12 celebrities who lost it all and became homeless: From Natasha Lyonne to Toni Braxton

12 celebrities who fell on hard times and were homeless

Celebrities may appear to have everything, but things can go wrong to anyone. Here, we provide a list of 12 famous individuals who went through hardships and ended up on the streets at some point of their lives. These famous people have given new meaning to the adage "everything comes with a price," using their personal hardships as their primary source of motivation to reach their highest ambitions.

1. Natasha Lyonne

From 'American Pie' to 'But I'm a Cheerleader', Natasha Lyonne gained early exposure as an actor in the business. Her legal troubles—a 2001 DUI and 2004 trespassing and harassment cases—caused her to quickly reach her lowest point. Lyonne's hard-partying antics led to her being forced out of the condominium in Gramercy Park during the 2000s and she ending up living on the streets afterward. Lyonne rebuilt her career after joining the cast of 'Orange is the New Black' and appearing in the off-Broadway play 'Tigers Be Still', as well as 'Law and Order: SVU'.

2. Brett Butler

'Grace Under Fire' star Brett Butler battled drug addiction for a long time and spent time in recovery. Her situation deteriorated after she was fired in 1998, which made her leave Los Angeles and check herself into a homeless shelter after she ran out of money. Butler declared in 2011 that she would try to revive her career by doing stand-up at the Downtown Comedy Club and creating a reality TV program. Her most recent endeavor was a cameo in the 2023 motion picture 'Fantasy Island', per Radar Online.

3. Toni Braxton

The 'Unbreak My Heart' singer attributes her financial problems to poor business decisions, high medical expenses, and long-term health problems. She filed for bankruptcy for the first time in 1998, claiming that despite selling over 40 million records, her royalties were only $2,000. In 2010, Braxton declared bankruptcy again, this time for both her personal and commercial obligations totaling millions of dollars, partly due to the cancelation of a run of Las Vegas shows.

4. Danny Bonaduce

Famously from the 'Partridge Family', Danny Bonaduce became homeless after moving out of their home and doing drugs due to his fame. Speaking about homelessness, Bonaduce revealed on 'Oprah: Where Are They Now?', "I'd wake up, kind of wipe my eyes, and I'd go right through the little arch and I'd be in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, where everybody's footprints are." He said that he felt ashamed every time he slipped back to his car after socializing with his followers.

5. Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid battled legal issues for years as he looked for a place to live. The San Diego Union-Tribune published an article in 2010 about Quaid and his wife's arrests on burglary charges following their unauthorized habitation of their previous home. The police charged Randy with felony residential burglary and entering a noncommercial building without permission while the 'Independence Day' star and his wife were on the premises.

6. Dean Gaffney

From 1993 to 2003, Dean Gaffney played the sly street sweeper Robbie Jackson on 'EastEnders', earning £120,000 ($1,51,656) a year. It seems that he spent £20,000 ($25,276) on alcohol alone during his farewell party, probably contributing to his dire straits later. "He was pretty flash with his cash when he had it and he's paying the price for that," a source told the Mirror at the time. In 2017, Dean made a brief comeback to 'EastEnders', having previously made cameo appearances in 2004, 2010, and 2015.

7. Sly Stone

According to a 2011 Radar Online article, the front-runner of Sly and the Family Stone Sly Stone went homeless following his success in the business. The legendary musician allegedly mismanaged his finances and took drugs, causing him to lose his entire wealth. He stayed in Napa Valley and then moved into a van in Los Angeles.

8. Erin Moran

Erin Moran's career took off when she was 14 years old, owing to the popular series 'Happy Days'. However, per The Mercury News, the former child actress was forced out of the trailer she shared with her partner Steve Fleischmann and lived penniless and homeless in the years before her death. According to reports, Moran's 2017 death in her New Salisbury home was probably caused by complications from her disease.

9. Margot Kidder

After starring in the Christopher Reeve-directed movie, 'Superman' star Margot Kidder was enjoying her success, but her mental health problems swiftly got the better of her, leaving her homeless. Overwhelmed with feelings of paranoia, Kidder spent 1996 sleeping in backyards and cardboard boxes all across Los Angeles. She disappeared for four days in 1996 but was eventually found in a homeowner's backyard. Kidder was admitted to Olive View Medical Center for mental health treatment.

10. Willie Aames

A former cast member of 'Eight Is Enough', Willie Aames, experienced a financial collapse and went from being a successful actor to homelessness. "At the very peak [of Eight Is Enough] I was making a little over a million dollars a year," he said. "Then suddenly there was no job, no bank account, no wife, no child. I never dreamt it could happen that fast. I found myself virtually homeless." A few years later, Aames began changing his life by becoming a financial advisor through training.

11. Willie Nelson

The majority of Willie Nelson's assets were confiscated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1990 in an attempt to collect $16.7 million in unpaid back taxes. Nelson is best known for his country music compositions. Following his bankruptcy filing, the crooner issued the double album 'The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?' with all proceeds going directly to the IRS later that year.

12. Corey Haim

According to friend Corey Feldman, drug-abusing actor Corey Haim from the '80s was "so broke" when he died in March 2010 that he did not even own a car. The Canadian actor filed for bankruptcy in 1997 due to his financial difficulties, owing $100,000 to the IRS and an additional $100,000 in debt. Haim attempted to raise money in 2001 by trying to sell a tooth and a portion of his hair on eBay.