10 Child Stars Who Couldn't Handle the Spotlight

1. Macaulay Culkin

Let's start with the poster child for child stars who couldn't handle the spotlight: Macaulay Culkin. Culkin, the angel-faced imp of Home Alone fame, was the kid every '90s child wanted to be. Who didn't dream of outsmarting robbers with an assortment of household items? But, like a festive holiday turkey, Culkin was quickly gobbled up by fame.

His later years were characterized by legal troubles, drug abuse, and a somewhat disquieting relationship with Michael Jackson. Though he's managed to pick up the pieces of his career lately, the scars of childhood fame are etched into his life story. Culkin is now part of a Velvet Underground parody band, The Pizza Underground. They sing about, well, pizza.

2. Jodie Sweetin

Jodie Sweetin, the spunky Stephanie Tanner on Full House, didn't have quite as wholesome a life off-screen. After the show ended, Sweetin fell into drug addiction, which she described as trying to make the sitcom-induced feel-good moments last. After a long battle with substance abuse and a series of unsuccessful marriages, Sweetin has managed to turn her life around and even returned for the Fuller House revival on Netflix. For those curious, she's also a competitive dancer and appeared on Dancing with the Stars.

3. Jonathan Taylor Thomas

The teen heartthrob from Home Improvement and the voice of Simba in The Lion King, Jonathan Taylor Thomas was everywhere in the '90s. However, despite his success, he chose to step away from the spotlight. The constant attention and pressure of being a child star led Thomas to pursue a more normal life, including attending Harvard University. A fun fact is that Thomas was once considered for the lead role in American Pie, but he turned it down to focus on his studies.

4. Haley Joel Osment

You might remember Haley Joel Osment from The Sixth Sense, where he saw dead people. Unfortunately, his career soon followed a similar path. After his Oscar-nominated performance, Osment struggled with the pitfalls of fame, culminating in a DUI and drug possession charge in 2006. He never quite regained his former glory, though he has had some minor successes in recent years, and fans were all too happy to see him appear in Amazon's The Boys.

5. Jake Lloyd

Landing a leading role in a Star Wars movie at the age of 10 might sound like a dream, but for Jake Lloyd, who played young Anakin Skywalker, it was more of a nightmare. Lloyd was relentlessly bullied after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, leading to his decision to retire from acting at an early age.

The harsh glare of the spotlight only intensified when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, competed in high-speed motor racing events under the name Jake Broadbent and later arrested after a high-speed police chase. Star Wars really did Lloyd dirty after all.

6. Lindsay Lohan

From starring in Disney's The Parent Trap to multiple DUIs and rehab stints, Lindsay Lohan's downfall has been as public as it is tragic. She was the freckle-faced darling of Hollywood, then the troubled party girl on the covers of tabloids. Battling addictions, media scrutiny, and financial troubles, she found it challenging to regain the foothold she once had in the industry. Interestingly, Lohan attempted a career revival in the Middle East, far from the spotlight that once consumed her.

7. Edward Furlong

Remember John Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day? That was Edward Furlong, and he was the epitome of the cool '90s kid. However, Furlong struggled with his sudden fame. His career was put on hold due to his struggles with drugs, alcohol, and legal troubles, including domestic violence accusations. For trivia enthusiasts, Furlong's voice was used in the Terminator 3D: Battle Across Time mini-ride at Universal Studios Theme Parks around the world until its closure in 2017.

8. Britney Spears

It's impossible to discuss child stars who struggled with fame without mentioning Britney Spears. From her beginnings in The Mickey Mouse Club to pop superstardom, Britney's life has been constantly in the public eye. She faced a public breakdown, strict conservatorship, and endless media scrutiny. Despite these challenges, she remains a beloved pop culture icon, and her fight for personal and financial freedom has inspired many.

9. Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes was the queen of teen comedy in the late '90s and early 2000s. But this funny girl's life soon took a turn for the less humorous. Her public breakdown played out on social media, with bizarre tweets, drastic changes in appearance, and run-ins with the law making headlines. Bynes' struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues was a shocking turn for a star who once seemed poised for a long and successful career.

10. Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf, the mischievous Louis Stevens from Even Stevens, had a promising career that took a sharp turn. After achieving blockbuster success with Transformers, LaBeouf faced numerous controversies involving alcohol, aggression, and even plagiarism. His erratic behavior and performance art pieces, like wearing a paper bag over his head at a movie premiere, kept him in the headlines. LaBeouf once embarked on an art project where he hitchhiked across the country using Twitter to communicate his location.