Celebrities Who Were Homeless

Rags to Riches

Actress Candace Cameron Bure and other celebs have admitted their struggles.
Ted Williams

The Internet has been buzzing about Ted Williams, the Midwestern panhandler with the “golden voice”. As this overnight sensation is poised to receive a second chance in life, we take a look at some big names who rose from rags to riches.

Tyler Perry

The actor/playwright/director responsible for triggering both chuckles and sobs had a turbulent past before gaining the spotlight.

Halle Berry

When she left the nest to pursue acting, Berry found that she had no safety net. She learned self-sufficiency during this turning point in her life.

Drew Carey

The actor-turned-game show host left his hometown for L.A. seeking fame and says he spent a while sleeping in tight quarters.

Patti Smith

With a career that dates to the 1960s, singer-songwriter Smith has become a punk icon. But before the fame, there were hard times.

Jim Carrey

This goofy screen star reportedly led a hardscrabble teenage life in his native land, where his family was forced to rough it.

Hilary Swank

There’s authenticity in the tough-girl roles Swank has portrayed; her adolescence was a rocky one.

William Shatner

Shatner was hit by the one-two punch of a costly divorce and his seminal series getting canceled. As a result, he tells of a fall from grace.

Kelly Clarkson

Shortly after moving out on her own, then-unknown Clarkson suffered this setback and toughed it out for a short while.

KRS-One

As a teen, the rap veteran lived a real hard-knock life. But he made an alliance at the bottom that would help him rise to the top

Jewel

The yodeling pop singer was raised in chilly climes, but by the early 1990s, she ended up bumming it in a balmier area.

Suze Orman

After college, the award-winning financial advisor led a vagabond lifestyle that seemed anything but penny-wise.

Sylvester Stallone

While trying to make a name for himself in the early 1970s, the future action star said he would rest in a New York spot that’s far from cozy.

Dr. Phil

As a pre-teen, the self-help guru faced lean times with his father.

Joan Rivers

Rivers’ early survival methods may have helped her develop the thick skin that eventually made her famous.

John Woo

As a child growing up overseas, future action film director Woo and his family survived tragedy.