Actresses Who Served Prison (or Jail) Time

Not every headline about an actress is tied to a role or a red-carpet premiere. Over the years, a number of performers have served time in jail or prison for offenses ranging from tax cases to DUI crashes and federal fraud. The details vary widely—some sentences lasted days, others years—and the facilities ranged from local jails to federal prisons.

Below is a clear, fact-focused look at notable cases. For each entry, you’ll find what the court found, what the sentence was, where time was served, and what happened next.

Sophia Loren

In May 1982, Italian authorities jailed Sophia Loren following a long-running tax dispute. She reported to a women’s prison near Naples (Caserta) to begin a 30-day sentence and served 17 days before release.

Decades later, Italy’s Court of Cassation ruled in 2013 that she had correctly calculated tax on her 1974 income, effectively clearing the dispute that had shadowed her name; nonetheless, the 1982 custodial term stood as served.

Zsa Zsa Gabor

After being convicted for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer during a 1989 traffic stop, Zsa Zsa Gabor was ordered to serve 72 hours in jail, pay fines, perform community service, and undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

She served her term in the El Segundo city jail from July 27 to July 30, 1990, before being released, according to contemporaneous Los Angeles Times and wire-service reports.

Lindsay Lohan

In July 2010, a Beverly Hills judge sentenced Lindsay Lohan to 90 days in jail for violating probation tied to a 2007 DUI case, to be followed by inpatient rehab. She surrendered at the Century Regional Detention Facility (Lynwood) on July 20.

Because of jail practices and overcrowding, Lohan served 13 days and was released on August 2, 2010, then transferred to court-ordered treatment, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and local coverage.

Michelle Rodriguez

While filming ‘Lost’, Michelle Rodriguez pleaded guilty to DUI in Hawaii in April 2006 and served a five-day sentence at Oʻahu Community Correctional Center. The incident also violated earlier California probation.

In October 2007, a Los Angeles court sentenced her to 180 days for probation violations; records show she served 17 days at Lynwood due to local custody rules before release, and she also faced mandated rehab and community service requirements.

Felicity Huffman

As part of the federal college-admissions case, Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest-services fraud. In September 2019, a federal judge sentenced her to 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service, and a year of supervised release.

She reported to FCI Dublin in October 2019 and was released after 11 days, consistent with weekend-release policy for inmates whose scheduled release dates fell on a weekend.

Lori Loughlin

Lori Loughlin received a two-month federal prison sentence, along with a fine and community service, for her role in the same admissions case. She reported to FCI Dublin on October 30, 2020.

She completed the custodial portion of her sentence and was released on December 28, 2020, according to the Associated Press and PBS reporting at the time.

Allison Mack

Allison Mack, known for ‘Smallville’, pleaded guilty to racketeering counts arising from her involvement in the NXIVM case and, in 2021, was sentenced to three years in federal prison plus supervised release and a fine.

She reported to FCI Dublin in September 2021 and was released in July 2023 after serving roughly 21 months, per official and major-outlet reports.

Amy Locane

‘Melrose Place’ and ‘Cry-Baby’ actress Amy Locane was convicted in New Jersey for a 2010 DUI crash that killed Helene Seeman and injured her husband. She initially received a three-year sentence and served nearly two and a half years before parole.

After multiple appeals and resentencings, a judge in 2020 imposed an eight-year state-prison term; state and national outlets noted her eligibility for parole in December 2024 under New Jersey rules. She served time at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women.

Paris Hilton

In 2007, Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45 days for violating probation in a reckless-driving case and was ordered to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. A sequence of court and sheriff’s actions briefly placed her on home confinement before a judge returned her to custody.

She ultimately served 23 days of the sentence and was released on June 26, 2007, according to contemporaneous coverage.

Patricia Hearst

Patty Hearst—who later appeared in John Waters films such as ‘Cry-Baby’ and ‘Cecil B. DeMented’—was convicted in 1976 of bank robbery and using a firearm during a felony. She was sentenced to seven years and served about 22 months in federal custody before President Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence in 1979.

Years later, President Bill Clinton granted her a full pardon. Hearst’s acting credits in Waters’ films followed her release and are documented in mainstream references.

Share your thoughts in the comments: which cases surprised you most, and which ones did we miss?