11 Classic Child Stars Who Grew Up to Be Criminals

America fell in love with them when they were children on screen — the Little Rascals, the kid with the world's most famous dog, the sweethearts of our favorite shows, the kids we watched grow up week after week. But somewhere between the spotlight and adulthood, the story took a hard turn. Some of these beloved young faces ended up in police reports and prison cells instead of fan magazines — armed robbery, manslaughter, drugs, and worse. This is a documented, myth-versus-reality countdown drawn from court records and on-the-record accounts. Some of these falls were real crimes; many were tragedies born of addiction and the strange damage of growing up too famous, too fast. We call an arrest an arrest and a conviction a conviction — and where a life came apart out of sickness rather than malice, we say so, plainly and with compassion. Nobody here is being called evil. Which story surprised you the most? Keep it kind and thoughtful in the comments, and subscribe to Old Hollywood Vaults for more history told carefully and fairly.