Robert Downey Jr. is one of Hollywood’s most beloved and recognizable stars, but few people know his troubled past. After achieving early fame in the 80s and 90s, Downey was arrested multiple times for drug-related offenses and spent time in prison. This article will explore why Robert Downey Jr. ended up in jail and what he has done since to turn his life around.
Who Is Robert Downey Junior?
Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ), most recognized for his role as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was not always law-abiding and socially respectable. His early career was distinguished by critical and popular success, a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, and a subsequent rebirth of commercial success. In 2008, Time magazine named Downey one of the 100 most influential persons in the world, and from 2013 to 2015, Forbes placed him as Hollywood’s highest-paid actor.
At age five, Johnny made his acting debut in the 1970 picture Pound, directed by Robert Downey Sr. He later appeared with the Brat Pack in the 1985 adolescent films Weird Science and Less Than Zero (1987). 1992’s Chaplin earned Downey an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin.
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Why Did Robert Downey Jr. Go To Jail?
In 1996, while racing down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Downey was arrested for possessing heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded.357 Magnum revolver. A month later, while still on parole, he slept in a child’s bedroom after breaking into a neighbor’s house while intoxicated.
This conviction was expunged from Robert Downey Jr.’s record in 2015. However, the incident will stay on his permanent record.
In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown of California granted pardons to over ninety individuals. Each individual granted clemency had been released for at least ten years and made meaningful life changes after their conviction.
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How Long Was Robert Downey Junior In Jail?
Robert Downey Junior was sentenced to three years in prison in 1999 despite having a top-notch legal team for failing to report for another required drug test. After a court “unexpectedly” determined that the time he had already served was sufficient to reduce his sentence, he only served an extra year if he posted $5,000 bail. RDJ did so, and he was subsequently able to get his career back on track.
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Robert Downey Jr.’s Stay In Rehabilitation
In the late 1990s, Robert Downey Jr. made multiple trips to drug rehabilitation. The Canyon reports that Robert Downey Jr. eventually revealed that he used drugs during the 1980s but that it did not interfere with his acting career. In the early 1990s, he was nominated for multiple awards for his performances in Short Cuts and Chaplin.
When his drug addiction began to interfere with his commercial success and daily life, everything changed for RDJ. RDJ lost multiple jobs in the early 2000s due to his arrests, known drug addiction, and repeated rehab stays. Despite his struggles in the early 2000s, RDJ achieved sobriety by 2003. Since then, RDJ has maintained a clean lifestyle.