From Rich to Flat Broke: 21 Celebrities Who Went Bankrupt

In 2010, Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing over $400,000 in unpaid real estate taxes on her Pittsburgh studio. The Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation later discovered she had concealed $775,000 of her income amid the bankruptcy proceedings.

Following the probe, Miller was charged with 20 counts of financial and customs fraud.

In 1981, Cyndi Lauper and her band were sued by their former manager, who alleged they owed him $80,000 before they fired him. The "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" singer filed for bankruptcy as a response, and the court subsequently approved it.

David Crosby enjoyed decades of fame before he died in 2023, but his life was also hit with dark moments due to his struggles with drug addiction and financial issues.

In 1984, Crosby found himself broke after accumulating thousands of dollars in debt to different people and agencies. He was forced to file for bankruptcy the following year.

Miami Vice alum Don Johnson went from being one of the highest-paid actors in the 1980s to a bankrupt star. He declared bankruptcy in 2004 to prevent an auction of his $20 million Colorado ranch.

Drake Bell filed for bankruptcy in 2014. At the time, he claimed he had $1.5 million in debt and was only making $2,820 a month, which was not enough to cover his $18,771 expenses.

Ex-supermodel Janice Dickinson went broke despite her success in the industry, leading her to file for bankruptcy.

"I had some trouble, so yes, it is true," Dickinson told RadarOnline.com. "I am upset and taking every step to pay everyone back and I feel terrible about it."

The former America's Next Top Model judge reportedly had a $1 million debt on top of more than $500,000 in unpaid taxes.

Kim Basinger filed Chapter 11 in 1993 after Main Line Pictures sued her for more than $8 million following her decision to sit out of Boxing Helena.

"She just didn't have the assets to satisfy this kind of outrageous award," Basinger's then-lawyer, Howard Weitzman, said at that time. "As of today, her estate is now frozen."

In 1995, La Toya Jackson filed for bankruptcy when the Moulin Rouge club in Paris sued her for $650,000 after reportedly breaking her six-month contract with the company. She also re-filed the case in 2010 but was denied.

One of Larry King's money issues emerged when he was charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing $5,000 from Louis Wolfson before finding success in Hollywood. In 1978, he filed for bankruptcy as he could not pay over $350,000 gambling debts he had.

Mike Tyson lost all his earnings in 2003 due to his expensive lifestyle, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York. He fortunately regained some of the amount, and he has constantly maintained his $10 million net worth.

PK and Dorit Kemsley's bankruptcy made headlines when the 48-year-old fashion designer had a heated argument with Camille Grammer in an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

At that time, Camille said people wanted to know what she knew about PK's filing.

"My husband built a $2 billion business from zero. Let me finish, let me clear it up for you," Dorit said. "In 2008, his business went bust, he claimed bankruptcy much like many many successful men. What does that have to do with today? This is 10 years ago. What are you talking about?"

Camille alleged PK still owed a lot of money to someone very close to her, which Dorit dismissed.

In 2010, Sonja Morgan filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as she reportedly had $19.8 million in debts but only $13.5 million in assets.

"It's over now. It's come to an end," she declared after the case ended. "The $9 million-plus is all there. It was a $7 million judgment but with the administration fees, it was about another $2 million."

Stan Lee founded Stan Lee Media Inc., which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 to maximize its value while seeking to sell the online media company. The decision came after its co-founder Peter Paul and corporate officer Stephan Gordon got involved in an alleged multimillion stock manipulation scheme.

Teresa and Joe Giudice claimed in their 2009 bankruptcy filing they owed creditors more than $10 million — $104,000 of which was for credit cards and $85,000 was for home repairs.

The estranged couple's scheme seemingly hit them when they got slapped with conspiracy to defraud lenders and illegally obtain mortgages and other loans in 2013. They also allegedly hid assets and income when they launched the case.

"I support Joe and, as a wonderful husband and father, I know he wants only the best for our lovely daughters and me," the matriarch said. "I am committed to my family and intend to maintain our lives in the best way possible, which includes continuing my career. As a result, I am hopeful that we will resolve this matter with the Government as quickly as possible."

Joe was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and failure to file income tax returns in March 2016.

Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy in 2012 due to his alleged $49.5 million debt. Despite his filing, he and Julie Chrisley constantly flaunted their extravagant lifestyle in their reality TV show, Chrisley Knows Best.

Toni Braxton went through ups and downs in her career after her debut.

She disclosed she owed her creditors tens of millions of dollars at the apex of her popularity, forcing her to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 1998.

In 2010, Braxton submitted a filing for the second time, claiming she owed between $10 million and $50 million in unpaid bills.

"After months of trying to work out an acceptable arrangement with her principal creditors, she determined that the only way to assure that she could meet her tax obligations and provide for her two small children was to commence these bankruptcy cases," her lawyer, Debra Grassgreen, said.

Willie Nelson lost everything when the government seized his property and closed his studio in the 1990s. At the time, he discovered he owed the IRS $32 million in income taxes.

Despite that, he refused to file for bankruptcy.

"It's very important to think positive," he says. "More important probably is knowing that a negative thought will release poison into your system and will eventually kill you if you keep doing it."