While many of us look up to celebrities, some of our favorite entertainers don’t always keep themselves out of trouble. Whether they let down their guard and do something they shouldn’t, or someone tries to exploit them with an accusation, here are a few celebrities who paid off their accusers with a cash settlement, avoiding a trial and their name, potentially, being tarnished.
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15. Sean Kingston
Accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman, singer Sean Kingston decided to pay an undisclosed amount to have the case disappear. While, in most cases, that might admit guilt, Kingston claims he chose to offer money because he didn’t have time to go to trial, as he was promoting his new album and was about to go on tour. There was a bit of a public fallout from the reports, though, with a few gigs canceling his shows in reaction to the settlement.
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14. Donte Stallworth
A former NFL wide receiver, Donte Stallworth had one unfortunate life that will forever stay with him. While leaving a party in Miami with his then teammate, Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian with his flashy Bentley back in 2010. Although the police determined the player was under the influence while driving, Stallworth paid the victims family off and served just 30 days in jail.
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13. David Boreanaz
With a leading role in the TV show Bones, actor David Boreanz was accused of sexually assaulting an extra during her time on set. Based off the allegations, the victim reported inappropriate texts from Boreanz, which had various advances and false promises. The two sides eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
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12. Marilyn Manson
Musician Marilyn Manson is one of the most outlandish celebrities out there. But when he grinded against a security guard while performing on stage back in 2001, he took things to another level. Wearing nothing but a thong, Manson wrapped his legs around the guard and was sued for sexual assault and emotional distress. After the charges were ongoing for a three-year period, both sides agreed to an undisclosed settlement out of court.
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11. Kobe Bryant
Following a 2003 incident in which a 19-year-old ski resort instructor accused L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant of sexual assault, the superstar basketball player denied any wrongdoing, admitting to committing adultery, but alleging the sex was consensual with the employee. After several court hearings, Bryant settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
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10. Bill Cosby
In recent news, longtime comedian Bill Cosby has seen his name associated with various allegations of sexual assault by a number of different women that occurred over the past 30-plus years. After a case was filed in 2004 from a woman about the inappropriate activity from Cosby, the past several months have brought a handful of others forward who have similar stories of sexual assault as the initial victim—who received an undisclosed amount of money from the actor/comedian.
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9. Britney Spears
Arguably, the biggest pop star of the past 15-plus years, Britney Spears was accused by a former bodyguard of sexual harassment, as Fernando Flores claimed that the singer used to make unsolicited forthcomings on him. While Spears has denied any wrongdoing, she did agree to pay him an undisclosed amount to keep the charges out of the public as fast as she could. Though the amount wasn’t released, it’s believed to be a sum that amounted to his legal fees.
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8. Kanye West – $250,000
After facing criminal battery charges when he beat a man for yelling racial slurs towards his wife Kim Kardashian, rapper Kanye West agreed to pay the 18-year-old victim $250,000 rather than drag out an ugly court case. For agreeing to pay the man the amount, all charges against Kanye were dropped, instead being forced to two years probation and anger management classes.
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7. R. Kelly – $250,000
It’s one of the more publicized celebrity cases of the past decade, so it’s no surprise to hear that rapper R. Kelly settled for having sexual relations with an minor. After being acquitted in a 2008 trial, Kelly decided to pay $250,000 to the girl to end the process. Unfortunately, the rapper has a history of questionable behavior, also paying a former housekeeper $100,000 in relation to a sexual assault case in 2010, too.
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6. Roman Polanski – $604,000
The legendary film director was accused of giving drugs and alcohol to a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot back in 1977, being investigated for sexual assault and child molestation in relation with the initial charges. After a long battle in and out of court, the two settled for just over $600,000 in 1996.
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5. Ben Roethlisberger – Mid-Six Figures
Two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault by a Lake Tahoe hotel employee back in 2009, right after he led his Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl victory. Rather than go to court, the quarterback decided to pay about a game’s paycheck to the victim—which, based off of his salary at the time, was anywhere between $600,000 – $700,000. However, Big Ben also lost about $1.9 million for being suspended four games for the incident during the following season.
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4. Mario Batali – $5.2 million
One of the biggest celebrity chefs on the planet, Mario Batali found himself in some hot water back in 2010, with former employees claiming he defrauded them out of five percent of their wine and alcohol sales at his restaurants. Originally filed for $5.25 million, Batali settled with the more than 1100 employees for around $5.2 million.
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3. Mike Tyson – $10 million
While married to actress Robin Givens, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was accused of domestic violence and sexual assault to his then wife, beginning a messy divorce. Married for just 11 months, the actress was awarded $10 million in a settlement. In addition to their split, Givens was once described as the, “most hated woman in America,” following an affair she had with a pre-famous Brad Pitt while still wed with Tyson.
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2. Eddie Murphy – $10.5 million
Once dating Mel B of the Spice Girls, actor Eddie Murphy was accused of fathering a daughter with the singer and not owning up to it. After several paternity tests proved that Murphy was the father, he settled with the singer out of court to agree to pay $50,000 per month to their daughter until she turns 18 years old, coming out to just over $10 million.
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1. Michael Jackson – $15-25 million
Arguably the most famous child molestation celebrity case, the former King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was accused by several children, most-notably a 13-year-old boy named Jordie Chandler. Settling with the superstar for a price anywhere between $15-25 million, the Chandler family was still able to pursue a criminal suit against Jackson, but the amount they received prevented them from speaking of the matter.
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