19 Ex-Child Stars Who Lost Their Fortune

Child stars have it rough but given that we often hear about professional and financial struggles in their later years, encountering fame at a young age can often appear to be more of a curse than a blessing.

These 23 child stars have shared their unfortunate stories of losing their fortune.

1. Aaron Carter claimed that he made over $200 million before the age of 18.

2. Lindsay Lohan reportedly earned upwards of $28 million at the height of her movie career .

3. Christy Carlson Romano was a pivotal figure during Disney’s reign in the mid-2000s, from starring alongside Shia LaBeouf on Even Stevens to voicing the ever-iconic titular character on Kim Possible .

4. Jaimee Foxworth’s role on Family Matters basically vanished without explanation. She played Judy Winslow , the youngest of the three Winslows. However, once the writers introduced Steve Urkel, Judy Winslow was written out completely and nobody really acknowledged her absence.

5. While Cole and Dylan Sprouse became icons as the main characters on The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody , the circumstances surrounding their entry into showbiz were much more dire.

6. Dustin Diamond is best known as Screech from Saved By The Bell but his success was unfortunately limited to the '90s teen sitcom.

7. Jackie Coogan is considered the first child star and became one of the biggest actors by the time he was 17. Unfortunately, like many other child stars on this list, his parents blew his cash before he was even the legal age.

8. Jena Malone took on critical supporting roles as a child actor in movies like 1996’s Bastard Out Of California and 1998’s Stepmom . But even with critical acclaim in Blockbuster hits, she wound up suing her mother over mismanaged funds.

9. Willie Aames saw success as a child actor throughout the 1970s and eventually kept that momentum high throughout the 1980s. His role as Tommy Bradford on Eight Is Enough was a lucrative gig that he said earned him roughly $1 million annually.

10. Between a successful run on Nickelodeon and a musical career, Drake Bell was a young heartthrob on the scene. Despite his success, he found himself in financial turmoil during his adult years and was reportedly $581,000 in debt.

11. Erin Moran is best known as Joanie Cunningham from Happy Days and its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi . Unfortunately, once both shows were canceled, Moran fell into bad times.

12. Diff’rent Strokes star Gary Coleman was, in fact, one of the highest-paid child actors in the 70s and 80s, thanks to his role as Arnold Jackson.

13. Judy Garland is a forever icon who delivered an undeniably timeless performance as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard Of Oz. However, in the latter years of her life, she found herself penniless and without a home.

14. Corey Haim’s success throughout the 1980s led to great financial and commercial success in Hollywood. He appeared in movies like 1986’s Lucas and 1988’s License To Drive , but his role in The Lost Boys in 1987 alongside Corey Feldman turned him into an icon. Their partnership resulted in the nickname The Two Coreys and the two actors starred in seven movies together.

15. Devon Werkheiser, who played Ned Bigby from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide , went broke at 25 despite an impeccably successful career as a child star.

16. Mickey Rooney became one of MGM’s biggest success stories, becoming a top earner between 1939 and 1941. Despite his success, he lost his fortune due to his gambling habits.

17. From Blossom to Brotherly Love , Joey Lawrence was undoubtedly at the height of his career in the 90s. And while he managed to land a steady stream of gigs afterward, he found himself facing major money problems , leading him and his wife to file for bankruptcy.

18. Gary Busey graced televisions across America since the 70s with shows like The Texas Wheelers and films like The Buddy Holly Story , which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He also appeared in films like Lethal Weapon and Predator 2 .

19. And lastly, Leif Garrett rose to fame in the 1960s as a child star before landing a record deal in the 1970s and becoming a teen icon. While his career appeared to be going smoothly for the most part, he eventually filed for bankruptcy , claiming that he only had a few hundred dollars in cash.