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- Entertainment
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‘My Dad Would Have Never Quit That Show': Isaac Hayes III on what ‘South Park' Meant to His Father
In South Park's early days, there was just one adult the boys would turn to when they were in trouble. And even if he was in the middle of making sweet love to a beautiful woman, Chef would always answer their call. Chef, famously played by soul music legend Isaac Hayes, was a key part of the show's formula when South Park debuted, and his songs — from 'I'm Gonna Make Love to You, Woman' to 'Chocolate Salty Balls' — provided the earliest examples of the show's musicality. Hayes was also the biggest name involved at the start (no one knew who Trey Parker and Matt Stone were back then). Given Chef's critical contributions to the show's early success and how beloved the character was by South Park fans, his death — and Hayes' controversial departure from the show — were all the more upsetting. The story behind Hayes' exit from South Park begins with the Season Nine episode 'Trapped in the Closet,' which aired in November 2005. It mercilessly skewered Scientology and exposed some of the religion's more science-fiction-like lore that few members of the public — and even some of the church's own members — knew much about. Hayes, however, was a Scientologist (he joined the church in the early 1990s). As such, Chef doesn't appear in the episode, and Hayes wasn't informed of the episode's content ahead of time. According to Stone and Parker, this was intended to give Hayes plausible deniability. The episode wasn't out of the norm for the series. Two seasons earlier, South Park did an equally vicious skewering of Mormonism, and the show mocked Christianity and Judaism — the childhood religions of Parker and Stone — since its inception. But just four months after 'Trapped in the Closet' aired, Hayes quit the series. His statement read, in part, 'There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends, and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins.' Little more than a week later, Parker and Stone ran the episode 'The Return of Chef.' To voice Chef, they used clips of Hayes that had very clearly been edited from older South Park episodes. The episode concludes with Chef's death — he's set on fire, falls from a bridge and is mauled by mountain lions. While a 'Let's remember Chef how he was' speech follows his on-screen demise, the gruesome death came off as petty and upsetting — even to South Park fans. Still, the door seemed open for Hayes' return, as Chef was resurrected at the end as 'Darth Chef,' a teaser for a story Parker and Stone would never explore, as Hayes didn't return to South Park before passing away in August 2008 from a stroke. A full decade after Hayes quit South Park, his son, Isaac Hayes III, told The Hollywood Reporter that Hayes had suffered a stroke in January 2006 before he quit, and that he didn't leave the show. 'Isaac Hayes did not quit South Park; someone quit South Park for him,' Hayes III maintained. He explained that the initial stroke took away his father's ability to speak as well as some cognitive comprehension. 'He was in no position to resign under his own knowledge,' Hayes III continued. 'At the time, everybody around my father was involved in Scientology — his assistants, the core group of people. So someone quit South Park on Isaac Hayes' behalf. We don't know who.' With South Park about to return for its 27th season next week, I recently reached out to Hayes III to talk more in-depth about his father's controversial exit from the show as well as what the animated series meant to his dad and to the soul legend's legacy. Do you know how your father came to play Chef? It was such a random thing for him at that point in his career. I know Matt and Trey had thought about who they could ask to play Chef, and they just reached out. They didn't think he would accept it, but he was like, 'Okay, I'll do it.' It was pretty simple. I thought it was cool because, what typically happens with great success stories is, you're just trying things. You don't know what's going to work, and before you know it, you put together something that's amazing and then it becomes this part of the cultural zeitgeist and everybody thinks it's this big master plan, but no. From your perspective, I'm curious what you think this meant to him, to have this revival in an area completely different from his music. It gave him a second fan base. He's known primarily for his music and that's extremely important, but it's funny because, the older you get, you realize that most people always have different chapters — like a first, second, third act or whatever. Like John Travolta, he was hot, he wasn't, and he was hot again. Or like Jason Bateman in the 1980s, and then he was gone and in the 2000s he came back and he is bigger than ever. There are those highs and lows, and, for my dad, this was definitely an American pop-culture high that he was a part of that was really powerful. South Park was pretty much an overnight phenomenon, and Chef was one of the very few sane, positive characters on the show. But how did your father feel about the show and its material? He tended to be the moral compass of the show, always helping the kids out. That's what I really liked about his character. They'd always come and ask him questions, and he'd always have the answers to these really uncomfortable things about masturbation and all kinds of stuff. My dad was comfortable with that, as opposed to sometimes being the gigolo of the town with all the ladies or whatever, which is also hilarious. That fit more into his persona of who he was as an artist, so he understood that as part of his character. But my father was an educator and a very smart guy, so I think, a lot of the stuff he would talk about, he probably knew or even had a deeper understanding of than what was conveyed in the script. But did he find the material funny? Offensive? Weird? Did it match his sensibility? It absolutely matched him. My father had an amazing sense of humor; he was a very cool guy. He was serious, but didn't take himself too seriously. He was never