Buzz
When celebrity meltdowns come up in the media or in casual conversations, the music industry is often the first to come to mind. It's easy to understand why—just think of the infamous moments involving Britney, Kanye, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Justin Bieber.
Yet, the film industry has seen its own share of shocking meltdowns. Many of these incidents not only damaged the celebrities' reputations but, in some cases, led to a loss of fan support as well.
10. Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder is best remembered for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Superman films, where she starred alongside Christopher Reeve. She also appeared in the 1973 thriller Sisters and the 1979 horror film The Amityville Horror. Unfortunately, Kidder faced the challenges of bipolar disorder, which led to a devastating nervous breakdown and manic episode.
In April 1996, Kidder was reported missing by her manager. Police located her three days later, hiding in some bushes behind a house in Glendale, California. Upon being found, she claimed she had been attacked by an unknown person and was in hiding. She appeared disheveled, dressed in old clothes, and had used a razor blade to chop off her hair in an attempt to make herself 'unrecognizable.'
Kidder was confined to a psychiatric facility for 72 hours, and no evidence of drugs or alcohol being involved in her breakdown was found. Following the incident, job offers became scarce for the actress, and she had to accept minor guest roles for a time. However, she has made a remarkable recovery and even earned an Emmy Award in 2015 for her performance in R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.
9. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has built a distinguished career with leading and supporting roles in both movies and TV shows, including Beetlejuice, Working Girl, Pearl Harbor, The Departed, as well as 30 Rock, Nip/Tuck, and Will & Grace.
Baldwin's troubles began in 2007 when a voicemail surfaced, in which he called his then-11-year-old daughter a rude, thoughtless little pig. The situation worsened in 2011 when he was removed from an American Airlines flight for refusing to turn off his cell phone as the plane was preparing for takeoff. Baldwin was reportedly abusive and used inappropriate language towards the airline staff, according to their post-incident statement.
8. Selma Blair
Selma Blair earned her big break in acting with the role of a lifetime in the popular 1999 teen drama Cruel Intentions. She went on to star in Legally Blonde, Hellboy, and The Fog, as well as the TV series Anger Management. Additionally, Blair became the face of several fashion houses, including Chanel.
In June 2016, Blair was flying back to Los Angeles from Mexico with her four-year-old son when she suddenly broke down in tears mid-flight. While drinking a glass of wine, she began uncontrollably ranting about an unnamed man who she claimed 'burns [her] private parts' and beats her. Blair also screamed that this man was preventing her from eating and drinking and threatened to kill her.
Blair later expressed regret for the unsettling incident. A few months after the event, she shared that she had taken a tablet alongside the alcohol, which resulted in a psychotic blackout.
7. Rip Torn
Elmore Rual Torn Jr., widely known as Rip Torn, is a renowned actor with six Emmy nominations and a win in 1996, an American Comedy Award, and two CableACE awards. Torn's career in film began in 1956, but he is most famously recognized for his roles in Men in Black and RoboCop 3.
For reasons that remain unclear, Rip Torn became heavily intoxicated one night in January 2010 and broke into a bank in Salisbury, Connecticut. After breaking a window to enter, he triggered the alarm. When the police arrived, Torn was found with a loaded gun and was reported to be 'highly intoxicated.'
The actor pleaded guilty to all the charges against him, which included carrying a firearm without a permit, trespassing, and first-degree burglary. He received a suspended sentence and is now subject to random narcotics and alcohol testing.
6. Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton started her acting career on the stage and moved on to TV before landing a starring role in the movie Lawn Dogs, released in 1997. She also played roles in Notting Hill and The Sixth Sense but is probably most remembered for her role as Marissa Cooper in the TV series The O.C.
Barton’s personal life hasn’t been the easiest, with an arrest for driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana in 2007 and being sued for rent money by her landlord in 2010. In January 2017, footage emerged of Barton seemingly high and ranting while hanging over a fence in her backyard. Screaming things like, “We’re dying,” and “Oh, you f—ing witch,” (referring to her mother) moved her neighbors to call 911.
Later on, Barton released a statement saying that she had been drugged with GHB, a date rape drug, while out celebrating her birthday with friends.
5. Wesley Snipes
When you think of Wesley Snipes, the Blade series probably comes to mind. Snipes holds black belts in Shotokan karate and Hapkido and has earned several accolades, such as Best Actor, Outstanding Lead Actor, and Favorite Actor. However, in a shocking turn from his acting career, Snipes ended up in prison after being sentenced to three years for tax evasion. He reported to federal prison in 2010 and was released in 2013.
