Let's face facts. No amount of good can erase the one time anyone is caught breaking the law. It must be that much worse for celebrities, even if some of the actors who commit these crimes do not hurt anyone but themselves. Although most of these celebrities are one-time offenders, a dark cloud is forever cast over these individuals. And if they are repeat-offenders, then God help them because sometimes the industry is not as forgiving, even if the law is.  

Take Robert Downey Jr, who is a talented actor and yet his appearances in films during his troubled days were few and far in between. Before appearing as Ally McBeal’s neurotic boyfriend in Ally McBeal (2001), Downey had brushes with the law.