Who would have thought that living a life of prestige, fame, and fortune would have a price attached to it? Well, it does, and often this price can come with losing your sanity, health or even life.

Hollywood has had its share of actors who have come and gone throughout the years. It has been like a revolving door of success. One minute you’re on top and the next minute it’s as if you never existed. Celebs often seem like they have all together. Life is perfect, and nothing ever goes wrong, as if they have the world eating out of the hands. This could not be farther from the truth. Money, talent, fame and beauty are things a lot of us long for, but becoming a worldwide megastar often comes with a price.

Most celebrities have had a difficult life and we all have our favorite celebs, worshipping the ground they walked on. It can be a shock to find out that they are human just like us. Not only that, they share the same life struggles as the average person. In fact, you won’t find many that haven’t had to fight the hassles of fame at some time. Nevertheless, a countless number of celebrities found life in the limelight far too nerve-wracking. Sooner or later they destroyed their careers through alcohol, substance abuse or unpredictable behavior. The following list counts down 25 celebrities who threw away a promising future.

25. Michael Jackson – Fall from Grace

Michael Jackson’s death shocked the world. Even though he may be forever reminisced as the King of Pop, many former admirers recall his unstable lifestyle and unpredictable behavior as vibrantly as they think of his music.

Though he was super famous, his life wasn’t a walk in the park. Drugs, assumed pedophilia, psychological ailments and unsettling problems from the past left Michael with a career that started to fade away.

Tons of debt after that would eventually lead to his passing away in 2009.

A lot of fans think that Michael’s unusual behavior was due to an abnormal childhood. In fact, some would even take it a step further and say that he never even had one due to early fame.

24. Axl Rose – Self-Absorbed Ego

Even though the sex, painkillers and a bad boy lifestyle became too much for this rock star, it was Axl’s cold-heartedly narcissistic ego that wrecked his career and status in the rocker world.

His ex-wife, Erin Everly, accused him of having several public outbursts and claims of spousal abuse. However, none of this helped his career but instead destroyed his successful music profession.

The Guns ‘n Roses songster’s career also suffered extremely after the fame of other rock bands such as Alice in Chains and Nirvana rose to fame throughout the 90s.

The dynasty of the so-called “hair metal” genre came to an end and happened so quickly that countless rock stars didn’t know what hit them.

Right after that, Guns ‘n Roses released a few revival albums as well as the often reviled The Spaghetti Incident.

In 2008 Axl attempted revitalized Guns ‘n Roses with the release of Chinese Democracy to try and make a comeback.

23. Justin Bieber – Erratic Conduct

Justin Bieber is known for not being the kindest kid on the block lately, but he was not always seen like this in the limelight. Justin first came on the scene as a popular young pop star. However, overnight, that image faded.

Numerous critics credit his ruined career to bad behavior and drugs. The famous star’s erratic actions, even though unusual by ordinary standards, are unfashionable in the entertainment world.

In early 2014, Justin had a run in with the law after a drunk driving incident. He broke the hearts of many tween girls, not to mention disappointing horrified parents. Mostly everyone shook their heads in disbelief in regards to Justin’s sudden change of behavior. If that was not enough, he smiled in his prison mug shot suggesting that he thought the incident was funny.

22. Anna Nicole Smith – Smith Personality Conflict

Anna Nicole Smith wasn’t just a comical and beautiful woman; she was also troubled. Everybody knows that before her doom and gloom Nicole had that star quality that could have pushed her to Marilyn Monroe-type celebrity status.

Sadly, Anna Nicole lost her battle with many financial and personal demons and died unfortunately from a drug overdose.

On her way to the top, Anna was Playboy Playmate of the Year and had the money-making deals with Guess? Lane Bryant and Jeans.

After marrying J. Howard Marshall, an 89-year-old oil tycoon, Nicole was later branded a gold-digger. Later she won most of his billion-dollar estate. After her son Daniel died, everything went downhill, and eventually, she passed away at 39.

21. Judy Garland – Negative Self-Image

Tremendously talented, Judy Garland was a woman exploited by the ruthless managers of Hollywood. She not only died sad and alone but also broke without a penny in her pocket at the age of 47.

Judy struggled with her weight. She let it spiral out of control once she couldn’t do anything about it. Her sudden weight gain made her unpopular in Hollywood. Stressed about losing it, she turned to drugs and alcohol and emotional difficulties followed.

