Actors Who Wound Up On The Wrong Side Of The Law In 2022
Actors generally have a pretty good life compared to normal people. They get to make movies and television shows that millions of people enjoy, earn more money than they often know what to do with, and get to live the high life in locations such as Hollywood and New York City. But all those perks don't mean that they can't also find themselves in trouble with the law one way or the other. Actors can find themselves arrested and thrown in jail for all sorts of reasons, just like the rest of the public.
After all, fame and fortune don't make people immune from making mistakes and these can often have tragic consequences. Some might knowingly break the law and are forced to face the consequences of their actions while others are simply caught up in circumstances beyond their control or take a stand for something they believe in. Of course, there are always exceptions and a few of the actors who faced jail time in 2022 did truly evil things that leave no room for sympathy. Whatever the case, here are all the actors who found themselves on the wrong side of a jail cell in 2022.
Irene Bedard
Although she may not be a face that many people are familiar with, Irene Bedard's voice will be instantly recognizable to an entire generation. That's because she provided the voice of the main protagonist in Disney's 1995 film "Pocahontas" and its direct-to-video sequel. Of Iñupiat descent, Bedard has become known for portraying Native American characters in a wide array of television and film roles, including parts in the films "Smoke Signals" and "The New World." In more recent years, she reprised the role of Pocahontas in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and made appearances in television series such as "The Stand," "Westworld," and "FBI: Most Wanted."
According to TMZ, the actor was arrested following a welfare check when police discovered she was in a distressed state in August. As officers attempted to arrest her, she resisted and forced them to pick her up and carry the actor to their waiting car. She was eventually taken to Greene County Jail and booked for disorderly conduct, being released from custody two days later. This arrest followed several similar events in 2020 when police officers detained her for crimes relating to domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and criminal damage.
Blake Jenner
Blake Jenner had minor roles in shows like "Melissa & Joey" before he took part in "The Glee Project" in 2012. This experience led to him being cast as Ryder Lynn in Fox's musical series "Glee" as a football player recruited to the New Directions. Jenner became part of the main cast from Season 5 on and has more recently starred in "Everybody Wants Some!!," and "The Vanishing of Sidney Hall." In 2019, the actor appeared in the Netflix anthology series "What/If."
The year 2022 saw the 29-year-old actor arrested in July after being pulled over after blasting through a red light in Burbank, California. During the stop, police believed that Jenner was intoxicated and when he didn't perform the field sobriety tests as instructed, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (via NBC News). Police confirmed the arrest and stated that he had been subsequently released from jail to appear in court in the future.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Ezra Miller
Ezra Milleris probably best known for their role in the DC Extended Universe, where they portray The Flash in both edits of "Justice League" as well as 2023's "The Flash." Miller is no stranger to other big franchises, as Miller appears in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and its sequels as Credence Barebone. Outside of those blockbuster films, they are also recognized for their starring parts in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
Miller has certainly faced their fair share of issues over the last year or so, including a flurry of legal troubles. The most recent of these saw the actor arrested in Hawaii on charges of disorderly conduct and harassment (via The Guardian). A few weeks later in April, Miller was again arrested, this time for assault after allegedly throwing a chair at a woman according to Rolling Stone. Over the course of the year, Miller was also served with protection orders against minors who they were alleged to have harassed (via The Daily Beast).
Joseph Gatt
After studying acting during his schooling, English actor Joseph Gatt found his first big role in "Orpheus & Eurydice" and also has performed motion capture for a series of video game characters, from John Tanner in the "Driver" series to Kratos in a variety of "God of War" releases. In 2011, he portrayed Frost Giant Grundroth in "Thor" and had supporting parts in both "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Dumbo" as well as a guest appearance in "Game of Thrones," and even pops up as a member of Intergang in 2022's "Black Adam."
According to Deadline, Gatt was arrested by the LAPD in April after an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The actor denied the allegations that he had made sexually explicit remarks to a minor and revealed that he was cooperating with authorities. TMZ reported that Gatt was later released from custody on bail after posting the $5,000 bond.
Gary Busey
Gary Busey rose to fame playing Buddy Holly in the 1978 movie "The Buddy Holly Story," but he's really known more as an eccentric character actor than a leading man these days. He has appeared in several episodes of "Impractical Jokers," portrayed himself in the 2016 video game "Hitman." Prior to that, he was also known for his roles in films such as "A Star is Born" (1976), "Point Break," and "Lethal Weapon." Busey was also part of the cast of the shows "The Texas Wheelers" and "From Dusk till Dawn: The Series."