personally bothered by the material at all. Again, it gave him a new legion of fans, and it helped connect those people with his music. Just in watching the shows, I don't ever think there was anything out of bounds. They definitely pushed barriers, don't get me twisted, but he understood that you're not supposed to take it so seriously. It's serious commentary not to be taken seriously, which is interesting. Did you watch the show at the time? Yeah, I watched the show. I was Chef for Halloween one year, and I won a costume party. It was great because your dad's part of this cool show that everybody's talking about. I don't think people understand how powerful animation is to people. I did voiceover myself. I've done voiceovers for shows on Cartoon Network. Were you inspired by your dad's voice work? Someone just said, 'You got a great voice, so you should do voiceover.' So I was like, 'All right, I'm going to try it,' and it worked out pretty good. I was this character called The Broodwich on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and even that small character — I think I was on three episodes — there was a real connection that people have to shows that they love in animation. Chef had a lot of songs on South Park. Did your dad have a favorite? 'Chocolate Salty Balls' was the hit. He was doing that in concert. He'd do that on the road. During a concert, out of nowhere he'd go, 'Hey everybody, have you seen my balls? They're big and salty and brown!' Getting to your dad's departure from the show, what was his reaction to 'Trapped in the Closet?' So, initially, the episode came out in November, and there was no reaction. There wasn't any upswell about that episode at all. It really wasn't a big deal at the time. That January, in 2006, my dad had a stroke, and during the course of his recovery, I think that March, they re-aired the episode. When it re-aired, that's when Scientology got upset. At that time, my father was recovering from a stroke — literally learning how to talk, learning how to function. I visited my father. He was really struggling sometimes to even speak and say words. At the time, the people that were around him were largely Scientologists — his publicists and management. Those decisions about his involvement in the show, his leaving the show, were made by those people and not him. He would have never quit that show. He loved that show, and he was making a lot of money doing that show. So, I take issue with the way those decisions were made on his behalf because it put him in a position to actually have to go on the road and tour before he was ready to tour. When did he start touring again? Probably less than a year afterwards. Because South Park was such a breadwinner. It was a great show, and he was making money. So now that you don't have this income stream anymore, you have to find other ways to make income. Touring is a way to do that. Imagine you walk away from a gig and all you got to do is sit in front of a mic and talk. And to go back on the road and start learning how to play and sing and perform and travel and stay up late and flights and all that kind of stuff. I took issue with that. My dad loved Matt and Trey. He loved that character. He loved the show. He loved what it meant. He would have stayed involved all the way until right now. To this day, he would still be on the show. That's the part that frustrates me. I don't think Matt and Trey knew that at the time, because, even his own family, we were not always allowed to be in that inner circle. Anybody that has a celebrity parent, sometimes the core team around them, Scientology or not, can be a barrier to their family and personal relationships. My father was married at the time, so his wife was there. We entrusted her, and she was fine. She was involved in Scientology, I think. I can't say that she was all the way — I won't say that she was involved — but I know that she was just there for him. So I felt comfortable that his wife was around. At least somebody that has his best interest in mind was around. But, by no means those decisions were made on his own. He died in August 2008. Do you think him getting back on the road so quickly is what accelerated— Yes. 100 percent. And part of what I recall from Scientology is, they weren't big on modern medicine. They were more into holistic things. So even the medication that he was probably supposed to be taking, he probably wasn't taking. All of those factors, you know what I'm saying? Which is why you have to be the biggest advocate for your health. My father was very big on holistic medicine and things like that, but at the same time, you have to be real and understand the science of what's going on — whether it could be your blood pressure, your heart, your kidneys. To this day, I think this had a major effect on me and how I view my health. Did he ever talk to you about leaving South Park? No, we never had conversations about it. Never. What did you think about Matt and Trey's reaction? Even as a fan, the episode where Chef dies is very upsetting, so I'm curious how you feel about it. Emotions were high at the time, and I think the way they handled it had to do more with Scientology than my dad. That was more of a big 'F you' to those guys as opposed to my father. But he was caught in that, and it wasn't a great way to end the character. You could tell a lot of thought wasn't put into it. It didn't really make sense. Even if the character was going to exit, it didn't make sense how the character exited. What made you not talk about this until The Hollywood Reporter piece, and what made you want to talk about it then? Because, after my dad's passing, you're learning more and more. But again, these people that are always around him all the time, were very guarded. It was weird. At the same time, I'm young, and I'm just concerned about my dad. Once I knew that he would be okay, I just let the course do what it does. My dad was still a person who acted and still performed outside of South Park. He still was doing movies, he still was doing other things. So, I didn't really talk about it. Plus, it's not my business, it's my father's business and that's how he was handling his business. What made you want