Razzle dazzle and curtain calls conceal stories of stars who ended their days in utter destitution.
Bela Lugosi (1882–1956)
Universally recognized for his chilling performance as Count Dracula in the 1931 cinematic masterpiece, Bela Lugosi stood as one of Hollywood’s most prominent figures in his prime.
Unfortunately for Lugosi, typecasting and a crippling addiction to morphine hurt his career, health, and bank account. During his later years, Lugosi was bailed out of financial trouble by friends several times.
The Lugosi that fans remember spent his last years in Los Angeles barely scraping by. He passed away in 1956 with almost no financial savings.
Judy Garland (1922–1969)
Judy Garland was the star of The Wizard of Oz, as well as many MGM musical classics. She made millions during her career.
Years of poor finances, mismanagement, health concerns, divorces, and unpaid taxes eventually caught up with her. By the time of her death Garland owed the IRS hundreds of thousands. She had also struggled to keep stable housing and employment for herself.
In her final years, the celebrated star did whatever jobs she could to perform and earn money.
Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)
Beyond her fame as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” Hedy Lamarr shone as one of Hollywood’s most exquisite actresses.
She also invented a frequency hopping communication system while working on counter-jamming techniques during World War II.
Lamarr’s career declined, as did her financial situation after divorces, lawsuits and many years spent out of Hollywood. Lamarr spent her later years living a simple life in Florida, topping up her pension with supplementary income.
Veronica Lake (1922–1973)
Veronica Lake was a superstar in Hollywood during the early 1940s, known for her peek- a- boo hairstyle and film-noir roles.
She battled alcoholism and mental health problems throughout her life, which hindered her career. By the end of her life, she worked as a cocktail waitress at a hotel in New York.
Many sources say she died penniless, though Lake herself denied being broke. She did experience a severe downfall, though, so it is fair to say she died broke.
Sammy Davis Jr. (1925–1990)
Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the most visible performers of his era. He worked and earned millions throughout his career as an entertainer in Las Vegas, on television shows and movies and through recordings.
Yet, Davis enjoyed a life of excess, and his considerable tax entanglements left him close to financial ruin. When he died in 1990, his estate owed millions in federal taxes.
While he wasn’t bankrupt in the strictest sense, his considerable liabilities required his beneficiaries to confront substantial debt and the liquidation of possessions.
Billie Holiday (1915–1959)
Billie Holiday is regarded as one of the best jazz vocalists of all time. Unfortunately her success did not make her very wealthy.
Holiday suffered from drug addiction, abusive husbands, legal challenges, and exploitation. She died in a New York hospital in 1959, reportedly under police guard and with very little money.
It’s widely reported that she possessed a mere $0.70 in her bank account, with an additional $750 chained to her person.
Corey Haim (1971–2010)
Corey Haim was one of the biggest teen idols of the 1980s. After starring in movies like The Lost Boys and Lucas he found his career and life falling apart.
Years of drug use and health problems coupled with failed attempts at reviving his career left him financially devastated. Haim had moved back in with his mother at one point and was living off of government funded health care.
He passed away in 2010 after many years of struggle and his family even had issues paying for his funeral.
Gary Coleman (1968–2010)
Coleman rose to fame on the hit show Diff’rent Strokes, becoming a major child star.
After Diff’rent Strokes ended Coleman complained that his parents and former business manager had spent his fortune irresponsibly. He filed lawsuits against them and was awarded settlements from each.
Later on, Coleman filed for bankruptcy and ended up taking on a string of low-level jobs, like being a security guard, a far cry from his Hollywood days.
Bobby Driscoll (1937–1968)
Bobby Driscoll was Disney’s highest paid child star of all time. He starred in Song of the South and Treasure Island, and lent his voice to Peter Pan in the 1953 animated classic.
He vanished from the spotlight as a young man, eventually succumbing to h**oin addiction and a pattern of arrests. Toward the end of his life he became homeless and slept on the streets of New York.
Driscoll died alone in 1968 and no one claimed his body, so he was placed in a Potter’s Field grave on Hart Island. His identity was confirmed through fingerprints.
Sly Stone (1943–2025)
Sly Stone revolutionized American music leading the groundbreaking funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone and performing at Woodstock.
Drug addiction, unpredictable behavior, missed shows and decades of costly legal battles destroyed his career and finances.
Even though things got better for him later on, Sly Stone endured crippling poverty for a good chunk of his final years, even spending time living in a camper and relying on the kindness of strangers for essentials. He passed in 2025 following years of financial and health troubles.
Mickey Rooney (1920–2014)
Mickey Rooney became a child actor and grew into a major Hollywood star. He appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows over the course of his career.
Though he made millions of dollars working in entertainment for over 80 years, Rooney had money problems as an adult. He pointed to those who handled his money as the source of his troubles and claimed his stepson had cheated him.
During his later years, Rooney lived simply and had to work to pay the bills. His situation revealed how long careers in Hollywood may not translate to wealth.
Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917–2016)
Born to celebrity wealth through acting and marriages to glamorous stars, Zsa Zsa Gabor faced financial hurdles and major health issues later in life.
She and Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt found themselves among Madoff’s victims, losing millions. Mounting medical costs were also very hard on them.
She certainly didn’t die broke, but her financial standing in her final years was nowhere near the extravagant wealth she’d previously known.
Chet Baker (1929–1988)
Chet Baker was an influential musician who rose to prominence as one of the best-known performers of West Coast cool jazz. He was an international trumpet star as well as known for his light vocals.
However, Baker struggled with h**oin addiction throughout much of his adult life, which led to arrests, unstable employment, loss of possessions, and even homelessness at times. His music career soared and plummeted various times over the years.
Europe became his stage, where he survived by taking whatever work he could find near the end of his life. Baker died in Amsterdam in 1988 after falling out of a hotel window.
Dorothy Dandridge (1922–1965)
Dorothy Dandridge was a groundbreaking Black Hollywood actress. She was the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
Though she starred in successful films like Carmen Jones, she didn’t get to play the roles she wanted due to racial prejudice. Business failures, monetary issues, an abusive marriage, tax problems, and legal troubles drained Dandridge’s bank account.
She passed away at 42, burdened by debt and constantly facing financial hardship.
James Murray (1901–1936)
James Murray became famous as the lead actor of director King Vidor’s silent masterpiece, The Crowd (1928). His career quickly fell apart from there.
After becoming an alcoholic, Murray lost work as an actor. By the mid-1930s he was reduced to begging on the streets with nowhere to live.
Years later King Vidor happened to run into Murray, and offered him a part in his new movie Our Daily Bread. Murray turned him down.
By 1936, at the age of 35, Murray ended up drowned in the Hudson River after falling from fame into utter destitution.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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