In the ’80s, Don Johnson was famous for his portrayal of “Sonny” in the popular television series Miami Vice, and in the 90s he starred in Nash Bridges. However, his portrayal of law enforcement officials didn’t help him in 2002, when he was accused of money laundering. He was never charged with anything, but the rumors were enough to cause his production company to lose investors.
In 2008, the actor was again in dire financial straits when authorities announced that they were about to foreclose on his Colorado home. Johnson managed to come up with $14.5 million to pay his debt just 24 hours before the house went to auction. It is unclear how much the actor is currently worth.
Willie Nelson
Country musician Willie Nelson’s renown is not limited to country music fans. He has been making music since 1956, so it would stand to reason that he knows a little something about managing his money. Apparently not, when Nelson was investigated by the IRS, they ended up serving him with a $16.7 million tax bill!
Fortunately, Nelson found himself a good lawyer and released an album titled ‘The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories?’ and succeeded in digging his way out of the hole, but his current lifestyle is certainly not as luxurious as what it used to be.
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes was country music’s golden child in the 1990s, with numerous billboard hits and Grammy wins, but in the last couple of decades things have slowed down for the singer. Although she has not let the decline in sales affect her opulent lifestyle.
Good for her, but with less money coming in, things are not as easy as they used to be, especially if you take into account that her actor husband, Eddie Cibrian, is not one of Hollywood’s top earners. Luckily, it seems like things are looking up with Rimes’s work on Hallmark films and her Christmas music.
Suzanne Somers
Famous for playing the role of Chrissie on the classic 70’s sitcom, Three’s Company, Suzanne Somers is a beloved television icon. Although she was only on the hit show for one year, Somers really made an impression on the audience, but also became a cautionary tale about why actors shouldn’t anger their producers.
The actress, who was taking a stand about how much she earned per episode, left the show and found herself in breach of contract. She ended up having a hard time affording her legal expenses, and with a bad reputation that made finding new gigs quite difficult.
Nicolas Cage
Looking back at the 1990s, it sometimes seems like Nicolas Cage starred in every single movie in that entire decade. That must have brought in a hefty sum, right? Unfortunately, the actor loved to spend money and his tastes were both expensive and exotic. He bought rare animals, a Gulfstream jet, and even his own private island, which left him on some unsteady financial ground even without the $14 million in back taxes that he owed the IRS.
Things got even worse in 2009 when he was sued by his ex-wife for $13 million and then later that year sued by a real estate company for not returning millions that they apparently loaned to him. So, if you’re at the movie theater and find yourself wondering how such a great actor agreed to be in a not-so-great movie, he may just be trying to make some money to pay off his debts.