to tell The Hollywood Reporter at that time in 2016? Because it's important for my dad's legacy — for people to understand what that show meant to him and what the fans of that show meant to him. That was more important than whatever the reason was for him leaving the show or people quitting on his behalf. I just felt it was important for people to know that he would never do that. Just setting the record straight. Because, why would he do that? It doesn't make sense. They make fun of everybody on the show. Why would he, all of a sudden, get offended about something that has nothing to do with his character and then quit? That didn't make no sense. After that interview, did anybody from the church reach out to you? No. I haven't had any connection with anybody from Scientology since before my father passed away. Did Matt and Trey ever reach out to you about what you said? No. I think they made a statement about how, once they heard what I said, they were like, 'Okay, I think that makes a little bit of sense,' and they understand it better. With the dust of that time now having settled, what do you think about Chef as a part of his legacy today? It's still a huge part. I mean, people still talk about that to this day. I saw this Reddit thread the other day where people were saying that they miss Chef and his parents. I miss this family. byu/TylerSpicknell insouthpark Reading the thread, it says you should come on as Chef's son. Would you want to do something like that? I'm always open to that for sure. I mean, I'm a voice actor, and my father and I have similar voices. Anything's possible. I'm open to the idea, but I would think even more along the lines of, with technology, with A.I., that Chef himself could come back. Get more Cracked directly to your inbox. Sign up for Cracked newsletters at Cracked News Letters Signup. Solve the daily Crossword
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Why the location of actor Julian McMahon's shock passing has prompted social media theories over Nip/Tuck star's connection with controversial religion
The death of Australian actor Julian McMahon at the age of 56 in Clearwater, Florida, has prompted a wave of online speculation. McMahon's career took off with the hit supernatural television series Charmed before he gained wider recognition with Nip/Tuck, the medical drama in which he played the role of plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy. The Fantastic Four star's wife Kelly confirmed on Saturday that her husband died following a private battle with cancer. While few details were released, one stood out to social media users: the location. Clearwater - a city on Florida's Gulf Coast - is widely known for being dominated by the Church of Scientology. Its world headquarters, Flag, is located in the heart of downtown, and its members reportedly own the vast majority of the surrounding real estate. The mention of Clearwater in Kelly McMahon's statement quickly ignited debate across social media and internet forums, with some questioning why the actor, who had no public ties to the area, would spend his final days there. 'I live in Clearwater... close to a house (Scientologist) John Travolta owns because we're about a mile from the Scientology center in downtown Clearwater,' one local wrote on Instagram. 'I was wondering if Julian McMahon was a Scientologist since (Kelly's statement) said he died in Clearwater, because why else would he live the last few months of his life there? The only celebrities that do are usually Scientologists. Surprised, that's for certain!' Another user on X posted: 'Why was Julian McMahon in Clearwater when he died? Like, that's Scientology city.' A Reddit thread also sprang up, with one contributor offering a more sceptical take on the theory: 'He was an Australian who loved the beach. I don't see him being involved with Scientology.' To date, there is no mention of Julian McMahon, his wife Kelly, daughter Madison, or ex-wife Brooke Burns in any publicly available Scientology records. does not suggest McMahon or his family are affiliated with Scientology. The town's deep ties to the church are well documented. A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that the Church of Scientology, along with its members and affiliated businesses, owns 185 properties in Clearwater's downtown core. Actor Tom Cruise, one of religion's most prominent public faces, reportedly resides in a penthouse apartment there with his son Connor. Fellow Scientologist Kirstie Alley also lived in Clearwater before her death in 2022 from colon cancer. She had purchased her waterfront mansion from the late Lisa Marie Presley, another well-known Scientologist, back in 2000. At this stage, it remains unclear whether Julian McMahon had been living in Clearwater in the months leading up to his death. His family has not commented further.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise's Awkward Answer About Father's Day Sparks Questions About His Relationship With Daughter Suri
Tom Cruise's personal life has been shrouded in mystery, from his dating life to his bond with his kids. Everyone has questions about his relationship with his and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri Cruise, and now, more than ever, people want answers. In case you missed it, earlier this week, an E! News journalist asked Tom: 'Father's Day is just around the corner. What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?' And his response has people talking. More from SheKnows Tom Cruise's Second Act Keeps Getting Derailed by Scientology In a truly awkward turn of events, Tom responded by saying, 'You know…' before trailing off and shaking his head while looking into the distance. He added, 'Just having fun, man. Making movies, big adventure, having a good time.' Welp, how vague. You can see the proof for yourself in the video they posted HERE! Now, YouTube users instantly commented on this awkward moment, calling out Tom for his reported estrangement. One user said, 'A simple question about Father's Day and he can't answer it. He has gotten to a point where all he can talk about is movies and his love of movies. What about being a parent, Tom? There was a time when that was important to you. Sad for this man.' 