#8 - Alec Baldwin On December the 6th of 2011,
actor and comedian Alec Baldwin was removed from an American Airlines flight at Los Angeles
International Airport. Baldwin, whose public image had long been characterized by his headstrong and
temperamental nature, was reportedly playing the mobile video game “Words with Friends” shortly
prior to the airplane’s departure. When the cabin crew requested that he put away his electronic
device, he allegedly became “violent, abusive and aggressive”. He flew into a fit of rage
that unfolded with him shouting at the flight attendant, tossing a collection of loose papers
onto the ground, and storming into the bathroom. According to eyewitnesses, Baldwin then pounded
on the bathroom walls before returning to the cabin and continuing to yell at the crew members.
The celebrity was subsequently escorted off the plane, and his outburst reportedly caused the
flight to be delayed about an hour. In the wake of the incident, Baldwin publicly apologized to
the passengers who were inconvenienced by his meltdown and its consequences. He also poked fun
at his childish behavior during a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment.
#7 - Mischa Barton British-American actress Mischa Barton,
who gained mainstream recognition through her role on the popular teen drama series The O.C.,
was admitted to a hospital after she was filmed ranting incoherently in the backyard of her Los
Angeles residence in January of 2017. The footage, captured by her neighbors’ security camera,
showed Barton angrily shouting about how the world was coming to an end while hanging off
the edge of her wooden fence. She was also heard calling her mother a “witch” before suddenly
losing her footing and falling to the ground. In the incident’s aftermath, the actress explained
how her meltdown had been precipitated by a birthday celebration the previous night. Barton
told People Magazine that she’d gone out with a group of friends to celebrate her turning 31,
but had noticed something “erratic” about her behavior for several hours after returning home.
She subsequently underwent a medical examination and it was determined that she’d inadvertently
consumed the sedative GHB in one of her alcoholic beverages. Although the celebrity maintained
that her apparent meltdown had been an isolated incident, her neighbors publicly accused her of
frequently having “loud crying and screaming fits”. She had a history of mental health
struggles dating back to the late 2000s. Following a DUI arrest in 2007, Barton had reportedly had
a nervous breakdown and was held in psychiatric care, after threatening to end her own life.
#6 - Christian Bale During production for the 2009
science fiction film Terminator Salvation, lead actor Christian Bale was caught on tape having a
meltdown after a crew member walked on set while a scene was being filmed. The audio recording of the
incident, captured without the actor’s knowledge, was leaked to the public in February of 2009,
a few months prior to the film’s release. Bale had become enraged at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut
after he’d inspected one of the lights on set in the middle of him filming a scene. Bale,
claiming that it was the second time Hurlbut had interrupted production in such a manner,
then launched a rage-fueled barrage of expletives at him. He threatened to destroy
Hurlbut’s lighting equipment, and also vowed to quit the film if he committed the offense
again without being fired. The cinematographer remained contrite and apologetic throughout
the recording, which subsequently triggered considerable public backlash
against Bale for his hostile and abusive behavior. The actor has since apologized for his actions,
and also indicated that he and Hurlbut had settled their differences shortly after the incident.
#5 - Tom Cruise On May the 23rd of 2005,
prominent actor Tom Cruise appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show to promote the
Steven Spielberg-directed sci-fi action film War of the Worlds. The interview, clips of
which were widely circulated in the aftermath, primarily centered on Cruise’s personal life
rather than the upcoming film release. The actor and Winfrey spent most of the show discussing his
relationship with actress Katie Holmes, which had begun just one month earlier. Shortly after the
commencement of the interview, the actor began jumping up and down on Winfrey’s yellow couch,
pumping his fists and loudly declaring that he was in love with his girlfriend. Winfrey was
described, in subsequent reports, as having been “taken aback” by Cruise’s bizarre behavior. During
the actor’s outburst, which was widely parodied in various entertainment mediums in the aftermath,
she commented “He's gone. The boy is gone” as the studio audience broke into enthusiastic cheers.
Cruise and Holmes went on to have a child together and, in November of 2006, they were married at
the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in the small Italian town of Bracciano. In June of 2012, Holmes
filed for divorce from Cruise. She later argued that her decision had been, at least in part,
made in order to protect the couple’s daughter from Cruise’s controversial belief in Scientology.
#4 - David Hasselhoff
Actor David Hasselhoff became a cultural icon throughout the 1980s and into the ‘90s
after appearing in such popular television series as The Young and the Restless, Knight Rider,
and Baywatch. In 2007, Hasselhoff made headlines for a viral YouTube video in which he was shown
eating a cheeseburger while severely drunk at his residence. The clip was reportedly filmed
by the actor’s daughter, Taylor Ann, who could be heard asking that he stop abusing alcohol.
