Biggest Celebrity Money Issues (so Far) in 2008

Money. No matter how much you have, you alwaysyear, Ed McMahon's neighbor and Star Search
want more. While money is an important asset fordiscoverey Britney Spears was reported to have
anyone to own to have a comfortable live, it can justbeen spending nearly 100% of her income each month,
as easily turn around and cause nothing but trouble. Sowithout putting any in savings for her or her children.
far 2008 has seen its fair share of celebrity moneyThat alone would be more than enough for Britney to
issues. From tax evasion and laundering to incompletemake the cut, but it gets worse for the former
wills, we've seen that while money can't buy happiness,Mouseketeer. Due to her rather...lucrative spending, and
it can certainly cause headaches.mental health problems a court assigned her father
How (not) to evade taxesJamie, as a conservator (at his behest, of course)
Evading taxes is no new feat for those with money.giving him full financial control to help get her finances
Whether it's athletes forgetting that they have to payback on track. The result so far in 2008? He's already
taxes on bonuses, or reality television winnerssold several of her more prized vehicles, and soon he'll
forgetting to pay taxes on their $1 million prize,be putting her studio home on the market. Maybe that
governments keep a close eye on celebrity taxwill teach her to better manage her fortune.
returns and bank accounts in order to make sure theyWhen boyfriends go bad
get every penny they can.Anne Hathaway made international news this year, but
In late 2006, the United States government chargednot for what she did-rather who. Her boyfriend of
superstar actor Wesley Snipes with tax fraud andthree years--29-year-old Italian businessman Raffaello
evasion of taxes-charges which could have resulted inFollieri-was arrested for allegedly conning a group of
16 years behind bars. Thankfully for Wesley thereal estate investors by posing as an agent of the
charges of fraud were dropped, leaving only taxVatican, and then falsely promising them he could get
evasion charges. According to reports and the Unitedthem Catholic land cheap. Obviously that was a lie, and
States government, Snipes failed to pay any taxes oninstead Raffaello lived it up in Manhattan, raking in over
money earned from the two Blade sequels. Whoops.$6 million in fraudulent money. Bail for Follieri was set at
The willful non-payment earned Snipes a 36 montha stiff $21 million due to his likelihood to flee home to
sentence in the slammer, which lasted for about aItaly if he got out from behind bars.
week before a judge gave Snipes the okay to headTo her credit, Anne Hathaway showed that the class
to London and Bangkok to film some movies to helpshe's displayed for years isn't just an act, as friends
pay his back taxes off.are telling reporters she cooperated with the FBI during
"That's not tax evasion. Now that's tax evasion!"their entire investigation. So if you're a conman with a
Onetime "World's Most Famous Australian" Paulchance to date Miss Hathaway, remember: don't!
Hogan has also been in trouble for evading taxes thisAbout time someone got arrested for boy-bands
year. Unlike Wesley, he managed to evade the taxThe man responsible for unleashing the Backstreet
evasion charges (for now, at least). The actor,Boys and NSYNC on the world-Lou Pearlman-was
currently living in the US, has a warrant for his arrestarrested for lying to financers and cheating investors
back home in Australia. That doesn't worry Crocodileout of $300 million. (Not, as we had originally hoped, for
Dundee, though. "I'll be arrested the minute I land on themaking the BSB and NSYNC famous.) In an unusual
shore, of course, but I have a gun; so be warned,'' hedeal, the judge sentenced the 53-year-old music mogul
joked.to 300 months in prison, with the stipulation that he can
Heeeeeeere's a foreclosure on a celebrity's home! Er,reduce a month of his sentence for every million he
Johnny!pays back to investors. Now we just need to see if
Ed McMahon, comedy legend and sidekick for moreany of the still-successful members of the boy-band
than three decades to the incomparable Johnnyera will be willing to help their former manager out. On
Carson, has been having trouble with his finances sincesecond though, we're pretty sure all of them except
the early part of this century. With numerous divorcesJustin Timberlake could use some money themselves.
and other settlements as well as health issuesNot a joking matter
preventing him from working, the McMahon fortuneThe final on our list of Biggest Celebrity Money Issues
(which has falsely been listed as over $200 million in(so far) in 2008 is a sad story, and a somber reminder
the 90s; Ed never had near that amount) has dwindled,to all of us to not procrastinate on the important things.
resulting in television's most prominent sidekickMonths ago, actor Heath Ledger passed away after
struggling to keep his home. In June of this year Edcompleting filming of The Dark Knight. It was learned a
appeared on Larry King, telling his longtime friend heshort while ago that before passing away, Ledger
was still more than half a million behind his mortgagehadn't updated his will since 2003-in other words, since
payments, and perilously close to losing his home inbefore his daughter was born. What this means is that
Beverly Hills.pending a hearing or action by whatever state laws his
Why wait until old age to go broke?will is under jurisdiction of, Ledger's young daughter has
With all of the cautious tales of celebrities going brokeno right to inherent any part of her father's money.
and losing their homes, you would think the youngerRemember, folks: don't keep putting things like that off,
generation would take notice, right? Wrong. Late lastbecause you never know when it will be needed.