As a teenager, Judy started appearing in Vaudeville and went on to be seen in more than 25 films.

Tactlessly, she was intensely affected by comments made by film directors who considered her unappealing. The depression triggered by her negative self-image likewise pushed her to many suicide attempts before her final curtain call.

20. Britney Spears – Crash and Burn

Britney Spears went through an enormous crash and burn. The world watched her shave her head, pounce on the paparazzi with an umbrella, plus lose the custody of her two sons. It wasn’t long after that Britney was placed in a psychiatric hospital.

To a lot of people, she is a definitive example of a child star that fell from grace.

At the start of her fame, Disney Productions hired her at a young age after she was cast in “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Nevertheless, she chose a career in music. The singer was not even 16 years old yet, when she got hurled her into worldwide celebrity.

Finally, Spears showed the same damaging behavior that has warped the destiny of other young stars in the music industry.

19. Tatum O’Neal – Plagued by Personal Issues

When it comes to being plagued by personal issues, Tatum O’Neal is right up there on the list. Her fame started once she starred alongside her dad, actor Ryan O’Neal, in Paper Moon.

Once upon a time, Tatum had a career in the acting arena that was promising and lucrative. At the age of 10 years old, she even won the Academy Award. Regrettably, her luck would eventually come to an end.

The emerging star was plagued by a slew of personal issues that inflicted her career. To add fuel to the fire, at the end of her career she was identified as a heroin addict and a drunk.

18. Mel Gibson – Bizarre Attitudes

Mel Gibson rose to fame after starting his career in the Mad Max movies which became very popular overnight.

Coming from Australia, he made his nation pleased when he became famous in Hollywood. In his early career, he worked hard and grabbed top roles, and up until recently, he was doing very well.

Throughout most of Gibson’s career, he was untainted by controversy. His career went south when his drunkenness took over his life. Everything was exposed openly, when video tapes of him mentioning shocking things to his then-wife-to-be hit the television tabloids.

After that, he was targeted as an abusive misogynist and the media made him out to be an ogre.

17. Charlie Sheen – Damaged Career

Charlie Sheen has appeared in several big screen and TV sitcoms since the start of his career. He was known for his sharp sense of humor that at times landed him roles as well-meaning but raw male eccentrics.

His well-acted starring role in The Three Musketeers showed the funny side of Charlie Sheen. However, he is most known for being the star in Two and a Half Men, the television TV show that made him into a huge celebrity.

Nevertheless, Charlie Sheen’s personal life began to interfere with his acting. Overnight, he became notorious for a run of strange videos and behaviors where he called himself a sorcerer and bullied his ex-manager with a samurai sword.

He tried to correct his behavior but it was too late, his career never got back to normal.

16. Lindsay Lohan – Disorderly Lifestyle

When Lindsay Lohan was down in the dumps, it was Charlie Sheen that tried help bring her out of it. Before she got there, as a young star, Lindsay became famous when she starred in Freaky Friday alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

Lindsay’s beauty and talent landed her roles in film and television, and people fell in love with her. However, it did not take long for that disorderly lifestyle to kick in when she got involved with drugs and alcohol.

It wasn’t long before tabloids and mass media started showing her in a negative light. Lohan partied all night and drank herself crazy. She landed herself in court and jail many times. After that, nobody took her seriously, and she practically destroyed her career.

15. Mindy McCready – Sad Tale

Mindy McCready was a sad tale indeed. As a country singer, she sang a lot of sad songs during her short career.

Once upon a time, Mindy was at the height of her game. The country music star soared to the top of country music charts with winners like “Ten Thousand Angels,” and her fans adored her.

On the Billboard charts, McCready had 12 songs throughout her career, which is no small potatoes for any singer. Still, substance abuse crept into her life and slowly she became an addict. Her career started to fly downhill from that point on.

On February 17, 2013, Mindy McCready, sadly, took her life. She was only 37 years old. Admirers all over the world were stunned to learn of her demise, as many had hoped she would be able to pull through and make a comeback.

14. David Arquette – Unfully Recovered Career

When it comes to Tinseltown, David Arquette is one of the most recognized sitcom actors on the map. He is also one of the rare stars who broke into the television arena and silver screen at the same time, making a name for himself in both.

