10 Biggest Arrests in Hollywood History

On May 25, Harvey Weinstein was arrested in New York City on charges connected to two sexual assault cases. Weinstein’s arrest is just the latest chapter in Hollywood‘s run-ins with the law and only one step in his own story.

Weinstein’s downfall started in October, when The New York Times and The New Yorker published extensive reports on allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by the once powerful movie mogul. The Shakespeare in Love producer was charged with first-degree rape and third-degree rape in one case and first-degree rape in a second case, reports the New York Times.

The second case involved allegations from Lucia Evans, who told The New Yorker and investigators that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him at the New York Miramax office in 2004. The victim in the rape case was not identified, but prosecutors said it stems from an attack on March 18, 2013 at the DoubleTree Metropolitan Hotel.

After the short court appearance on May 25, Weinstein was released on $1 million bail. If indicted, Weinstein plans to plead not guilty, his attorney said. Weinstein has previously denied allegations of rape.

Scroll on for a look at some of the biggest arrests in Hollywood history.

Photo Credit: Kevin Hagen/Getty

O.J. Simpson

In 1994, O.J. Simpson was arrested for murder in connection with the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson pleaded not guilty and was acquitted in what’s been dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”

However, Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million after a civil court jury found him “liable” for their deaths. An attorney for Goldman’s family said in January the judgement now exceeds $70 million.

In 2007, Simpson was found guilty for a botched robbery in Las Vegas. He was released from prison in 2017.

Bill Cosby

In 2015, Bill Cosby was arrested on three charges of sexual assault, related to the allegations from Andrea Constand. She claimed Cosby raped and drugged her in 2004, when she was working at Temple University. In 2005, she filed a civil lawsuit, but the district attorney chose not to press criminal charges at the time.

In October 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress joked about past allegations of sexual misconduct by Cosby. That sparked interest in the allegations women have made in the past against Cosby. Dozens more women came forward, but Constand’s case remained the only one within a statute of limitations. In 2015, Cosby finally faced criminal charges.

After a mistrial in 2017, he was convicted in April 2018 after a second trial. He faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge, and sentencing is set for later this year.

Roman Polanski

In the 1970s, Roman Polanksi was among Hollywood’s top directors, especially after making Chinatown. But in 1977, he was arrested for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. At first, Polanski pleaded not guilty, but he later reached a plea deal.

After a psychiatric evaluation, Polanski learned he might face a jail sentence and fled to France. Polanski has been on the run since then, spending time in France, Poland and Switzerland. Efforts to have him extradited to the U.S. have not been successful.

In May, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences revoked Polanksi’s membership, although he still has his Oscar for directing 2003’s The Pianist.

Robert Blake

Robert Blake shot to fame as a child actor, before later appearing in the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and the ’70s TV series Baretta. In 2002, he was arrested and charged for murder in the death of his wife, Ronnie Lee Blakely. In 2005, he was acquitted, but still found liable for her wrongful death.

Last year, Blake made headlines for applying for a marriage license to marry Pamela Hudak, who has known him for decades and testified on his behalf during the trial.

Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson was attested in 1991 for the rape of Desiree Washington, who was 18 years old at the time. He was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released early in 1995.

During an interview with TMZ‘s Harvey Levin last year, Tyson said he thought racism played a role in his conviction.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was dogged by accusations of abusing children during the 1990s and 2000s. In 2003, he was arrested for child molestation and giving a 13-year-old boy an “intoxicating agent.” Two years later, after a heavily publicized trial, he was found not guilty.

Jackson died in 2009 at age 50, while in the middle of planning a comeback.

Martha Stewart

In 2004, Martha Stewart‘s media empire was put in jeopardy due to her role in the ImClone Systems stock trading case. She was convicted of felony charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding and making false statements to federal investigators.

She served five months in federal prison and two years of supervised release. In the 14 years since the scandal, she has successfully rebounded.

R. Kelly

In 2002, R. Kelly was arrested on 21 counts of child pornography. The trial finally took place after years of delays, and ended with a not guilty verdict in 2008. However, Kelly remains under scrutiny, with women accusing him of keeping sex slaves in his Chicago and Atlanta homes.

Earlier this month, a 20-year-old woman sued Kelly for allegedly giving her alcohol, assaulting her and giving her a sexually transmitted disease.

Phil Spector

Phil Spector was once a respected music producer, creating some of the greatest pop songs of the 1960s. But in 2003, he was arrested for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. He was convicted on second degree murder. In 2009, he was sentenced to 19 years to live in state prison.

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle

One of the first scandals in Hollywood history involved Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. During the 1910s, he was one of the most popular silent film comedians and played major roles in the careers of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Bob Hope.

But in 1921, Arbuckle’s career came to a halt when he was accused of rape and manslaughter in the death of actress Virginia Rappe. She became sick during a party he hosted in San Francisco in 1921, and died four days later. After two trials ended in hung juries, he was acquitted in a third trial.

Arbuckle tried to revive his career, but the scandal made that nearly impossible. He made a few films during the 1920s, and even directed under a different name. He died in 1933 from a heart attack. He was 46 years old.