It ’s not prosperous growing up in the public eye and for many , it does n’t always result to an easier lifetime .
Child stars have it rough but given that we often hear about professional andfinancial strugglesin their later years, encountering fame at a young age can often appear to be more of a curse than a blessing.
These 23 child genius have portion out their unfortunate floor of misplace their fortune .
1.Aaron Carterclaimed that he made over $200 million before the age of 18.
In 2013 , Aaron Carter filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after owing $ 4 million in tax lien by the metre he was 18 . Speaking toOprahonOprah : Where Are They Now - Extra , he say that his parents were largely at defect for mismanage his funds . What ’s worse , he said he only received $ 2 million by the fourth dimension he reach a legal age , though he claimed he was owed $ 20 million under Coogan ’s Law . Carterdiedon November 5 , 2022 .
2.Lindsay Lohanreportedly earned upwards of $28 million at the height of her movie career.
3.Christy Carlson Romanowas a pivotal figure duringDisney’s reign in the mid-2000s, from starring alongside Shia LaBeouf onEven Stevensto voicing the ever-iconic titular character onKim Possible.
Romano ’s story is a exemplary narration of the importance of financial literacy for new people . In a YouTube television titled “ How I Lost All My Money , ” theformer Disney small fry starexplained how she entered the industry at 16 without any knowledge of how to care her finances , similar to most kids that geezerhood . Her female parent and manager at the time convinced her that she ’d have spate of piece of work down the line , which hardly ever is the case with small fry stars . Romano went on to vaunt her immediate payment on “ magnanimous tag item ” include a Mercedes Benz G - Wagon and a psychical who “ baffle a lot of money ” from her . By the meter she was 21 , she geld ties with her family due to how her money was managed .
4.Jaimee Foxworth’s role onFamily Mattersbasically vanished without explanation. She playedJudy Winslow, the youngest of the three Winslows. However, once the writers introduced Steve Urkel, Judy Winslow was written out completely and nobody really acknowledged her absence.
5.While Cole and Dylan Sprouse became icons as the main characters onThe Suite Life Of Zack And Cody, the circumstances surrounding their entry into showbiz were much more dire.
Cole and Dylan Sprouse have found themselves as much more than small fry stars but the changeover period from Disney characters to respectable player was n’t one without hurdles . Cole antecedently break that his parent pushed them into playing before they turned one . “ My brother and I were put into performing when we were 8 months old by our mother because we needed money , ” he enunciate in a since - deleted audio frequency cartridge holder on Tumblr . He elaborated further during an show onCall Me Daddywhere he stated thathis female parent was financially irresponsible , resulting in a courtroom strip her of custody . “ When my father was present force custody , we had pretty much suffer everything from the youngest parts of our life history . That would beFriendsandBig Daddy , ” he articulate . “ My female parent was an improbably wonderful and artistic woman , but she was financially the most irresponsible adult female ever . ”
6.Dustin Diamond is best known as Screech fromSaved By The Bellbut his success was unfortunately limited to the ’90s teen sitcom.
7.Jackie Cooganis considered the first child star and became one of the biggest actors by the time he was 17. Unfortunately, like many other child stars on this list, his parents blew his cash before he was even the legal age.
8.Jena Malone took on critical supporting roles as a child actor in movies like 1996’sBastard Out Of Californiaand 1998’sStepmom. But even with critical acclaim in Blockbuster hits, she wound upsuing her motherover mismanaged funds.
9.Willie Aames saw success as a child actor throughout the 1970s and eventually kept that momentum high throughout the 1980s. His role as Tommy Bradford onEight Is Enoughwas a lucrative gig that he said earned him roughly $1 million annually.
10.Between a successful run on Nickelodeon and a musical career, Drake Bell was a young heartthrob on the scene. Despite his success, he found himself in financial turmoil during his adult years and was reportedly $581,000 in debt.
11.Erin Moran is best known as Joanie Cunningham fromHappy Daysand its spin-offJoanie Loves Chachi. Unfortunately, once both shows were canceled, Moran fell into bad times.
12.Diff’rent Strokesstar Gary Coleman was, in fact, one of the highest-paid child actors in the 70s and 80s, thanks to his role as Arnold Jackson.
13.Judy Garland is a forever icon who delivered an undeniably timeless performance as Dorothy Gale inThe Wizard Of Oz.However, in the latter years of her life, she found herself penniless and without a home.
14.Corey Haim’s success throughout the 1980s led to great financial and commercial success in Hollywood. He appeared in movies like 1986’sLucasand 1988’sLicense To Drive, but his role inThe Lost Boysin 1987 alongside Corey Feldman turned him into an icon. Their partnership resulted in the nickname The Two Coreys and the two actors starred in seven movies together.
15.Devon Werkheiser, who played Ned Bigby fromNed’s Declassified School Survival Guide, went broke at 25 despite an impeccably successful career as a child star.
16.Mickey Rooneybecame one of MGM’s biggest success stories, becoming a top earner between 1939 and 1941. Despite his success, he lost his fortune due to his gambling habits.
17.FromBlossomtoBrotherly Love,Joey Lawrencewas undoubtedly at the height of his career in the 90s. And while he managed to land a steady stream of gigs afterward, he found himself facingmajor money problems, leading him and his wife to file for bankruptcy.
18.Gary Buseygraced televisions across America since the 70s with shows likeThe Texas Wheelersand films likeThe Buddy Holly Story, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He also appeared in films likeLethal WeaponandPredator 2.
19.And lastly, Leif Garrett rose to fame in the 1960s as a child star before landing a record deal in the 1970s and becoming a teen icon. While his career appeared to be going smoothly for the most part, he eventually filed forbankruptcy, claiming that he only had a few hundred dollars in cash.
