10 Celebs That Got Away With Their Crimes For Decades
It took years, but these celebs finally learned that crime doesn't pay. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most infamous celebrities whose notorious actions went unchecked for several years before they were finally uncovered.
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00:00 There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we'll
00:06 be looking at the most infamous celebrities whose notorious actions went unchecked for several years
00:11 before they were finally uncovered. I'm not Lucifer, I'm a man, I make mistakes.
00:17 Stephen Collins. For about a decade Stephen Collins portrayed a pastor and beloved father
00:24 on the popular family drama Seventh Heaven. I have seven children from five to 25. I
00:29 I know what it's like. It's tough. Throughout this period Collins carefully crafted a wholesome image
00:36 which persisted even after the show ended. However in 2014 a shocking audio recording of
00:42 the actor made its way to the public. Well this isn't a disclosure and I told you before there
00:46 was one instance. This recording which was made two years prior during a marriage therapy session
00:52 captured Collins confessing to inappropriate contact with minors in the past. A few months
00:56 later he publicly acknowledged these crimes specifying that they occurred between 1973 and
01:01 1994. Although Collins faced no criminal charges due to the statute of limitations,
01:06 these revelations effectively brought an end to his decades-long career. I'm a human being,
01:11 I have faults and I've done things that I deeply regret. Andy Dick. Andy Dick made his mark on the
01:18 comedy scene in the early 90s as a cast member on the Ben Stiller show. Andy no! Andy, Andy,
01:26 didn't you see the sign? I can't read. Since then he has had several run-ins with the law,
01:31 mostly related to possession of substances and sexual battery. Although he was arrested
01:35 multiple times for these offenses, Dick continued to enjoy success in Hollywood and managed to evade
01:41 lengthy prison time. That is until 2019 when he faced criminal charges for groping an Uber driver.
01:47 Creepy concoctions
01:49 with creepy uncle mini Dickman. Three years later Dick was convicted of these charges and received
02:02 a 90-day jail sentence, along with the requirement to register as a sex offender. While he continues
02:07 to grapple with legal issues, the comedian has notably retreated from the mainstream media since.
02:12 I don't live anywhere. Gave up my apartment. Traded it in for jail.
02:19 Sean Combs
02:21 In November 2023, singer and actress Cassie filed a lawsuit against her former partner,
02:26 music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Cassie describing the music mogul as a vicious, cruel,
02:31 and controlling man, saying she was trapped and held down by Combs. The suit alleged that during
02:37 their decade-long relationship, which began back in 2007, Combs subjected her to repeated
02:42 incidents of physical and sexual assault. Despite denying the allegations through his attorney,
02:46 Combs swiftly reached an out-of-court settlement with Cassie. The lawsuit triggered a series of
02:50 additional accusations of sexual misconduct, including a case dating back to the early 90s
02:55 and an alleged 2003 incident involving a minor. While the musician continues to contest these
03:04 allegations, the repercussions have been significant. Combs stepped down as the
03:08 chairman of the digital network Revolt TV and has since lost several business partnerships.
03:12 Roman Polanski
03:21 After running from the law, Roman Polanski remains a fugitive in the United States.
03:25 Polanski's criminal status stems from a 1977 incident in which he was charged with
03:30 inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. The director later agreed to a plea deal,
03:45 with probation as his penalty. Yet, upon discovering the judge's intention to
03:49 impose a prison sentence, Polanski fled the country, eventually settling in his native France.
03:54 Despite attempts to extradite him to the U.S. to face justice, Polanski has remained a free man.
04:00 The victim defending the criminal, one whose jail time has been minimal, is difficult to understand.
04:12 He received support from prominent Hollywood figures and even won the 2002 Oscar for Best
04:17 Director. Nevertheless, amid the rise of the Me Too movement and other assault allegations,
04:22 Polanski was expelled from the Motion Picture Academy.
04:24 I'm sorry, my lady. I want you to stop.
04:26 I want you to stop.
04:30 Russell Brand
04:32 Allegations of sexual misconduct have dogged Russell Brand as far back as 2006. However,
04:37 none of those led to any significant repercussions for the comedian.
04:40 Police in London and LA, where some of the alleged attacks took place, say
04:44 no reports have been filed. Authorities in London saying any victims should come forward.
04:50 The turning point came in 2023, following a joint investigation by The Times.
04:54 The Sunday Times and the Channel 4 documentary series Dispatches.
04:58 This probe uncovered accusations from five women who claimed that they had been
05:02 sexually assaulted by Brand between 2006 and 2013.
05:06 He can keep pushing and being more and more extreme and nobody questions it because it just
05:13 says, well, that's who he is. That's what he does. That's just Russell.
05:15 The fallout was swift. Brand was dropped by his agent and some of his online platforms
05:20 were demonetized. Yet he staunchly denied all allegations. In September 2023,
05:25 the Metropolitan Police initiated an investigation into the comedian,
05:29 urging any potential victim to come forward.
05:32 I was very, very promiscuous. Now, during that time of promiscuity,
05:35 the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that,
05:40 then almost too transparent.
05:42 Woody Allen
05:43 In 1992, Woody Allen faced serious accusations of sexual impropriety with a minor.
