In the year 2000, Shad Gregory Moss, better known as Lil’ Bow Wow, was a rap music phenomenon. Unfortunately, as he grew older and became just plain old Bow Wow, his popularity took a real hit along with his fortune. So much so that in 2012 when he was ordered by the court to pay the mother of his child $3,000 a month, he stated that all the money he had in the world amounted to $1,500.
The singer was recently called out on Twitter by a fellow airline passenger after posting a picture on his Instagram account claiming to be traveling on a private jet while actually taking a commercial flight.
Drake Bell
Here is yet another example of a child star who couldn’t continue earning the big bucks after he was all grown up. Drake Bell, who most of us remember from the hit Nickelodeon show Drake and Josh, dropped off the map at some point over the last few years.
After the show came to an end, the actor made the decision to focus on his music, but unfortunately, his career never took off. When 2014 rolled around, Bell was unable to keep up the payments on the house which he had purchased in 2007, and the bank foreclosed on the property.
Chris Tucker
At the end of the last century, comedian Chris Tucker starred in the enormously successful Rush Hour trilogy alongside Jackie Chan. The movies were a huge hit and for a short time, Tucker was unbelievably the highest-paid actor in Tinseltown.
At some point, the actor disappeared from the public eye and in 2014, due to some bad financial decisions, he ended up owing the IRS a whopping $14 million in back taxes. Tucker came to an agreement with the IRS, which luckily meant that he did not have to serve any time, but with no foreseeable hits in his future, he is certainly no longer living large like he used to.
Rupert Grint
The Harry Potter film series was one of the most successful franchises in the world largely due to three young but incredible actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. But while Radcliffe and Watson had no trouble finding roles when their wizarding journey ended, Grint found the transition to be more challenging.
His financial situation worsened in 2016 when he was forced to pay more than $1 million to the IRS after receiving some poor accounting advice. The former child star appealed the order, but his appeal was eventually denied.
Abby Lee Miller
The most notorious dance teacher in the world, Abby Lee Miller, is famous for her time on Dance Moms, but also for her dirty legal laundry being publicly aired. The reality star was caught hiding $775,000 of her earnings while simultaneously attempting to file for bankruptcy.
Miller was sentenced to prison time for her offense, but after being diagnosed with lymphoma, she was transferred to a medical facility. Since then, she has been trying to make a comeback, with the eighth season of Dance Moms and a net worth of $2 million.