Foreign Actresses Who Lost Fortunes

Fame often brings immense wealth but it does not guarantee financial security forever. Many actresses from around the world have faced devastating monetary losses despite their international success. These financial troubles often stem from mismanagement or legal battles and tax issues. Some stars managed to rebuild their fortunes while others struggled to recover their former status. This list explores the stories of foreign actresses who lost significant amounts of money.

Fan Bingbing

Fan Bingbing was once the highest-paid actress in China and a global fashion icon. Her career came to a sudden halt in 2018 when she was embroiled in a massive tax evasion scandal. Authorities ordered her to pay fines and back taxes amounting to approximately 883 million yuan. She disappeared from the public eye for several months during the investigation. The scandal severely impacted her net worth and halted her acting projects for a long period.

Pamela Anderson

This Canadian actress became a global sex symbol after starring in ‘Baywatch’. She faced significant financial distress despite earning millions during the height of her fame. Anderson reportedly spent millions on extensive renovations for her Malibu home which led to massive debts. She also faced tax liens from the IRS for unpaid taxes over several years. Her financial situation forced her to sell assets and live more modestly.

Lena Headey

Lena Headey gained international fame as Cersei Lannister in ‘Game of Thrones’. She revealed her dire financial situation during a bitter custody battle and divorce in 2013. The British actress claimed she had less than five dollars in her bank account at one point. She had to rely on credit cards to cover living expenses for herself and her son. Headey eventually recovered financially through her continued work on the hit HBO series.

Martine McCutcheon

Martine McCutcheon rose to fame in ‘EastEnders’ and the film ‘Love Actually’. The British star declared bankruptcy in 2013 with debts amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Her financial troubles were partly due to health issues that limited her ability to work. She suffered from ME and Lyme disease which kept her away from lucrative acting roles. McCutcheon has since worked slowly to rebuild her career and stability.

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren is one of the most celebrated Italian actresses in cinema history. She faced a major legal hurdle in 1982 when she served an 18-day prison sentence for tax evasion. The dispute involved a filing error on her tax returns from years prior. She maintained her innocence and blamed her accountant for the mistake. The ordeal cost her significant money in legal fees and time away from her career.

Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari was known as the Tragedy Queen of Indian cinema. Her personal life was marred by alcoholism and a troubled marriage which drained her finances. She produced poetry and films that did not always yield financial returns. The actress fell into severe debt and could not afford her final medical bills. She died in 1972 with almost no money left to her name.

Anita Ekberg

Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress and model best known for ‘La Dolce Vita’. She spent her final years in Italy facing destitution and illness. A fire at her home destroyed many of her possessions and left her in a difficult situation. Her accountant also reportedly mismanaged her pension fund which depleted her savings. She died in 2015 with very few assets remaining.

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hungarian-American actress famous for her glamorous lifestyle and many marriages. She lost a significant portion of her fortune in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Her lawyer estimated the loss to be between seven and ten million dollars. The financial hit came late in her life when she was already suffering from serious health problems. This loss severely affected her ability to pay for her medical care.

Zheng Shuang

Zheng Shuang was a rising star in the Chinese entertainment industry. Her career imploded after a surrogacy scandal and a subsequent tax evasion investigation. Authorities fined her nearly 46 million dollars for underreporting her income. Her acting contracts were cancelled and her existing works were removed from streaming platforms. She was effectively blacklisted from the industry which wiped out her earning potential.

Kerry Katona

Kerry Katona was a member of the British girl group Atomic Kitten before becoming a reality TV star. She has declared bankruptcy multiple times due to unpaid tax bills and lavish spending. Her financial instability was compounded by three divorces and battles with mental health. She lost lucrative endorsement deals after a drug scandal tarnished her public image. Katona has turned to subscription-based content platforms to regain financial footing.

Kim Hye-soo

Kim Hye-soo is a highly respected South Korean actress with a long successful career. She faced a difficult situation when it was revealed her mother had borrowed huge sums of money in her name. The actress spent years paying off her mother’s debts despite having no involvement in the loans. She eventually had to issue a statement saying she could no longer be responsible for the financial burden. The scandal caused her significant emotional and financial stress.

Danniella Westbrook

Danniella Westbrook played Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ‘EastEnders’. A severe cocaine addiction in the 1990s and 2000s cost her an estimated quarter of a million pounds a year. She filed for bankruptcy and at times found herself homeless. Her addiction led to the erosion of her nose which required expensive reconstructive surgeries. Westbrook has struggled for years to stabilize her finances and health.

Margot Kidder

Margot Kidder was a Canadian actress famous for playing Lois Lane in the ‘Superman’ films. She suffered a highly publicized manic episode in 1996 that left her homeless for a brief period. Her struggle with bipolar disorder made it difficult for her to secure consistent acting work. She depleted much of her fortune on medical care and periods of unemployment. Kidder spent her later years living simply in Montana before her death.

Isabelle Adjani

Isabelle Adjani is a highly acclaimed French actress with multiple Cesar Awards. She was convicted of tax fraud in 2023 for undeclared donations and residency issues. The court handed her a suspended prison sentence and a fine of 250 thousand euros. Investigators found she had falsely claimed residency in Portugal to avoid French taxes. The conviction tarnished her reputation and resulted in a significant financial penalty.

Savitri

Savitri was a legendary Indian actress who ruled the South Indian film industry in the 1950s and 60s. Her generosity and charitable nature led her to give away much of her wealth to those in need. She also suffered heavy losses after producing films that failed at the box office. Her addiction to alcohol further worsened her health and financial management. She died in a coma with very little left of the immense fortune she had earned.

