form where it asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime?

Probably not.

Salman Khan

Unfortunately, this phenomenon of celebrities getting away with everything is not just an American issue. This happens all over the world in every country. If you have status, wealth, power, and fame, the world is your oyster.

Salman Khan is a famous movie star in India’s Bollywood industry. With a 30-year film career, various movies, tv shows, and money-making projects, he is one of the highest-paid Indian actors in the world.

However, he also has some very serious incidents that somehow have been swept under the rug. While under the influence and speeding, Salman crashed his car into a bakery running over 5 of the staff who were sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the shop. One of the 5 died, and 3 were badly injured.

At first, his driver lied and said he was driving at the time, but that was later confirmed as a lie. Salman pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of culpable homicide. However, somehow his charge was dropped and he served no jail time.

The only witness to the crime mysteriously disappeared and Salman was found not guilty due to “lack of evidence”. His other crimes involving poaching endangered antelopes and possessing guns without a valid license were also somehow acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Possibly due to links with members of crime rings, Salman has been able to stay out of prison despite committing crimes that normal people would most likely spend their entire life in prison for.

Lindsay Lohan

This list has been mostly men so to keep things balanced, here is a female celebrity who used her privilege and fame to keep herself above the law.

A singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and model from New York, Lindsay is the epitome of affluence and entitlement. Famous from childhood, Lindsay was applauded by society and lauded by her parents, fans, and Disney.

As her status increased in Hollywood, so did her partying and alcoholism. Complaints from movie sets of not showing up or being hungover caused her to go into rehab.

According to CrimeMuseum.org, in 2007 Lindsay was arrested for a DUI and was only sentenced to 45 days in rehab. Just a few days after leaving rehab she was arrested again for another DUI and possession of cocaine. She was also driving with a suspended license.

For all those crimes, she was sent to jail for 1 day. She got a 3 year suspended sentence, had to do community service, and join an alcohol education program. Of that 1 day in jail, she only had to serve 84 minutes. Less than the time of one of her terrible movies.

After failing to show up to many court appearances, drug treatment appointments, and other progress hearings, she was sent to prison for 90 days but only served 14 days before being released again.

She then failed a drug test and had to stay in prison for a day before being bailed out. She then was caught shoplifting a necklace and pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to 120 days in jail but instead was given 35 days of house arrest.

She failed to meet her community service hours and was sent to prison for 30 days but only received 5 hours. She was also alleged to hit a man with her car and assaulted a woman at a club but both charges were dropped.

She was caught driving recklessly again and was sent to 90 days of rehab which she completed.

Since then she has slowly built her acting portfolio and is trying to make a comeback. And she has been successful in doing so. She is currently signed with Netflix for a multi-film deal which will most likely bring her back into the A-list of Hollywood.

Lindsay Lohan is like the little engine that could. If she can just keep chugging along with the DUIs, drug possessions, assault charges, and short jail terms, she can go right back to being a top-paid and adored Hollywood star.

It’s the perfect mix of adoring fans, sympathetic judges, name-dropping, “charitable donations”, and connections that allow all these celebrities around the world to do whatever they want with minimal consequences. Sometimes the law will come down hard on some celebrities and people might abandon them, but usually, it’s the opposite.

We tend to feel empathy and root for these celebrities with their addictions, tempers, and violent tendencies. Why? Because they can sing well, look pretty, or are good at pretending to be someone else. We have placed all these people above the law and allowed them to stand up on that pedestal and do what they want.

I like the music of Justin Bieber or the 80s movies of Winona Ryder but do they deserve special treatment because of it? Apparently, in our society they do.