CNN revealed in August that Busey had been arrested after several people made complaints about him following an appearance at the Monster-Mania Con in New Jersey. According to police reports, the charges ranged from sexual offenses to harassment, although little information was given about how long Busey was held in custody or whether the case is moving forward. Monster-Mania released a statement to CNN confirming they had removed Busey from the convention after his alleged conduct had been reported.
Tiffany Haddish
Actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish eventually found fame when she was cast in "The Carmichael Show." Her role in the NBC sitcom eventually led to her being offered a role in "Girls Trip" alongside Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, and Jada Pinkett Smith — a role that saw her nominated for a number of high-profile awards. More recently, she has had roles in Tyler Perry's "Nobody's Fool" and the murder mystery series "The Afterparty." She has also voiced a number of animated characters in "The Secret Life of Pets 2," "Karma's World," and other projects.
In January, Haddish was arrested by police after being discovered asleep at the wheel of a car. Suspecting that she had been driving under the influence of marijuana, police took her into custody at Fayette County Jail in Georgia. TMZ also reported that Haddish had spent just a few hours in jail before being released on bail with a $1,666 bond.
Garrett Hedlund
Garrett Hedlund played the younger brother of Brad Pitt's character in the 2004 film "Troy." The actor followed that up with roles in the film version of "Friday Night Lights" and "Four Brothers" before being cast in "Tron: Legacy." Since that time, Hedlund starred as Dean Moriarty in "On the Road." He was also in "Pan," "Triple Frontier," and he's in the main cast of the crime drama series "Tulsa King" alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Page Six reported that the actor was arrested in January of 2022 for public intoxication after being witnessed behaving in a strange manner. According to police reports (via TMZ), he had tried to jump out of a moving car before officers arrived at the scene and allegedly attempted to kick and punch a man. He was taken into custody after being judged to be a danger to himself and others but was released shortly afterward after posting bail, although TMZ noted that he was still on probation at the time for a previous DUI arrest in 2020.
Eddie Deezen
Anyone who has seen the film "Grease" and its sequel will likely recognize Eddie Deezen. The actor was the person responsible for portraying Eugene, the nerdy character in the musical movie. However, the actor has also appeared in a variety of other films, such as "WarGames" and "Teenage Exorcist" and has had a notable career as a voice actor. He voiced the character Mandark in 20 episodes of "Dexter's Laboratory" and had roles in the likes of "What's New, Scooby-Doo?," "Kim Possible," and "Johnny Bravo."
Prior to 2022, Deezen had already faced legal troubles following an incident on September 16, 2021. NBC News reported that he had been arrested after refusing to leave a restaurant and assaulting a police officer by throwing items and food. The following year, he was arrested after allegedly entering a nursing home which he had been told to stay away from. He was later found unfit to stand trial in court and was instead sent for treatment with the Maryland Department of Health (via People).
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen is an experienced actor who has been active in the world of Hollywood since the early 1980s. He landed his first major role in the film "WarGames" before he was cast in Quentin Tarantino's directorial breakthrough "Reservoir Dogs" as the ultra-violent Mr. Blonde. This began a close association with the director that has continued throughout their careers, with Madsen co-starring in "Kill Bill: Vol 2" and appearing in other projects such as "The Hateful Eight" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," placing him alongside Samuel L. Jackson as one of Tarantino's most frequent on-screen collaborators. He also had notable roles in other films, including "Free Willy" in 1993 and the James Bond movie "Die Another Day" in 2002.
The Daily Mail reported that Madsen was arrested in February. Confirming the arrest to the newspaper, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department revealed that the actor was taken into custody at his house on suspicion of trespassing following an encounter earlier that day. He was first taken to hospital and then to jail before being released the next morning with a $500 citation, suggesting that the situation was not overly serious.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Zara Phythian
Zara Phythian has had quite a long and varied career since first breaking into the entertainment industry in 2006. Her first screen credit came in the film "Crops," which was followed up with roles in "The Hike," "He Who Dares," and "Warrioress," although her biggest movie was the 2016 MCU film "Doctor Strange." More recently, Phythian worked as a host on the television series "Martial Art Roadshow." At times, the actor has also taken on producing duties and spent time performing stunts in the films "Alien Uprising" and "Morgan."