05:48 Shockingly, the alleged victim was his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, from his relationship
05:53 with actress Mia Farrow. Allen vehemently denied the allegations and continues to maintain his
05:58 innocence.
05:59 Mia had said to me, "You took my daughter and I'm going to take yours."
06:03 Nevertheless, the claims were investigated by state officials in Connecticut and New York,
06:07 although neither resulted in criminal charges. The scandal gradually faded and Allen resumed
06:12 his career, garnering numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
06:16 In 2014, the controversy resurfaced when Allen received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
06:22 for Lifetime Achievement.
06:24 A gigantic industry has been built on a total non-event.
06:29 It was also the subject of the 2021 HBO miniseries, Allen v. Farrow, which the director
06:35 criticized as a "hatchet job riddled with falsehoods."
06:39 If I said, "No, go away," I would have to face some kind of vicious, unpredictable punishment.
06:50 Danny Masterson
06:51 I've heard about you, and you'll be caught soon, I know you will.
06:55 Famous for his work on That '70s Show and The Ranch,
06:58 actor Danny Masterson made headlines in 2017 for all the wrong reasons.
07:03 Masterson was the target of sexual assault allegations leveled by three women,
07:07 which resulted in an investigation by the LAPD.
07:11 Masterson has strongly denied these accusations, and he says,
07:14 "You know, you're innocent until proven guilty."
07:16 In 2020, criminal charges were officially brought against the actor for the three incidents,
07:21 which were alleged to have occurred back in 2001 and 2003.
07:24 Masterson pleaded not guilty and faced two trials for the crimes.
07:28 The first ended in a hung jury, but in the second trial,
07:31 he was convicted in two out of the three cases.
07:33 In September 2023, two decades after the crimes occurred,
07:37 Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
07:40 We know that he has been sentenced to 15 years on count one, 15 years on count two.
07:47 Bill Cosby
07:48 60. At least 60 women have accused disgraced actor Bill Cosby of sexual assault,
07:55 with the earliest incidents dating back to the 1960s.
07:58 The 81-year-old Cosby handcuffed, being led away there.
08:02 These accusations trailed Cosby for decades,
08:04 but he somehow managed to maintain a pristine public image as "America's Dad."
08:09 That all changed in October 2014, when comedian Hannibal Burruss' reference
08:14 to the allegations in a stand-up routine reignited public attention.
08:18 The following year, Cosby was charged with three counts of indecent assault
08:21 for a 2004 incident that occurred at his home.
08:24 Cameras captured Cosby returning to his home outside Philadelphia,
08:27 just hours after the ruling came out.
08:30 He was eventually found guilty of these charges and sentenced to three to ten years in prison.
08:34 However, this conviction was overturned on a legal technicality in 2021,
08:39 resulting in Cosby's release.
08:40 When a prosecutor makes a public statement that he's not going to prosecute an individual,
08:45 that is equivalent to a deal for immunity.
08:48 Harvey Weinstein
08:50 Once upon a time, Harvey Weinstein held significant influence as a Hollywood producer.
08:54 However, he grossly misused this power, sexually assaulting and harassing dozens of women
09:00 under the guise of advancing their careers.
09:02 "I'm working with a guy who has behaved badly over the years,
09:06 who is genuinely remorseful, who says, you know, I have caused a lot of pain."
09:11 For decades, Weinstein's actions were whispers in Hollywood,
09:14 but they eventually gained widespread attention.
09:16 That came in 2017, when the New York Times and the New Yorker
09:20 published detailed accounts for many women accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault.
09:25 "The victim recounted her trauma.
09:27 'Before that night, I was a very happy and confident woman,' she said."
09:33 These revelations sparked the global #MeToo movement,
09:35 which exposed widespread instances of sexual misconduct by powerful figures.
09:40 In 2020, Weinstein's day of reckoning finally came.
09:43 He was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
09:47 "Harvey Weinstein became the first major figure taken down by the #MeToo movement."
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10:07 R. Kelly
10:10 The first time R. Kelly faced criminal charges related to sexual misconduct was in 2002.
10:15 Kelly had been found with inappropriate material, apparently depicting him having
10:18 unlawful contact with a minor. However, due to the alleged victim's unwillingness to cooperate,
10:24 Kelly was acquitted of all charges in 2008.
10:27 "His fate was in the hands of jurors who could have sent him to prison for years.
10:31 Instead, tonight, they set him free."
10:33 He resumed his music career afterwards and continued to work for years,
10:37 until the release of the bombshell Lifetime docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, in January 2019.
10:43 The program detailed shocking allegations from multiple women about Kelly's sexual misconduct.
10:48 He was arrested and tried on multiple charges, including racketeering.
10:52 "We have people coming back, other young ladies, that's telling us stuff.
10:55 I mean, this is crazy. This man is a monster."
10:58 This time, Kelly was convicted and sentenced to a combined 31 years in prison.
11:02 He is scheduled for release in 2045.
11:05 "You're killing me, man! This is not about music! I'm trying to have a relationship with my kids!"
11:12 Which of these celebrity revelations stunned you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
11:17 Brand wasn't hired as a presenter on a Channel 4 show in 2014,
11:21 but opportunities with the broadcaster kept coming in the years that followed.
11:26 We'll see you next time. Bye for now!