CW: domestic violence
If you haven't seen your favorite Disney Channel stars in a while,
there's a good chance they've run afoul of the law. From drunk driving to violence at
home, these celebs traded their Mickey Mouse ears for handcuffs.
After Wizards of Waverly Place ended its Disney Channel run in 2012, David Henrie found himself
in some hot water when he tried to bring a loaded gun through airport security at
LAX in 2018. He had recently written a movie called This Is The Year, which he was set to
begin directing the very week he was nabbed by TSA agents. The movie was ultimately released
in 2020. After his legal troubles went public, Henrie apologized by tweeting,
"I am so sorry for any trouble it caused, but I am appreciative of TSA's efforts in
implementing the safety laws that are in place to protect our beautiful country.
More than anything I am humiliated and embarrassed that this even happened."
Henrie has since moved on from the incident and is busy raising a family. In July 2022,
he and his wife Maria Cahill welcomed a third child together.
Ronni Hawk starred on the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle, but she was
written out of the show in its third season so that she could join the cast of Netflix 's On
My Block. But then in 2020, she was arrested for domestic violence. As reported by TMZ,
police were called to a residence where they found Hawk's boyfriend with visible injuries,
leading to Hawk's arrest. Her bail was set at $100,000.
Details of the resulting case do not seem to have been publicly reported, and Hawk has continued to
work since then — she's set to appear in the upcoming film Girl with a Gun, among others.
This wasn't the only time that Hawk had generated controversy,
as some fans of On My Block had previously launched a petition
for her to be removed from the show due to her past tweets in support of Donald Trump.
Orlando Brown was a Disney Channel regular throughout the 2000s. He played Raven's
lovable friend Eddie on That's So Raven, voiced Sticky Webb on The Proud Family,
and starred in Disney Channel Original Movies like Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off. But
he's struggled to parlay that fame into adult stardom, and in the years since,
he's found himself on the wrong side of the law numerous times.
In 2018, Brown was nabbed by bounty hunters over failure to appear in court on domestic
violence charges. That same year, he was also booked for drug possession
and resisting arrest and then arrested once more for failing to appear in court.
He also made a bizarre appearance on Dr. Phil that year to discuss his situation,
as he claimed that he was the son of both Michael Jackson and Will Smith.
"I came here today to offer you some help. I think it is in the
form of a mental illness that can be dealt with."
Brown's troubles continued in 2022, when he was arrested in Ohio after yet another domestic
violence incident. As reported by Deadline, a relative of Brown's called the police and
alleged that he attacked them with a hammer. He later pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mitchel Musso starred on Hannah Montana as one of the title character's best friends,
Oliver. But then in 2011, a 20-year-old Musso was arrested on suspicion of driving
under the influence. He reportedly failed to stop at an unrelated incident for police
officers who were directing traffic. They pulled him over and could smell alcohol,
at which point he failed a sobriety test. He was then booked on suspicion of DUI.
A few months later, Musso reportedly accepted a plea deal. Pleading no
contest allowed him to receive 36 months of probation rather than a potential six
months in jail. He released a statement to E! News that read,
"In becoming an adult, I have learned first hand that stepping up and taking
responsibility is the best way to move forward. I am especially
thankful to my family and fans for their unwavering support and encouragement."
Debby Ryan was one of the biggest Disney Channel stars to emerge in the 2010s. She
played the title character on the hit sitcom Jessie, and she also starred in Disney Channel
Original Movies like Radio Rebel and 16 Wishes. Her time on Jessie ended when the show wrapped in
2015. The following year, she was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after
she caused a crash late one night in Los Angeles. Ryan later apologized on social media by tweeting,
"I wish I had used better judgement. I recognize that I am a role model and have always worked
hard to set a good example for my millions of fans. I am so sorry to disappoint everyone."
Ultimately, Ryan was sentenced to three years of probation after taking a plea deal,
an arrangement that allowed her to avoid jail time.
"I just think intergenerational mentorship and communication only helps everyone."
Before she went on to becoming a long-running star on multiple soap operas, Kirsten Storms was
best known to legions of Disney Channel fans as the title character in Zenon:
Girl of the 21st Century. The final Zenon movie debuted in 2004, but then in 2007,
TMZ reported that police officers pulled her over after she threw a cigarette out the window
of her car. They then ended up arresting her on suspicion of DUI after she failed a sobriety test.
Storms ultimately pleaded no contest to the charge. According to the terms of her plea deal,
she received a sentence of 36 months probation. She also had to pay fines totaling $1,643,
and she had to agree to attend meetings through Alcoholics Anonymous.
Adam Hicks is best known to Disney Channel fans as Wen from Lemonade Mouth,
one of the main kids in the band. He also starred on Zeke and Luther, a show about two
friends who skateboard. But since then, his career has been derailed by legal troubles.
Hicks was arrested twice in 2017, first for firing a gun and then for battery. Both cases
were ultimately dismissed. The following year, he was arrested again and charged for a spree
of robberies. He and his girlfriend allegedly committed three armed robberies in Burbank,
California in the span of two hours, stealing cash, cell phones,
and jewelry from their victims. His bail was set at $550,000, which he failed to meet.