Despite being one of the least well-known actors to feature in this article, Phythian has arguably the most serious legal issues. According to the BBC, she was arrested alongside her husband Victor Marke in May 2022 on charges of sexually abusing a minor. Phythian was sentenced to eight years in prison; Marke got 14 years due to his connection with a separate but similar incident involving another minor. Phythian's trial related to a case against a child who was just 13 at the time the abuse started, with the actor found guilty of 14 counts of sexual activity with a child by a jury.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Taraneh Alidoosti
Taraneh Alidoosti may not be widely recognized outside of her native country. However, she is one of the most successful actors to come out of Iran and has screen credits from as early as 2002 with movies such as "I'm Taraneh, 15" and "Beautiful City." A winner of numerous awards, Alidoosti studied acting from a young age, learning at Amin Tarokh's school in Tehran before landing her first major role. Perhaps her most notable screen credit came in "The Salesman" in 2016, an Academy Award winning movie that is centered around the Arthur Miller play "Death of a Salesman."
Alidoosti's arrest was controversial, coming amid the wave of arrests carried out by the Iranian regime following widespread protests. According to the BBC, the actor was detained after showing support for anti-government protests throughout Iran on her personal Instagram account. Sources also suggest she had been active prior to her December arrest, posting photographs without wearing the mandated headscarf to her social media handles. State media reported that her arrest came for "spreading falsehoods," although she was released some three weeks later in January 2023 (via NPR).
Antony Starr
Fans of Amazon Prime Video's superhero show "The Boys" will immediately recognize Antony Starr as the actor behind the character Homelander. He won widespread praise from critics and fans for his performance and has also had high-profile roles in other television series, such as "Outrageous Fortune" and "Banshee" prior to his part in "The Boys." Starr had earlier received plaudits and several award nominations for his performance in the Australian film "Wish You Were Here" alongside Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer.
Starr was arrested while filming an upcoming Guy Ritchie movie with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal (via Variety). According to the outlet, Spanish police took him into custody in Alicante, with reports suggesting that he had allegedly assaulted a chef at a pub in the seaside city while out drinking. The 21-year-old victim had to receive stitches after being punched twice and Starr was later handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay a fine of more than $5,000 — although police would not confirm any of this information when asked by Variety or local newspapers.
Kaalan Walker
A rather inexperienced actor, Kaalan Walker only has one notable credit in the form of the 2018 crime thriller "SuperFly." Helmed by Director X, "SuperFly" stars Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Michael K. Williams, and Jennifer Morrison and follows the story of a drug kingpin living in Atlanta, Georgia. His only other acting roles have come in two episodes of "In Contempt" in the same year and the film "Kings" in 2017. It is unlikely that he will ever have any more film or television appearances in the future due to the seriousness of his crimes.
Walker was arrested after being accused of a number of sexual assaults and rapes. According to The Los Angeles Times, he was convicted of several counts of forcible rape and other crimes following his initial arrest in 2018. NBC News confirmed that he was then sentenced to 50 years in prison in October of 2022 and was told he would be registered as a sex offender. The outlet also reported that the actor's defense team planned to appeal the conviction and sentence.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Jussie Smollett
Jussie Smollett is an actor and singer who had his breakthrough role as a child in the 1992 film "The Mighty Ducks." He then went on to appear in the sitcom "On Our Own" and the film "North" before taking a break from acting, returning in 2012 with a role in "The Skinny." Since then, he had several high-profile parts on television, with the most notable being in the Fox drama "Empire," where he portrayed Jamal Lyon. In 2015, the actor signed a record deal with Columbia Records for a future album that was released in 2018 under the name "Sum of My Music."
Controversy around Smollett began in 2019, when he approached police to report a violent hate crime had been committed against him. The actor told officers that he had been beaten while receiving homophobic and racist abuse (via BBC). However, when police investigated the alleged crime and arrested two suspects, they discovered that the attack had seemingly been staged by Smollett. Following a lengthy period, the actor was eventually charged with six counts of lying to police and filing a false crime report according to The Guardian. He was found guilty in December of 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in jail in March 2022, although Smollett has been released from custody on bail while he appeals.