'Wow kudos for the interviewer for finding a way to approach his father controversies, usually his questions are pre screened,' another added. '…I wish more interviewers could confront this sleazy guy about the unethical things surrounding him.' While Holmes and Tom have never publicly commented on whether he is, in fact, estranged from Suri, it's widely reported on, and insiders have even spilled the beans about it. Former leading Scientologist Karen De La Carriere previously told DailyMail that while many think that there are a lot of rules that prohibit Cruise from seeing Suri, it's just one major rule that she believes to be the case. 'Katie was deemed a Suppressive Person and Suri, by extension, a Potential Trouble Source,' she said. Chances are, you've heard about Scientology referring to some outsiders as a 'Suppressive Person,' which basically means someone who does suppressive acts against the Church and is dubbed an enemy for it. A Potential Trouble Source is basically a step below a Suppressive Person, it's basically someone linked to a Suppressive Person who may indicate they'll be an enemt ot the Church as well. This was backed up when DailyMail also asked Cruise's former security detail, Brendan Tighe, about it. 'So long as Suri sides with her mom, there will be no contact with her dad,' he said. 'But what about his two kids with Nicole Kidman (another ex of his who left the Church and became a Suppressive Person)?' Well, the reason he talks to his adopted children, that he shares with ex-wife Kidman, is that they're both Scientologists (with his daughter Bella as a high-ranking one at that). For those who don't know, Tom has three children in total. He and Kidman, with whom he was married to from 1990 to 2001, adopted two children: Isabella Jane 'Bella' Cruise and Connor Antony Cruise. Then, he and his ex-wife Holmes welcomed Suri on April 18, 2006, and they were married from 2006 to of SheKnows Every Single Time Shemar Moore Proved He's the Proudest First-Time Girl Dad The Best Places to Buy Furniture for Teens Online The Most Striking Rare Boy Names in the U.S. Right Now — & the Reason You Haven't Heard Them (Yet)
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise Reportedly Learned an Important Lesson About His Relationship to Scientology After Backlash
Over the years, Tom Cruise has consistently been one of the most celebrated yet private celebrities in Hollywood. After all, while his fans might know the ins and outs of his impressive stunts in movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, he's managed to keep his private life very much under wraps. And, according to new sources, it all makes sense considering his ties to the Church of Scientology. According to PR expert Evan Nierman to Us Weekly, Cruise has intentionally scaled back on his public involvement with Scientology since backlash against the Church increased in the past few years (largely due to Leah Remini's accusations of harassment and abuse). More from SheKnows Leah Remini Reveals How the Church of Scientology Has Targeted Her 'Petrified' Daughter 'I think Tom Cruise learned his lesson with the discussion and uproar around Scientology that happened many years ago,' Nierman told the outlet. 'He's been very effective at not shining a light on that and instead letting the power of his films and his stunt work speak for itself.' With that said, sources say his newfound silence isn't far from a sign that he's distancing himself from the Church itself. '[Tom's] been in a decades-long bromance with a controversial man [current church leader David Miscavige],' Marc Headley, a former Scientologist and author of Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology, revealed. 'Who cares if he still runs fast and jumps off stuff?' 'I suspect the more people knew about Tom Cruise's close relationship with Scientology, the less they would spend supporting him and his activities,' Headley stated. And, from the looks of it, Cruise is well aware of it! However, just last month, Cruise couldn't avoid his involvement in the Church when a peaceful protest of former Scientology members took place right next to the red carpet for the premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Their leader, 29‑year‑old Alex Barnes, who is publicly listed on Scientology's websites as an enemy of the group, livestreamed the demonstration, which lasted roughly ten minutes before officers swooped in, cuffed protesters, and searched their bags. Barnes later decried the incident as 'a completely unnecessary and excessive use of police force which temporarily restricted our rights to peaceful protest,' per The Sun, noting that he'd been neither approached nor asked why he and his group had gathered. 'It was absolutely not our intention to cause any sort of disruption. We just wanted to be heard.'Best of SheKnows 23 Celebrities Who Embodied the Boho Fashion Trend (& How It's Coming Back in 2025) 13 Best Family Photos of Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, & Their 3 Kids Keira Knightley's Best Hairstyles Over the Years, From 2001 to Today
Buzz Feed
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
15 Celebrities Who Are In Jail Right Now
Actor Danny Masterson How he's famous: Masterson is best known for playing Steven Hyde on That '70s Show from 1998–2006. He also was a regular cast member on Men at Work and The Ranch, which re-teamed him with That '70s Show costar Ashton happened: In 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department began a sexual assault investigation into Masterson after three women came forward with allegations against him. In each case, all of which occurred at Masterson's home between 2001–03, the women said Masterson gave them alcohol and then, when they became disoriented, took them to his bedroom and violently raped them. Masterson, who proclaimed his innocence, was arrested on three counts of forcible rape in early 2021.A first trial in 2022 ended in a hung jury; a retrial the following year ended with Masterson convicted of two of the three counts of forcible rape. He was sentenced to 30 years to life (with the earliest possibility of being paroled coming after serving 