In 2021, Hicks was sentenced to five years in prison for his offenses,
though he managed to be released less than a year later on parole. Later that year,
he released a music video for "Chosen One," a rap song about his time behind bars.
"Under the state of California, how do you plead?"
"No contest, your honor."
Chris Tavarez first came to the attention of Disney Channel viewers when he starred
in the original movie Avalon High. He then went on to be a
recurring cast member on the second and third seasons of KC Undercover.
In 2018, Tavarez was convicted of spousal battery. His sentence eventually included
a yearlong Domestic Violence Treatment Program, a fine, and 180 days behind
bars. Just a year later, he was arrested again on felony domestic violence charges.
He allegedly shoved his girlfriend during an argument, causing her to hit her head.
Ultimately, Tavarez was given a five-year prison sentence,
which was eventually reduced to just 300 days. He also received credit for time served,
leaving him with less than 150 days behind bars for the altercation.
He hasn't had any film or TV projects since his arrest.
Lab Rats star Kelli Berglund's 2016 trip to Coachella made headlines for all the
wrong reasons. She was only 20 at the time, and she apparently wanted to get
into an age-restricted section of the music festival. Hoping to fool security guards,
she allegedly tried to pass off a fake ID, perhaps forgetting that she'd spent the last few years
acting on the Disney Channel. As reported by TMZ, she was arrested and issued a citation.
Berglund was ultimately released and allowed to continue to party,
and she seems to have made the most of her weekend: she tweeted,
"Thanks for the love coachella 2k16!"
Kelli Berglund's Lab Rats co-star Billy Unger also got himself into a bit of legal trouble. In 2014,
right in the middle of Lab Rats' time on the air, Unger was arrested in Malibu on suspicion
of DUI. Police officers gave him a breathalyzer and discovered that his blood alcohol content
was at the legal limit. But there was still a problem, as Unger was only 18 at the time,
well under the legal drinking age. Consequently, he was arrested for underage drinking.
Fans of the show fretted that Lab Rats would be canceled in the wake of Unger's arrest,
and the actor issued a statement to TMZ thanking fans for their
support. The show managed to continue airing new episodes through 2016,
and Unger even reprised his character on the spinoff Lab Rats: Elite Force.
"It's just one more Disney star to add on to the
list of Disney stars who have had problems with alcohol."
Devan Leos was one of the stars of Mighty Med, a show about a hospital for people
with superpowers. In 2018, a few years after the show ended, he was charged with attempted
murder after allegedly intentionally trying to run over an unhoused man with his car.
TMZ reported that Leos managed to avoid jail time by taking a plea deal. The actor insisted
that the other man tried to attack him first by kicking his car. Leos aimed the car at the man,
hopped it over the curb, and knocked him down. Leos was ultimately sentenced to
five years of probation and community service working at a homeless shelter.
When the news of his plea deal broke,
Leos took to social media to tell his side of what happened. He wrote on his Instagram Story,
"What do you want me to do? Yes I should have ran away but when you're
in that moment and the adrenaline's pumping and you're in fight or flight
and your brains in fight mode. [...] I'm sorry, it's called PTSD, people."
Kyle Massey broke out as the title character's younger brother Cory
on That's So Raven. He proved to be so popular that he got his very own spinoff,
Cory in the House, and he also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Life is Ruff.
In 2019, People magazine reported that Massey had been sued for allegedly exchanging sexually
explicit messages with a minor. The alleged victim was a 13-year old girl he had known since
she was only 4. A few days later, he released a statement to the magazine in which he insisted,
"No child should ever be exposed to sexually explicit materials and I
unequivocally and categorically deny any alleged misconduct."
The lawsuit was eventually dropped, but a few years later, Massey was criminally charged for
the incident and in 2021, he failed to appear at his arraignment. In a statement to TMZ,
Massey's lawyer insisted that the whole situation was nothing more than an extortion attempt.
Lalaine was a fan favorite when she starred as the title character's best friend Miranda on Lizzie
McGuire. So it was a bit of a surprise when she didn't appear in the theatrically released Lizzie
McGuire Movie. Even Jimmy Fallon was bummed, as he tweeted a decade after the film's release,
"I went to see the Lizzie McGuire Movie on opening
night and I was disappointed that Miranda wasn't in it."
"Guess that's a no."
While her co-star Hilary Duff went on to a big career after Lizzie,
Lalaine's star faded. In 2007, she was arrested for possession of meth, though she mostly kept
details out of the press until they were leaked to TMZ. Her charging documents revealed that she
had made $10,000 bail but then had a $50,000 bench warrant issued for her arrest when she
didn't turn up in court. She ultimately pleaded guilty and entered a drug treatment program in
exchange for having her record expunged. Lalaine seems to be doing better these days. In 2020,
she returned to acting and starred in a film called Definition Please.
If you or anyone you know is struggling 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).