Laila Morse

Laila Morse is best known for her role as Big Mo in ‘EastEnders’. The British actress declared bankruptcy in 2013 despite her steady television work. She owed significant amounts to creditors and allegedly had tax debts. She is the sister of Hollywood star Gary Oldman but faced her financial battles independently. Morse continued to work to pay off her obligations.

Mischa Barton

Mischa Barton was born in London and found fame on the American teen drama ‘The O.C.’. She faced foreclosure on her Beverly Hills home after falling behind on mortgage payments. Barton sued her mother for allegedly stealing money and mismanaging her career earnings. Legal battles and a lack of major roles drained her resources over the years. She has since taken on smaller roles to rebuild her finances.

Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta is a Bollywood star who ventured into film production and cricket team ownership. She admitted in court to facing a severe financial crunch during a legal battle with a screenwriter. Her production house released a film that flopped which compounded her money issues. The actress claimed she had to sell personal assets to cover the losses. She eventually recovered through her business ventures and marriage.

Kim Sae-ron

Kim Sae-ron was a popular child actress in South Korea who transitioned to adult roles. Her career collapsed after she was charged with driving under the influence and crashing into a transformer. The accident caused power outages for local businesses and she had to pay heavy compensation damages. She lost her agency contract and acting roles which forced her to work part-time in a cafe. Her reputation and finances took a massive hit from the incident.

Zhao Wei

Zhao Wei was one of China’s wealthiest actresses and a successful investor. Her fortune came under threat when the Chinese government froze her equity in several companies. She was erased from the internet in China with her films and name removed from major platforms. The crackdown was part of a broader regulation of the entertainment sector and celebrity wealth. Her exact current financial status remains unclear but her business empire was dismantled.

Sherrie Hewson

Sherrie Hewson is a veteran British actress known for ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Benidorm’. She declared bankruptcy in 2007 after losing money in bad investments. She claimed her financial ruin was the result of trusting the wrong people with her earnings. The stress of the bankruptcy caused her to lose her hair due to alopecia. Hewson worked tirelessly on television panels and in acting roles to regain solvency.

Gail Porter

Gail Porter is a Scottish television presenter and actress. She experienced homelessness after her career slowed down and she suffered from alopecia and mental health struggles. Porter declared bankruptcy in 2017 and lived on the kindness of friends for a time. She has been open about her inability to pay rent during her lowest points. She continues to advocate for mental health awareness while rebuilding her life.

Tina Malone

Tina Malone gained fame for her role in the British comedy drama ‘Shameless’. She declared bankruptcy in 2012 after falling into debt with loan sharks. The actress stated that her financial troubles were largely due to the pressure to live a celebrity lifestyle. She struggled to pay huge interest rates on the money she borrowed. Malone has since appeared in reality shows to generate income.

Parveen Babi

Parveen Babi was a glamorous Bollywood star in the 1970s and 80s. She quit the industry at her peak due to severe paranoid schizophrenia. Her mental health condition made it impossible for her to work or manage her finances effectively. She lived a reclusive life and her wealth slowly diminished over the years. She was found dead in her apartment in 2005 after facing years of isolation and financial decline.

Jang Yoon-jung

Jang Yoon-jung is a famous South Korean trot singer and television personality. She shocked the public by revealing that her mother and younger brother had squandered her entire life savings. The family members had used her earnings for failed business ventures without her consent. She was left with substantial debt instead of the fortune she had amassed. Jang rebuilt her wealth independently after cutting financial ties with her family.

Yuan Bingyan

Yuan Bingyan is a Chinese actress who faced a major career setback due to tax issues. Her affiliated company was fined for tax evasion which led to her being dropped by brands. She had to step down from acting projects and faced public scrutiny. The scandal mirrored other high-profile tax cases in China and halted her earning power. She was ordered to pay fines to settle the discrepancies.

Natasha Henstridge

Natasha Henstridge is a Canadian actress known for her debut in ‘Species’. She was ordered to pay significant child support payments following her divorce. The actress claimed she was broke and could not afford the demanded amounts. Her legal team stated she had depleted her savings battling her ex-husband in court. Henstridge has continued to work in television to manage her financial obligations.

Shweta Basu Prasad

Shweta Basu Prasad won a National Award in India as a child actress. She faced a severe financial crisis as an adult due to a lack of acting work. She was involved in a high-profile controversy after being detained by police during a raid. The actress later clarified she was in a difficult situation because she had run out of money. She has since returned to acting and screenwriting to support herself.

Nadia Sawalha

Nadia Sawalha found fame in ‘EastEnders’ and as a panelist on ‘Loose Women’. She admitted to spending money recklessly early in her career which led to debt. The British actress described herself as being foolish with her earnings during her peak fame. She ignored tax demands which compounded her financial stress. Sawalha eventually learned to manage her finances better later in life.

Romy Schneider

Romy Schneider was an Austrian actress who became a star of French and German cinema. She faced financial ruin due to the mismanagement of her earnings by her husbands. Her later years were plagued by alcoholism and the tragic death of her son. The tax authorities reportedly claimed much of her estate after her death. She died leaving behind debts rather than a fortune.

Maria Schneider

Maria Schneider was a French actress famous for ‘Last Tango in Paris’. She struggled with the trauma from her early fame and drug addiction. Her career never reached the same heights again which limited her income. She lived modestly and often faced financial insecurity throughout her life. She died in 2011 with little remaining of the wealth she might have earned.

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