David Arquette is remembered by his fans for playing in Buffy The Vampire Slayer which was a hit television show where he starred together with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

A lot of individuals are not even aware that David Arquette had a fruitful, although small professional wrestling career in the past. If you have no recollections of his wrestling career, there’s a good chance you might remember David from his role on the successful television show Friends.

However, drugs and alcohol found its way into his life and ended his profession overnight. He tried to make a slight return to show biz but was not successful in truly recovering his career.

13. Miley Cyrus – Abandoned Fan Base

At one time, Miley Cyrus had an incredible fan base that spread all over the world. However, it did not take long for that base to shrivel away.

Talk about notable celebrities and Miley Cyrus is on the top of the list. She began her career as a child on the Disney Channel and is most well acknowledged for her role on the hit series as Hannah Montana.

She played the lead with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. For years she could keep up a clean appearance and was a good girl. However, the sweet innocent image changed after she started growing up.

As time went on, her music videos got racier, bearing more skin but then, her music videos went from marginal to messy. From dancing unpleasantly with a foam finger to rambling on the stage and not performing.

Before the world knew it, Miley Cyrus killed her career.

12. Glen Campbell – Drug Abuse Struggle

While Glen Campbell’s struggle with substance abuse and alcoholism was not as public as those of other celebrities, he did scuffle with these issues and many attribute it to the decline of his career.

If you don’t recognize the name Glen Campbell or if his face seems unfamiliar, with some research you’ll find out that he is popular for famous tunes such as “Rhinestone Cowboy.”

For 50 years, Campbell had a productive music career in show business. He sold over 45 million records and released over 70 albums. Before the end of his career, he collected one Double Platinum album, four Platinum albums, and 12 RIAA Gold albums.

Campbell will go down in entertainment history as a star whose career would have lasted a little longer had he not been caught up in the use of drugs and alcohol.

11. David Cassidy – Crushed Career

Acting and singing were talents of David Cassidy that millions of fans fell in love with across America. In the 1970s, he was on the hit show The Partridge Family. Most will remember him as one of the principal characters on the sitcom.

Nevertheless, admirers of his music will remember him as a rock musician.

Several changes in his life marked David Cassidy’s career. However, he said that one of the turning points that disturbed him forever was when a when a crowd stampeded through the gates at his concert, crushing a teenage girl to death.

Like many stars in his generation, his career was crushed after falling into alcoholism and substance abuse.

10. Mackenzie Phillips – Substance Struggle

If you are familiar with John Phillips, then you’ll know he has a daughter named Mackenzie Phillips. This Virginia-born darling was the daughter of a lead singer in the group The Mamas and the Papas.

Mackenzie Phillips is best recognized for her roles in the TV sitcom One Day at a Time. Also, the critically acclaimed and well-respected movie American Graffiti.

When Phillips was 13, the film American Graffiti was released and a star was born. However, as quick as she rose to stardom, she declined after getting involved with drugs.

When Mackenzie almost died of a drug overdose, she received therapy, but even that was not enough to revive her career.

9. John Belushi – Tragic Ending

There is no sad, tragic ending in Hollywood like that of John Belushi. Drugs not only ended his career but his life.

The amusing, devoted brother of James “Jim” Belushi, John arrived in the entertainment business and never had regrets. As a comedian, Belushi was well known for being a performer and actor like no other.

He is best recognized for his brash but funny satires on the sketch humor show Saturday Night Live.

Regrettably, Belushi is another case of a celebrity who was hugely talented but whose life ended way too soon. Using cocaine and heroin plus loads of drinking killed his career and the comedian.

8. Kurt Cobain – Gut-Wrenching Undoing

At one point in time, the Seattle music scene affectionately welcomed the young rocker named Kurt Cobain. They loved his alternative style when he hit the stage in 1985 with the band Nirvana.

Cobain composed the majority of the songs that Nirvana played and was also the guitarist and lead singer for the group.

The band had gained acceptance in 1991, with the hit album Nevermind. After that, the group was released to international stardom.

Sorry to say, the fame that allowed Kurt Cobain’s talents to reach the world was the same fame that turned out to be his tragic undoing. At the young age of 27, he committed suicide.

