Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Kelly Osbourne and many more...
Adam Tait

11:44 15th February 2013

The pressures of fame can get to anyone, even people who have been in the music industry for years as adults. But things can be especally difficult for child stars, thrust into the limelight when other kids their age are finger painting and learning their times tables.

This week Robbie Williams said that he thought Justin Bieber would crash and burn before long, warning of the dangers of fame at an early age, and Bieber's already been spotted smoking pot.

But this is far from the first time we've seen a child star go slightly off the rails with lavish partying and erratic behaviour.

Gigwise takes a look at ten child stars who have grown into rebellious and sometimes troubled adults...

  • Justin Bieber - Recently snapped apparently smoking pot at a party, Justin's fans have voiced their concerns and outrage with some even threatening to cut themeselves. Robbie Williams has warned the teen star is ill-equipped to deal with the dangers of fame. (photo:Jlnphotography/wenn)

  • Pink - It might have seemed that Pink's bad girl image was a bit of a put-on to attract rebellious teenage girls. But recently she revealed that at one time her troubles went far beyond issues with fags and booze. Apparently the singer hit the party scene hard between 12 and 15, taking and selling party drugs ecstacy and crytsal meth. Apparently she overdosed at a young age and has never touched hard drugs since.

  • Charlotte Church - Given how young she was when entered the music industry, and how she's given to being somewhat outspoken in her views, Charlotte's done a fairly good job of holding it together. When she was about 19 the British tabloids seized on her and labelled her a binge drinker and party animal. But she's dusted it off for the most part and now releases completely self-produced and distributed music. Good on her.

  • Britney Spears - Starting out as the super sweet popstar teen with a school girl image, Britney went fully off the rails as the pressures of fame got to her. She drunkenly married a childhood sweetheart, got it annulled quckly, married a backing dancer, had kids, got divorced and had a full on meltdown. After manically shaving her head the school girl image was gone for ever.

  • Demi Lovato - Demi entered stardom early on, recieving the lead role in Camp Rock and becoming popular from other Disney programmes. She began her music career in 2007, but by 2010 whe was dropping out of her tour with the Jonas Brothers to enter a treatment facility. Things came to a head when she punched a backing dancer for apparently speaking to management about Demi's inappropriate behaviour.

  • Michael Jackson - Every child star who's gone off the rails learnt from watching Michael Jackson. As a child he was one of the sweetest little kids to ever hold a mic, melting hearts around the world. As he got older he became a heartthrob, but things went south when he began having extensive plastic surgery to alter his face. His behaviour also became increasingly erractic, and he died tragically aged fifty, ultimately as a result of a tranquilizer addiction.

  • Taylor Momsen - Taylor's career has been kind of the reverse to the others on this list, having started out as a model and actress before going slightly wild and joining the band The Pretty Reckless. In recent years Taylor's continued to attract attention and controversy with her actions, including flashing audiences, carrying a knife and setting fire to her dog's recently neutered testicles

  • Kelly Osbourne - After finding fame as a member of Ozzy Osbourne's family, it's no surprise that an adolescent Kelly went off the rails for a while. Aged 20 she entered rehab after admtting she had become addicted to painkillers.

  • Miley Cyrus - Like Justin, Miley started out as a super sweet child star. As she's got older she's got raunchier and riskier. Adopting a new punk rock image, Miley has been surrounded by rumours that she's become something of a stoner. Apparently her Bob Marley birthday cake was an 'inside joke' (about something other than the weed she smokes...) and Kelly Osbourne calls her 'Bob Miley'. She was also caught on film giving her producer a lap dance.

  • Aaron Carter - Little brother of Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter, Aaron followed his sibling into pop music with a cover of The Jets 'Crush On You'. But more recently he's been arrested for traffic and drug crimes. He entered the Betty Ford Centre for a month to deal with 'spiritual and emotional problems'.


Photo: WENN.com