25 and 1/2 years). He is incarcerated in California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los interesting element of this case involved the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson and all three victims were members. All three victims said the church tried to shield Masterson from accountability, and pressured them not to go to the authorities. As BuzzFeed News reported in 2022, one of the victims "recalled how she went to the church's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood to report the sexual assault, but instead of getting any assistance, she was warned against using the word 'rape' and told that she could be excommunicated from the church — and disavowed by her Scientologist family and friends — if she contacted police."In response to these allegations, the Church of Scientology told BuzzFeed, "The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally false." Actor Ryan Grantham How he's famous: Grantham was a succesful child actor, notably playing Rodney James in the 2010 movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Later, he appeared in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and in a 2019 episode of the CW's Riverdale. All told, Grantham amassed more than 30 acting credits in film and happened: On March 31, 2020, the then-21-year-old Grantham killed his mother by shooting her in the back of her head as she played piano in their British Columbia home. He then loaded up his car with guns and ammunition and began driving east with a plan to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He ultimately changed his mind and considered carrying out a mass shooting at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University, before deciding to turn himself to Grantham's lawyer, Grantham was assessed by two court appointed psychiatrists who 'agreed that at the time of this horrendous event, he (Grantham) was suffering from a major depressive disorder and a cannabis use disorder, among other things.' Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and — at his sentencing — pledged to spend his life rehabilitating himself and helping others. He is eligible for parole in 2036 after serving 14 years. Baseball player Mel Hall How he's famous: In 1981, Hall broke into the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs at just 20 years old, and went on to finish third in voting for the Rookie of the Year award. He played 13 seasons in total, including four with the New York Yankees, and retired with 134 home runs and a career .276 batting average. What happened: In 1989, during Hall's first year with the Yankees, he noticed a 15-year-old freshman in high school and her friends in the stands. He spent the game playfully pretending like he was going to toss her a ball but never did. At the suggestion of her father, the girl wrote Hall a letter asking for a signed ball, and to her shock, Hall called her house, inviting the family to another game. Soon, Hall ingratiated himself with the family, saying he was lonely with his new team. He began showing up at their home after games (sometimes in a limo) and hanging out with the girl talking late into the night. Hall started helping the family financially (paying to put in a swimming pool and for the mother to quit her job), then moved in with them. He began dating the girl with her parents' consent and even took over the parents' primary bedroom with the girl (the parents moved into their daughter's room). This relationship continued for years (the Yankees even published a photo of Hall and the girl at her high school prom in their media book) until the girl, then a 19-year-old woman, broke things off and started her life Hall's career ended, he became a girls' youth sports coach (for both basketball and softball), and did the same thing, earning the trust of families of young girls on his teams that he liked — again moving into a family's home in one circumstance — and sexually abusing the in 2007, two of his victims found each other online (including one who was just 12 when Hall first assaulted her) and went to the police. Hall was arrested, found guilty at trial, and convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. He received a sentence of 45 years in prison (with no chance of parole for 22 years and 4 months). Hall is incarcerated at H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas, and isn't eligible for parole until Nov. 15, 2031. Actor Amy Locane How she's famous: Locane was an up-and-coming star in the early '90s, first starring opposite Johnny Depp in John Waters's cult classic Cry-Baby and then the critically acclaimed Blue Sky, which earned her a Young Artists' Award nomination for Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture. She was also a regular on the hit prime-time soap opera Melrose Place. She later retired from acting to raise her happened: On the night of June 27, 2010, Locane was driving 53 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone when she crashed into a car driven by Fred Seeman, who was making a left-hand turn into his driveway. Seeman's wife Helene, an NYU adjunct professor, was killed in the accident. When police arrived, Locane — who had been drinking at a friend's barbecue — was found to have a .23 blood alcohol level, more than three times the legal was convicted of second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by auto but received a sentence of only three years in jail, two less than the minimum sentence for the offense (the judge cited the welfare of Locane's children in giving the shorter sentence). Locane — who joined Alcoholics Anonymous after the crash and is now sober — served three years behind bars before being paroled on June 12, 2015, but an appeals court subsequently found her initial sentence to be too lenient and resentenced her to eight years in jail on September 17, 2020. She's currently incarcerated in New Jersey's Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women and is eligible for parole on Dec. 20, 2024. Reality TV star Josh Duggar How he's famous: Duggar is the oldest child of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, who became famous for their extremely large family of 19 children, as