She also warned Hasselhoff that his addiction could potentially jeopardize his career as an
actor. Following the video’s emergence, Hasselhoff issued a statement in which he clarified that he’d
asked his daughter to record it in order for him to see how he behaved while intoxicated. In the
incident’s wake, Hasselhoff had his visitation rights with his two daughters temporarily
suspended. In 2009, the actor’s attorney indicated that he’d since sought professional help for his
addiction, calling him a “recovering alcoholic”. #3 - Winona Ryder
Actress Winona Ryder was arrested at a Saks Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills,
California, on December the 12th of 2001. The Minnesota native, who by then had become a global
celebrity, had allegedly stolen $5,500 worth of unpaid designer clothes and accessories. Upon
being detained by the store’s security personnel, Ryder was brought into the back offices,
where she signed 2 civil demand letters. She was then taken into the custody of Beverly Hills
police on suspicion of shoplifting. As per the stipulations of California's Statute for Civil
Recovery for Shoplifting, the actress was ordered to pay restitution for the stolen merchandise.
Prosecutors ultimately filed four felony charges against Ryder, and her legal defense team failed
to negotiate a plea bargain, prompting the case to go to trial. During the ensuing legal proceedings,
Ryder was accused of using drugs, including oxycodone, diazepam, and Vicodin, without valid
prescriptions. She was ultimately convicted of grand theft, shoplifting, and vandalism,
which resulted in her being sentenced to 3 years of probation and 480 hours of community service.
Additionally, Ryder was ordered to pay more than $10,000 in fines and restitution payments
as well as to attend psychological and drug counseling. In subsequent interviews,
Ryder explained how her apparent meltdown and criminal behavior had occurred during a time
when she was suffering from clinical depression. She also alleged that her judgement had been
severely clouded by the pain-killing medication that had been prescribed to her by a physician.
#2 - Charlie Sheen
Actor Charlie Sheen rose to prominence in the 1980s and ‘90s after appearing in high-profile
films such as Platoon, Wall Street, and The Three Musketeers. His celebrity status within
the entertainment industry grew exponentially when he was cast in one of the lead roles of
the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which had an extremely successful run that spanned 12 seasons.
Although Sheen’s accomplishments as an actor had made him an internationally-recognized celebrity,
his personal life also became the subject of public scrutiny and curiosity throughout his
career. He struggled with substance abuse for years and, in 1998, he was hospitalized after
reportedly overdosing on cocaine. In January of 2011, Two and a Half Men went on a production
hiatus while Sheen underwent his third attempt at drug rehabilitation over the course of 12 months.
Shortly thereafter, the actor publicly made derogatory comments towards the series’ creator,
causing him to be banned from the Warner Brothers’ production lot. The following month,
Sheen’s Two and a Half Men contract with CBS was terminated, and his character was replaced with
Ashton Kutcher on the show. In the wake of his dismissal, Sheen had a highly publicized meltdown,
during which he appeared in several interviews and Internet videos that went viral. In one
such clip, he famously suggested that he was a “warlock” with “tiger blood” and “Adonis DNA”.
Sheen also posted videos to YouTube in which he was shown smoking cigarettes through his nose and
directing profanity-laced insults at his former employers. Sheen’s erratic behavior
ultimately led to the swift deterioration of his acting career, which failed to fully recover
following the negative publicity he received. #1 - Britney Spears
In 2007, pop icon Britney Spears’ personal life came under intense public scrutiny following a
series of bizarre and embarrassing incidents. Her long-lasting public meltdown began on February
the 16th, a day after she’d checked out of a rehabilitation facility in the Caribbean.
Spears entered a salon in the Los Angeles suburb of Tarzana and proceeded to shave her head
completely bald. Pictures of the singer’s shaved head were quickly spread online and
in various tabloids, causing many of her fans to question her behavior. A few days later,
Spears checked into an Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility in Malibu. Although she
subsequently checked out less than 24 hours later, her husband brought her back the following day and
requested an emergency hearing regarding custody of their two children. In the summer of 2007,
Spears issued a statement via her website in which she described how she’d “hit rock bottom” during
her time in rehab. A couple months later, she and her husband finalized their divorce. Then,
in August of 2007, Spears fled the scene of a traffic accident and was later charged with
2 counts of hit-and-run. She was ordered to relinquish custody of her children to her
ex-husband and, in January of 2008, she was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles
after police had found her under the influence of an unidentified substance inside her home.
In the wake of her hospitalization, Spears was placed under a conservatorship led by her father
that was given complete control of her financial assets. The decision would eventually spark the
#FreeBritney movement, starting in 2019 and then growing into a worldwide phenomenon in
the early 2020s. The singer’s fans pointed to the purported negative effects of the conservatorship
on her mental and emotional health as she’d begun exhibiting erratic behavior on social media.
Conspiracy theories arose that Spears was secretly trying to transmit messages online seeking help
and release from the arrangement. The singer herself eventually expressed dissatisfaction
with it, accusing her family and management of abuse, coercion, mistreatment and conflict of
interests. She appeared in court and asked that the conservatorship be terminated,
which came to fruition in March of 2022. One day after being freed from it, Spears abruptly
deleted her Instagram. She then reactivated her account two days later, but neglected to
provide fans with a reason for her sudden and short-lived disappearance from social media.
Thanks for watching! Would you rather be followed by paparazzi everywhere you go or
live in isolation at a monastery for a year? Let us know in the comments section below!