Celebrities are just like us, and that includes all the faults and foibles in which people sometimes find themselves embroiled. As a famous writer once said, “Fame is the mask that eats the face.” While this is hard to prove with any celebrity, some of the most famous people on earth had their freedom eaten away and currently sit in jail.
It’s hard to say what makes someone reach the heights of stardom before falling victim to the type of malfeasance that earns them a prison sentence. For some, it’s accusations of murder, for others, a long trail of sexual abuse and coercion finally surfaces and brings them to justice. Regardless of how or why, many stars have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. In this article, we will explore some of the most famous people currently in jail.
To create a list of the most famous people in jail, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of entertainment and crime sources including IMBD.com, The Marshall Project and People Magazine. Next, we selected the biggest celebrities who are currently serving some type of jail sentence. After that, we consulted sites like Britannica and Biography to confirm aspects of each celebrity’s story. (For celebrities who have found success in other arenas, discover 10 celebrities who’ve won big at gambling.)
Joe Exotic
One of the most famous people currently in jail, is no doubt, Joe Exotic. Born Joseph Allen Maldonado and known as the Tiger King, Exotic rose to fame after appearing on the hit Netflix show, “Tiger King.” There his life as the owner and operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park was portrayed.
He ran afoul of the law, however, after being arrested on suspicion of hiring two men to kill rival big cat park owner Carole Baskin. For the crime, Exotic received 22 years in prison. Though a later motion reduced his sentence by one year, Exotic remains incarcerated at Texas Prison Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth.
Suge Knight
Another one of the most famous people currently in jail is Suge Knight. Born Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight Jr., Knight rose to fame as co-founder and CEO of Death Row Records. A pivotal figure in the success of gangster rap, Knight helped bring some of the biggest rape names and albums to fruition.
The whole time, however, Knight displayed increasingly dangerous and violent activities in service of his record label. These included hiring gang members and being involved in various unsolved shootings including that of his protege Tupac Shakur. While he served prison sentences throughout his career for various crimes, in 2015 Knight was involved in a fatal hit-and-run car crash. This led to his incarceration for 28 years in prison. Currently, Knight is incarcerated at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an editor, publisher, and activist. For these reasons, he is also one of the most famous people currently in jail. As the founder of WikiLeaks, he rose to fame after publishing a series of US Army Intelligence leaks detailing atrocities committed by US Personnel in Iraq. It brought him fame, however, it also brought him widespread notoriety.
In 2010, Sweden issued a European Arrest Warrant for Assange related to an assault case. He saw these as trumped-up charges, however, and sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. While he was granted asylum by Ecuador, a series of disputes with the country led to Assange’s arrest. After being found guilty of breaching the Bail Act in the United Kingdom, the US government charged him with violating the Espionage Act of 1917. While the US has attempted to extradite Assange, he currently resides at the HM Prison Belmarsh in London, England.
Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes rose to fame as the founder of the blood-testing company Theranos. Due to claims of revolutionary blood testing, Theranos received a $9 billion evaluation. This led Forbes Magazine to declare Holmes as the youngest and wealthiest self-made female billionaire in the United States.
Her reputation unraveled, however, after a series of investigative articles uncovered evidence of fraud by Holmes and Theranos. This led the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to charge Holmes and her chief operating officers with various fraud charges. In January 2022, Holmes was convicted of said charges and sentenced to over a decade in prison. Currently, she resides at Federal Prison Camp, Bryan near Houston, Texas.
Danny Masterson
Danny Masterson first rose to fame with his notable roles on hit television shows like “That ’70s Show,” “Men at Work” and “The Ranch.” During this time, Masterson was also a noted member of the Church of Scientology.
In the late aughts, however, things took a darker turn for Masterson. After being accused of various sexual assaults and rapes, the Church of Scientology attempted to silence his victims, which led to years of delay in bringing him to justice. Finally, in September 2023, Masterson was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Though he plans to appeal his conviction, Masterson is currently incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony near San Luis Obispo, California.
C-Murder
Born Corey Miller, he first rose to fame as the rapper and producer C-Murder. Brother to famed rapper Master P, C-Murder found his breakthrough as a member of his brother’s label’s supergroup, TRU. After that, C-Murder released several solo albums, including the Platinum-selling “Life or Death.”
In 2012, however, C-Murder’s name took on spooky connotations. After being arrested in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Steven Thomas, C-Murder was sentenced to life in prison. While controversy surrounds his sentence, including key witnesses recanting their testimony, C-Murder currently resides at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. (For other fascinating, if not fateful, origins of stage names, discover the strange stories behind celebrity stage names.)
R. Kelly
Another one of the most famous people currently in jail is no doubt, R. Kelly. Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, he first rose to fame as an R&B artist and musician. Throughout his career, R. Kelly released 18 studio albums and sold over 75 million records worldwide. Ominously called the “Pied Piper of R&B,” Kelly first met legal trouble after being prosecuted on child pornography charges in 2002. Controversially, he was acquitted of the charges.
He stayed under the radar for the next decade or so. That would change, however, with the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which detailed allegations of extensive abuse. This led Federal law enforcement to charge Kelly with 18 counts including child sexual exploitation, child pornography, sex trafficking, kidnapping and forced labor. Eventually, Kelly was convicted of some of these crimes and sentenced in various trials to 20 years in prison. Kelly currently resides at the Federal Correction Complex, Butner in North Carolina.
Harvey Weinstein
Famous movie producer Harvey Weinstein and his brother rose to fame producing hit movies through their company Miramax Film. A titan in the film industry, long-standing rumors suggested Weinstein coerced various actresses to perform sexual acts in exchange for movie roles.
This proved true, however, as a series of journalist investigations in 2017 detailed sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein going back decades. After more than 80 women spoke out regarding the abuse they received from Weinstein, he was arrested and charged with rape in New York. After being found guilty of two counts, Weinstein was extradited to Los Angeles where he was convicted of other charges. Sentenced with a total of 39 years in prison, Weinstein will face more charges in England. Currently, however, he resides at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
Jared Fogle
Jared Fogle first rose to fame after losing 245 pounds while frequenting Subway restaurant chains. As such, Subway hired Fogle as a spokesman. In that role, he appeared in various successful advertisement campaigns for the company between 2000 and 2015, including 300 separate commercials.
While rumors began swirling in the mid-aughts regarding Fogle’s involvement in child pornography, they didn’t gain traction until the FBI discovered evidence of him receiving child pornography. In response to the charges, Fogle pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison. Fogle currently resides at the Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood near Denver, Colorado.
Tory Lanez
A final famous person currently in jail is rapper Tory Lanez. Born Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, Lanez first rose to fame with the release of his debut album in 2016, “I Told You.” After that, Lanez continued to score hit singles and records including “Chixtape 5,” which reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
In July 2020, however, Lanez allegedly shot fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot after the pair left a house party. For the incident, Lanez was found guilty of various charges including first-degree assault with a firearm and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence. For this, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Currently, Lanez resides at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, California. (For other infamous crimes that sat in the public’s imagination, discover the most infamous cases that rocked the FBI.)