featured on the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting. The show often focused on Duggar and his wife, Anna, as they started their own family. What happened: In 2016, In Touch magazine obtained a police report that implicated Duggar as having molested numerous children — including his sisters — when he was a teenager. At the time of the crimes, Michelle and Jim Bob didn't go to the police. Instead, they consulted with their church leaders and had an Arkansas state trooper give Duggar "a very stern talk." The trooper was far from the ideal person to seek help from. He not only failed to report the crimes, but was later sentenced to 56 years in jail for child sexual abuse images. The release of the police report eventually led to a federal investigation of Duggar. After the authorities found child sexual abuse images on Duggar's computer at his used car dealership, they arrested Duggar on federal charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images. At the trial, a Homeland Security agent described the images found on Duggar's computer as being "in the top five of the worst of the worst I've ever had to examine."Duggar was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison. He is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas and won't be eligible for possible release until Oct. 2, 2032. Film producer Harvey Weinstein How he's famous: Weinstein — cofounder of the movie company Miramax — produced many critically acclaimed hit films during the '90s and '00s, including Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting. He won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in happened: After years of rumors, the New York Times published an investigation into Weinstein featuring the accounts of over a dozen women accusing the producer of sexual harassment and abuse. A New Yorker article followed days later with even more allegations. These reports opened the floodgates, and soon nearly 100 women (many very famous) came forward with accounts of Weinstein's abuse. On May 25, 2018, the New York district attorney's office charged Weinstein with "rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women." Among those who testified against Weinstein at the trial was actor Annabella Sciorra, who said that Weinstein burst into her apartment after dinner and raped her. "I said, 'No, no,'" Sciorra testified, "But there was not much I could do at that point. My body shut down. It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was unusual. I didn't really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure."Weinstein was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in jail; he subsequently was tried in Los Angeles for more crimes and sentenced to 16 additional years. British prosecutors, meanwhile, have authorized police to charge Weinstein with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London in is serving his sentence in New York State's Mohawk Correctional Facility, about 100 miles north of Albany. Actor and mixed martial arts fighter Joe Son How he's famous: Born in South Korea, Son moved to the United States as a child. He became a professional mixed martial arts fighter, fighting at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 3, but his fighting career ended uneventfully with an 0–4 record. Son made bigger waves as an actor, playing the bad guy in low-budget action films starring Lorenzo Lamas and Dolph Lundgren, and then — most notably — playing the villain Random Task in 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. What happened: In 2008, Son was arrested for kicking in the door of his roommate's car. As part of a plea deal, Son was required to provide a DNA sample to the authorities. When his sample was run through the system, it linked him to a horrific, nearly two-decade-old cold case. On Christmas Eve in 1990, he and an accomplice pretended to be lost as they approached a 19-year-old woman walking her dog. They then threw her into their car and held her hostage for hours, beating and raping her. Son also repeatedly threatened to shoot her as he counted the bullets in his gun. At the trial, the victim recounted how Son said "he was giving me to himself as a Christmas present." Son was convicted of one count of felony torture (the statute of limitations had run out on the sexual assault charges) and sentenced to seven years to life. Just a month after beginning his sentence, Son killed his cellmate. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to an additional 27 years. Reality TV star Jen Shah How she's famous: Shah starred on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for three seasons, earning a reputation for sharp one-liners and, well, drama. What happened: Shah was criminally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud in March 2021. She and her assistant were accused of orchestrating a telemarketer scam where they'd bilk their (usually) older victims out of large sums of money in exchange for services like website building and business coaching, which had little to no value. Nightline reported that a 75-year-old retiree in North Carolina named Trisha (she asked not to use her last name) invested more than half of her savings — $47,000 — on coaching about a business she hoped to start. Another victim, World War II veteran Ralph Hallock, was scammed out of more than $100,000. He died by suicide at the age of 92 (his family believes the scam contributed to his death).According to a sentencing memo from federal prosecutors, Shah "often joked about the victims' suffering and her employees' ability to victimize them." Texts were also released between Shah and her co-conspirators discussing how they could keep their victims hooked and spending more initially claimed she was innocent but eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She was sentenced to serve 6½ years and is incarcerated at FPC Bryan Prison in Texas. She's eligible for parole in August 2028. Subway pitchman Jared Fogle How he's famous: Fogle made national headlines in 1999 when — as a student at Indiana University — he lost 245 pounds on a self-created diet where he exclusively ate Subway every day: a small turkey sub, a large veggie sub, baked