Pop quiz: what is the decade you most associate with celebrities behaving badly? Most people would say the ‘80s…after all, that was a decade remembered for cocaine-fueled excesses on the part of the rich and famous. But it turns out that the era of Miami Vice and Back To the Future has nothing on the previous decade: the sleazy ‘70s!
Celebrities of the ‘70s were on a different level altogether. We’re talking about rampant affairs, runaway spending, alcohol-fueled performances, and even secret daughters. Which celebs had the biggest scandals, and just what did they get caught doing? Keep reading to find out!
Burt Reynolds spent himself into the poorhouse
Back in the ‘70s, Burt Reynolds was one of the biggest movie stars on the entire planet thanks to movies like Deliverance and Smokey and the Bandit. His hit movies earned hundred of millions of dollars over the years, helping this movie star live like a king. Unfortunately, he lost his kingdom due to the simple fact that Reynolds was really, really bad with money.
Where did all of Reynolds’ money go? First, he spent money faster than he could earn it. Along the way, he made some bad investments…for example, he invested in an ambitious restaurant scheme that ultimately cost him millions of dollars. On top of that, his high-profile divorce from fellow actor Loni Anderson drained much of his wealth. Eventually, Burt Reynolds fell into nasty tax troubles that culminated in him having to file for bankruptcy. It was sad for the actor, and this outcome seemed unthinkable for the millions of fans who assumed that riches would never stop flowing in for one of the most talented actors the world had ever seen.
Steve McQueen’s abusive, drug-fueled marriage
If you were to look up the definition of “cool” in the dictionary, you’d likely see a picture of Steve McQueen. Onscreen, he was one of the slickest actors in Hollywood history, giving virtuoso performances in action-packed films like The Getaway and Bullitt. He was famous (some would say infamous) for doing his own death-defying stunts, and when the cameras weren’t rolling, he kept his rockstar lifestyle going behind closed doors. Unfortunately, that made life a living hell for the most important women in his life.
Steve McQueen’s first wife, Amelie Adams, described her husband as erratic, claiming that he was often a pain in her ass. Second wife Ali McGraw was blunter, alleging that her husband was physically violent and that he constantly struggled with substance abuse. She claims that back when they were first dating, the two had a lovers’ quarrel that ended with McQueen having loud sex with two other women where McGraw could hear it; even though he asked her to make him breakfast the morning after, they still ended up getting married. Sadly, he continued to abuse substances and cheat on her throughout the majority of their time together.
Jack Nicholson’s secret daughter
Jack Nicholson is one of those actors who has dominated multiple eras. Movies like Chinatown ensured that he was a household name in the ‘70s, and he won over a new generation of fans in the ‘80s by starring in Batman. Afterward, he dominated the ‘90s with unforgettable roles in films like A Few Good Men and As Good As It Gets before celebrating the early aughts with movies like Anger Management and The Departed.
Over the years, Jack Nicholson’s love life was often just as wild as his career. However, it was still surprising to discover that the acclaimed actor had a secret daughter from an affair with a much younger woman. We know about this simply because the woman, Tessa Gourin, finally spoke up. According to her, Nicholson didn’t want to have any kind of real relationship, but he still offered her financial support. To this day, these two have a complex dynamic that this legendary actor refuses to comment on.
Martin Sheen’s best performance nearly killed him
Most movie lovers don’t associate Martin Sheen with wild and destructive behavior. His son, Charlie Sheen, infamously struggled with drugs and alcohol, ultimately losing his cushy Two And A Half Men gig amid bizarre claims that his body was filled with “tiger blood.” Martin, meanwhile, is the stately actor everyone remembers for playing the president in The West Wing. Decades before that, though, he was decidedly less than presidential while filming his most famous movie.
Remember that scene in Apocalypse Now where Martin Sheen’s character had an alcohol-fueled breakdown, ultimately breaking a mirror with his bare fist? Well, Sheen had been celebrating his birthday on set by drinking excessively, and he was actually still in a state when filming that scene. For example, he really punched that mirror, and the camera captured the real blood that flowed profusely from his hand. Things didn’t really get better from there, as Sheen would go on to have a nervous breakdown onset and nearly die from a heart attack!