7. Cory Monteith – Personal Demons

Cory Monteith underwent much accomplishment in his career both in front of the camera and on stage, but he is best recognized for his character on the sensational show Glee.

On May 11, 1982, in Alberta, Canada, he was born and ultimately lived in Vancouver. Singing the knockout song “Can’t Fight This Feeling” is what earned him the job of a lifetime on the popular television show Glee.

Cory was very open about his substance abuse. It began early on in life at the young age of 12. However, by the time 2013 came around, most individuals thought that he had his addictions on a tight leash.

Unfortunately, he did not. On July 13, 2013, he took a deadly mixture of heroin and alcohol and was discovered dead in his hotel room in Vancouver.

6. Heath Ledger – Emotional Ride

Heath Ledger, born on April 4, 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, was one of the most gifted performers of his age group.

He chose not to be typecast. Ledger could spontaneously go from playing roles as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain to The Joker in The Dark Knight.

Ledger was known for not just playing the role but embracing the character, leading viewers on an emotional and wild ride. It was the role he played in The Dark Knight, though, that was criticized for his ruin.

Heath Ledger, tragically, departed on January 22, 2008, at 28. It was later decided that he passed away from a drug overdose which caused cardiac arrest.

5. Macaulay Culkin – The Tabloid King

Who could forget the Home Alone star? He was everyone’s sweetheart who starred as Kevin McCallister in the Christmas hit and the sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

After that, his career appeared to disappear. Nevertheless, he was not out of the limelight endlessly.

Then his followers were surprised to see a thin and hostile looking Culkin on the front of the tabloids garbed in unique black clothing along with a top hat.

Reports started to circulate and were later proved that he was abusing drugs and had gone a little on the wild side, which resulted as the end of his career.

4. Tiger Woods – Extra-Marital Activities

Tiger Woods’ laid-back nature and unbelievable skill on the golf course fascinated many audiences who beforehand looked at golf as boring and snobbish.

The world was mesmerized by him until his extra-marital actions caught up with him.

Awkwardly, Woods has now been transferred to the “where did they go?” file.

Tiger openly admitted that he had been unfaithful to his wife. Soon after his confession, many women asserted that they had been closely involved with the golf celebrity.

At one time, Woods was once an irresistible force in golf. By 2009, Woods had turn out to be a household name. Regrettably, unfaithfulness led to the death of his career.

3. Courtney Love – Career Spiral

Courtney Love was the wife of Kurt Cobain. Reaching success with Hole might have been a smart and fruitful career move for Courtney Love at the beginning, but things soon turned for the worse.

Even though many started to see that she was more than just Kurt Cobain’s widow, she was unable to keep up the image she constructed for herself as time passed.

Her constant battles with substance abuse, mental unpredictability, and separation from her daughter Frances Bean caused her life to spiral out of control.

For years, Courtney has been the center of a lengthy hate campaign that started by the fans of Kurt Cobain.

Most came out publicly and blasted her for being the cause of the singer’s downward spiral and ultimate suicide.

2. Paula Deen – Remarkable Nosedive

The old proverb “be careful what you say, it might come back to bite you” could not be more true. It seemed that chef Paula Deen had to learn that the hard way.

The well-liked TV personality’s career took a remarkable tailspin after a story was published in The National Enquirer stating she used offensive ethnic insults in the past.

The reaction that came next was Paula getting fired from her popular cooking show on the Food Network.

If you thought that was enough, it wasn’t. She also lost a string of commercial arrangements with corporations like Walmart, QVC, Home Depot, Kmart and J.C. Penny for starters.

It appears that Paula’s biggest mistake was claiming that belligerent language and racist slurs were everyday thing at the restaurant she owned.

In the end, she had to walk the hall of shame as her career nosedived.

1. Boy George – Sad Spotlight

It seemed like Boy George was on top of his game for a while. It’s hard to forget this colorful singer behind layers of colorful face paint and clothes.

He even made lots of money for songs like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Want to Hurt Me?”

Even though he initially was no stranger to pop music, before long his life would take to a wilder path.

In 2005, the flashy vocalist was arrested after reporting a break-in at his apartment in Manhattan.

In 2009, George hit rock bottom after being sent to jail for 15 months for deceptively imitating a male escort.

It appears this bad conduct kept him in the spotlight, ruining his career.