Being famous seems to come with its own set of rules and that’s especially in terms of the law. Some celebrities have been involved in some pretty serious crimes—but somehow dodged the full consequences that most of us might face. Here are thirteen famous people who, somehow, avoided the punishments you’d expect for their crimes. It’s one rule for them, one rule for us!
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Don King
Don King was once involved in not one but two incidents that led to deaths. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter after he stomped an employee to death over a $600 debt—but King only served less than four years for the crime. Before that, in 1954, he shot a man who was trying to rob one of his gambling houses. King was later pardoned & went on to become a boxing champion.
O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson was accused of brutally murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson & her friend, Ronald Goldman. The trial was broadcast live and soon became one of the most famous in the world. However, despite the mountain of evidence against him, O.J. was found not guilty. Lots of people believed he “got away with it” until his death.
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Roman Polanski
In 1977, renowned film director Roman Polanski was arrested for having sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl. He admitted to the crime—but skipped town before his sentencing, fleeing to Europe. Since then, he’s managed to avoid extradition back to the U.S. He has continued directing films overseas and even won awards. That’s despite the serious charges hanging over him.
Mark Wahlberg
Back in the ’80s, Mark Wahlberg attacked two Vietnamese men in separate racist incidents, leaving one partially blind. He was initially charged with attempted murder. However, the conviction changed to assault & Wahlberg served only 45 days of a two-year sentence in jail. He went on to have a successful acting career.
Snoop Dogg
Is it any surprise that Snoop Dogg was involved in a gang-related shooting? His bodyguard shot & killed a rival gang member—yet Snoop was accused as an accomplice since he was driving the vehicle involved. During the trial, they claimed self-defense. Snoop was eventually acquitted of all charges but the ordeal didn’t really affect his music career.
Vince Neil
After a day of drinking in 1984, Vince Neil decided to drive—and ended up crashing his car. His passenger, Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley, was killed, while two passengers in the other car were seriously injured. Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter & DUI. But he served only 15 days in jail and paid $2.6 million in restitution.
Brandy Norwood
Singer & actress Brandy was once involved in a fatal car crash on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. She rear-ended another car, setting off a chain-reaction collision that killed a 38-year-old woman named Awatef Aboudihaj. Despite the tragedy, prosecutors didn’t charge Brandy with any crime because they said there was “insufficient evidence” for negligence. However, she faced multiple civil lawsuits from the victim’s family and others. Brandy settled these out of court.
Caitlyn Jenner
Speaking of car accidents, Caitlyn Jenner was also involved in a multi-car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu that killed one woman. After a thorough investigation, prosecutors decided not to file charges. They said there wasn’t enough evidence to prove negligence—just like with Brandy. The family of the deceased woman filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jenner. They settled this privately.
Laura Bush
When she was 17, the future First Lady Laura Bush was involved in a tragic car accident in Midland, Texas. She ran a stop sign and hit another car, killing its driver—who happened to be a high school friend, Michael Dutton Douglas. Yet prosecutors never filed any charges against her. In fact, the details of the incident remained mostly private until George W. Bush’s presidency.
Ted Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy was involved in the infamous Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, where he drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. However, Kennedy fled the scene and didn’t report the accident until the next morning, later pleaded guilty to this. He received a two-month suspended sentence—but that didn’t stop him from serving in the Senate for many more years.
Matthew Broderick
In 1987, actor Matthew Broderick was in Northern Ireland with co-star Jennifer Grey when he was involved in a fatal car crash. He mistakenly drove on the wrong side of the road. His vehicle collided head-on with another, killing a mother & daughter instantly. While Broderick was initially charged with causing death by dangerous driving, he was later convicted of careless driving. The fine? Just $175.
Jayson Williams
After the 2002 death of his chauffeur, Costas Christofi, former NBA star Jayson Williams faced serious charges. He was allegedly showing off his shotgun when it went off and killed Christofi. Yet the courts acquitted Williams of aggravated manslaughter. In 2010, after years of legal battles, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Williams served about 18 months in prison.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown made headlines in 2009 for assaulting his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna. The attack happened the night before the Grammys. Later, Brown was charged with felony assault & making criminal threats but he avoided jail time by accepting a plea deal. Even with the seriousness of his actions, he continued his music career.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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