potato chips, and diet soda. He was soon hired by Subway to be their spokesperson, and appeared in over 300 commercials between 2000 and happened: Fogle's seemingly wholesome story was revealed to have a dark underbelly on July 7, 2015, when Fogle's Indiana home was raided by the FBI and Indiana State Police investigators who confiscated computers and DVD players. Two months prior, Russell Taylor — the executive director of the Jared Foundation, a nonprofit that purported to fight childhood obesity — was arrested on federal child sexual abuse images charges, and in the course of investigating, authorities discovered he had traded sexually explicit videos of children as young as 6 years old with Fogle. Additionally, the FBI subpoenaed text messages Fogle traded in 2008 with a Subway franchisee he was having an affair with. The texts were damning: Fogle talked about sexually abusing children as young as 9 years old, and tried to enlist her help to sleep with her 16-year-old cousin. Further investigation found that Fogle traveled to New York to have sex with a 17-year-old underage sex worker, and offered adult sex workers a finder's fee if they'd connect him with a possibility of 50 years in jail if he went to trial, Fogle pleaded guilty to two counts: distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse images, and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison. He's currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, and isn't eligible for parole until March 24, 2029. Actor Michael Jace How he's famous: Jace was best known for playing Officer Julien Lowe on the FX police drama The Shield but also appeared in high-profile motion pictures like Forrest Gump and Boogie Nights. What happened: On May 19, 2024, at Jace's home in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, Jace shot his wife April — an elite, medal-winning sprinter — in the back as their young sons, ages 5 and 8, looked on from their bedroom. Prosecutors said Jace then shot his wife in the legs before telling her, "If you like running, then run to heaven."Prosecutors further contended that Jace — who had been drinking all day — was "obsessed" with the idea his wife might leave him and believed she was having an was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. At his sentencing, Jace said, "There is absolutely no justification for my actions on that night. I am profoundly sorry for the pain that I've caused everyone." Jace is serving his sentence at California State Prison, Corcoran. Musician R. Kelly How he's famous: Sometimes called the King of R&B, Kelly is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 75 million records. "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)" are probably his best-known songs. He also wrote songs for other artists, including Michael Jackson's No. 1 hit, "You Are Not Alone."What happened: Allegations of sexual abuse of minors have followed Kelly for most of his career, but for a long time, he escaped accountability. In 1994, a then-27-year-old Kelly married his protégé Aaliyah, who was just 15 (Aaliyah ended the marriage when her family found out). Two years later, a woman filed a civil suit against Kelly, alleging that he had a sexual relationship with her starting at age 15. Kelly settled the case out of 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Chicago police had begun investigations into Kelly and allegations that he'd had sex with a minor but had to drop them due to a lack of cooperation from the accusers. In 2002, a video circulated of what was alleged to be Kelly urinating on an underage girl and engaging in sex acts. This led to Kelly being charged with 21 counts of child sexual abuse images. Shortly after that, Kelly was charged in Florida with 12 additional charges of producing child sexual abuse images after police raided Kelly's home and allegedly found images of him having sex with a minor on a digital camera. The Florida charges, however, were thrown out when a judge ruled the police lacked probable cause for the search warrant. The Chicago charges ended in Kelly's favor, too, when a 2008 trial ended with him being found not guilty because it couldn't be proven the girl on the tape was a minor. In 2017, BuzzFeed News reported that the parents of three legal-aged young women claimed their daughters were being "held against their will" by Kelly in what was described as a "cult." This led to others coming forward with more allegations against Kelly, including that he'd had sex with minors. Then, in 2019, a comprehensive, six-hour Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, put Kelly and his crimes under the spotlight even more. Police in Chicago charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (after acquiring a tape of Kelly allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old), and federal authorities indicted him twice for crimes related to his sexual abuse of minors. In 2022, Kelly was found guilty in both federal trials and sentenced to spend 31 years in jail. He is currently serving his sentence at FCI Butner Medium I, a medium-security prison in North Carolina, and won't be eligible for parole until 2047 when he is around 80. Reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley How they're famous: Real estate tycoon Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie were the stars of the USA Network's reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which followed the couple as they raised five children with a "brutally honest" parenting style. The show debuted to solid ratings in 2014 and continued until happened: In August 2019, The Chrisleys were indicted on charges of having evading nearly $2 million in state taxes, using their production company to hide over $1 million of reality TV income from the IRS, and directing an employee to falsify income and asset documents. The Chrisleys pleaded not guilty to the crimes and scored a big win two months later when prosecutors dropped the state tax charges (the Georgia Department of Revenue found that, instead of failing to pay $2 million in taxes, the Chrisleys actually owed less than $77,000 due to an incorrect filing on one tax return).The reality stars still faced the charges related