Tragic Child Star Stories

Gary Coleman: Oh Gary. He went from the cutest kid to a notorious troublemaker. When the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" came to an end in 1986, he faced bankruptcy and countless problems with the law, including assault charges which he faced after allegedly punching a woman while working as a security guard. "Whatchu talkin' about, Gary? (AP )

Todd Bridges: The actor also faced endless hardships once "Diff'rent Strokes" went off the air, including cocaine addiction and attempted murder charges. But all's well that ends well - Todd now travels across the U.S. lecturing high school students on the negative effect of drugs. (AP )

Dana Plato: The greatest casualty of a seeming "Diff'rent Strokes" curse was without a doubt Dana Plato. After the show ended, Dana appeared in a string of soft-core porn films and eventually died of a drug overdose in 1999 at the age of 34. (AP )

Jaimee Foxworth: The cute-as-a-button child-star gained fame playing Judy Winslow on the TV sitcom "Family Matters." After being written off the show, Jaimee battled bankruptcy, depression, substance abuse, and worked as a porn star for 2 years. (AP )

Heather O'Rourke: The famous young face who immortalized the line "They're here!" in the 1982 film "Poltergeist," died in 1988 at the age of 12 from complications after surgery for the bowel condition Crohn's disease. (mgm )

Jonathan Brandis: Brandis became a teen idol with roles in the popular series "Seaquest" and the film Ladybugs. Due to his lagging career, extreme depression ensued and Jonathan committed suicide by hanging at the age of 27. ( )

Brad Renfro: This child actor amazed audiences everywhere with his incredible talent when he starred in "The Client." He went on to star in other hits such as "Tom and Huck" and "Sleepers" (where he played a young Brad Pitt) but sadly drug addiction got in the way of his rising career. He was arrested in 2005 and charged with attempted possession of heroin and died in January 2008 of a drug overdose at the age of 25. (AP )

Danny Bonaduce: With the outrageous antics, it's hard to believe he's the freckle-faced kid from the Partridge family. Between the drugs, the arrests, and the general drama, Bonaduce is the greatest child-star cautionary tale. (AP )

Tatum O'Neal: She was the youngest person ever to win an Acadamy Award (she won at the age of 10 for her supporting role in "Paper Moon") and had a promising career ahead of her. But when she began using drugs at the age of 14, she began a life of trouble. Her addictions eventually led to her losing custody of her 3 kids in 1992. She made headlines again in June 2008 when she was arrested for allegedly buying Crack Cocaine. (AP )