Years before that, during the making of Blade: Trinity, Snipes had a falling out with director David Goyer. After seeing another black actor wearing a shirt with the word 'Garbage' on it, Snipes angrily accused Goyer of being racist. What he didn’t know was that it was simply the actor's personal shirt. The tension between them escalated so much that Snipes allegedly attempted to strangle Goyer. From that point on, the two only communicated through Post-it notes until the end of filming.
4. Anne Heche
Anne Heche began her career in a daytime soap opera before rising to fame with roles in films like Donnie Brasco, Volcano, and Six Days, Seven Nights. These hits, released in the 1990s, marked the peak of her career. However, as the new millennium began, Heche's career began to decline. She took on roles in independent films and TV series, including Men in Trees and Hung.
In 2000, shortly after her breakup with Ellen Degeneres, Heche, dressed only in a bra and shorts, drove to Cantua Creek and walked over 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) through the desert. She eventually knocked on the door of a random house, where she asked the owner, Araceli Campiz, for water and then requested a shower. Heche then made herself at home in Campiz’s living room, prompting the woman to call the police. When authorities arrived, Heche claimed to be God and said she would soon board a spaceship to take everyone to Heaven.
Heche later confessed that she had taken ecstasy before driving and explained that she had created an alter ego named Celestia. This persona, who was the daughter of God and the half-sister of Jesus, believed she could communicate with aliens. Heche further revealed that she created this identity to feel safe after enduring sexual abuse by her father during her childhood.
3. Christian Bale
Christian Bale began his acting career at just 12 years old, landing a role in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. His success continued with standout performances in American Psycho, The Machinist, and his iconic portrayal of Batman. In 2010, his role in The Fighter earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2008, Bale had a notorious outburst on the set of Terminator Salvation. Director of photography Shane Hurlbut inadvertently disrupted a scene by walking onto the set, causing Bale to lose his focus. In response, Bale launched into a furious tirade, shouting 39 expletives and insulting Hurlbut, calling him an amateur and threatening physical violence. Bale finished his rant by saying he would refuse to continue filming if Hurlbut stepped onto the set again.
After the audio of the outburst was leaked, several actors and directors came to Bale’s defense, while parodies of the incident began circulating. A week later, Bale addressed the situation during a radio interview, apologizing for his behavior and confirming that he and Hurlbut had settled their differences.
2. Shia LaBeouf
These days, Shia LaBeouf is more notorious for his erratic behavior than his acting. Before movies like Disturbia and Transformers, LaBeouf won a Daytime Emmy Award and received a Young Artist Award nomination. He also appeared in films like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Lawless.
In 2005, LaBeouf found himself in trouble after crashing his car into his neighbor's vehicle when the man refused to move his car out of the way of LaBeouf’s garage. Hours later, LaBeouf showed up at the neighbor’s house with a knife, leading to a physical altercation. His legal troubles continued: in 2007, he was arrested after refusing to leave a Walgreens, and in 2008, after a car accident, he was arrested for driving under the influence.
In 2011, LaBeouf got into a fistfight with a bar patron, and in 2014, he was arrested again for disorderly conduct at Studio 54 in New York. Then in July 2017, he was taken into custody for public drunkenness, where he made racially charged remarks to officers, even telling one that he was going to Hell because of his race. Just two months earlier, he had been thrown out of a bowling alley for screaming at a bartender.
LaBeouf also exhibited bizarre behavior, including wearing a brown paper bag over his head to the premiere of his controversial 2014 film, Nymphomaniac, and appearing in a strange music video alongside Maddie Ziegler.
1. Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen is renowned for his roles in iconic films like Apocalypse Now, The Departed, and The Amazing Spider-Man. He also gained fame for his portrayal of President Josiah Bartlet on the TV show The West Wing. Sheen has earned accolades, including a Best Actor award for his performance in Badlands, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild awards for The West Wing.
What many may not realize is that during the filming of Apocalypse Now, Sheen experienced a breakdown fueled by alcohol. After being cast later in the production, Sheen's personal struggles became evident on screen. While trying to stay sober and immerse himself in the role, he found it difficult to perform the opening scene. Frustrated by his inability to get it right, Sheen drank heavily and, in a fit of emotion, broke down in tears. In a violent outburst, he shattered a mirror, then collapsed, bleeding and sobbing, as the cameras captured every moment of his unraveling.
The raw and emotional breakdown was left in the final cut of the film and is seen in the movie as it happened.