to bank fraud and their federal taxes, and those proved much stickier. During opening statements at the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of the Chrisleys exaggerating their wealth to banks and submitting false documents to borrow over $30 million in order to keep their affluent lifestyle the while hiding money from the IRS."They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it," Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters a nearly three-week trial, the couple were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. Julie was also convicted of wire fraud. Todd was sentenced to 12 years, and Julie was sentenced to 7. Todd is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FPI) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie is incarcerated at Florida's Federal Correctional Institution Marianna. Todd was eligible to be released on Jan. 22, 2033; Julie was eligible to be released on Oct. 19, 2028. They have both since been pardoned by Donald Trump. Reality TV star Jerry Harris How he's famous: Harris starred on the Emmy-award-winning Netflix docuseries Cheer about the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team from Corsicana, Texas. He became a fan favorite for his big personality and even endeared himself to Ellen DeGeneres, who invited him to attend the 2020 Academy Awards as her show's happened: In September 2020, a federal warrant was issued for Harris alleging that, when he was 19, he asked 13-year-old twin boys to send nude photos, one of whom agreed to do so. On the second season of Cheer, the boy described how the abuse began, saying, "I told him that I was 13, and then after that — right off the bat — he asked me, 'Can I have butt pics?' or 'Can you send butt pics?'" Harris was soon arrested and charged with the production of child sexual abuse images (according to authorities, Harris admitted to trading sexual images with 10–15 children he knew were minors). Court documents also stated that the then-19-year-old Harris had sex with a 15-year-old in February 2022, Harris pleaded guilty on charges of child sexual abuse images and traveling for illicit sex with minors. He was sentenced to spend 12 years in a federal prison in Oklahoma City. Rock star Gary Glitter How he's famous: Gary Glitter — real name Paul Gadd — was a popular British glam rock star of the '70s and '80s. He sold over 20 million records and released scores of hit singles in the UK, including "Rock and Roll Part 2," which has been played endlessly at sporting events across America. The song was also used in the film Joker when Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck dances down a staircase. What happened: In 1997, Glitter brought his laptop in to be repaired, and the technician found sexual abuse images of children on the hard drive. After police searched Glitter's home and found more images of children, he was arrested and eventually sentenced to four months in jail. After being released, Glitter left the UK, where he'd become persona non grata. In 2005, Glitter established a new home in Vietnam, but within months, authorities arrested him for molesting two girls, ages 11 and 12. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail. At his sentencing, the judge said: "His lewd acts have compromised the dignity of the Vietnamese people, law, and common sense." Glitter, meanwhile, claimed his innocence and said it was all a "conspiracy."Upon completing his sentence in 2008, Glitter did everything he could to avoid being deported to the UK, including feigning having a heart attack. Nevertheless, he eventually was returned to England and placed on the sex offender's registry. Four years passed uneventfully until ITV aired a documentary about Top of the Pops host Jimmy Savile and his alleged sexual abuse. In the documentary, there was a segment accusing Glitter of raping a 13- or 14-year-old girl in Savile's BBC dressing room during the late '70s. This led to Glitter being arrested and standing trial for sexually abusing three young girls, ages 12, 11, and less than 10, between the years 1975 and 1980. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in jail, with the judge saying at the hearing, "It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behavior."In February of 2023, Glitter was released from jail after serving half his sentence. However, one month later, he was thrown back into jail after violating his release conditions by trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children. The now-79-year-old disgraced pop star was denied parole earlier this year and remains behind bars. Football star Dave Meggett How he's famous: A 10-year veteran of the NFL, Meggett won a Super Bowl in 1990 with the New York Giants and made two All-Pro teams (once with the Giants and once with the New England Patriots). Meggett played running back and receiver but was best known as an elite return specialist. At the time of his retirement, he had the most punt return yards in NFL history (3,709).What happened: In 1998, Meggett was accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a Toronto sex worker, but prosecutors eventually dropped the sexual assault charge and only tried Meggett for the robbery; the trial ended in a hung jury. This started a pattern of Meggett escaping serious accountability for his crimes, even as he was subsequently accused of sexual assault by three additional women — including one who said Meggett put a date rape drug in her drink at a bar, dragged her to his Porsche, and then raped was finally brought to justice in 2009 after he broke into the home of a woman he'd loaned $200 and sat on the edge of her bed. She awoke, startled, and he demanded she repay him. When she didn't have the money, he said, "I'm gonna get a down payment now" and raped her. Once Meggett left, the victim went to the hospital, where doctors found vaginal abrasions consistent with sexual was convicted of burglary and criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He's presently incarcerated at South Carolina's Lieber Correctional Institution and isn't eligible for parole until July 6, 2034. UPDATE The post has been updated to include a statement from the Church of Scientology.
