In this day and age, most people seem to think of celebrities as being a cut above the masses. Of course, logically speaking we all realize that stars are human beings just like the rest of us. However, once somebody accomplishes something incredible, like attaining fame, putting them on a pedestal makes sense to a certain degree.
Based on the way that so many people think of celebrities, it can be shocking when stars mess up in a really big way. For example, it almost always takes people by surprise when a former Disney child star winds up getting in trouble with the law. Despite all of that, many tabloid junkies have no idea that certain celebrities got into serious legal troubles long before they became famous.
When it comes to Tim Allen, a lot of people seem to be vaguely aware that he was arrested simply because his mug shot is readily available all over the internet. However, many of Allen’s fans aren’t aware that the crime he committed many years ago was so serious that it easily could have derailed any dreams of future stardom.
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An Incredibly Successful Career
Early on in Tim Allen’s career, he had a simple dream, getting to appear on The Johnny Carson Show. After accomplishing that goal, Allen managed to keep his forward momentum going to such a degree that he has become of the most successful comedy figures of his generation.
First able to attain true fame when Home Improvement debuted on television in 1991, the sitcom would remain extremely popular during its entire 8 season run. In fact, even though Home Improvement’s finale aired in 1999, in recent years there have been some hints at there being interest in bringing the show back in some form. Either way, Allen went on to headline another show during the 2010s, Last Man Standing.
On top of Tim Allen’s many years as a major TV star, he has starred in several films that have passed the test of time. Most notably, Tim Allen’s portrayal of Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise has allowed that series to remain beloved and hugely successful since the year 1995. Also a veteran of another family film franchise, an entire generation of people thinks of Allen as their cinematic Santa due to the Santa Clause movies. Finally, Galaxy Quest may not be as famous as Toy Story or The Santa Clause but it is such an amazingly entertaining movie that any film fan owes it to themselves to watch it.
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Things Fall Apart
Long before Tim Allen rose to the top of the comedy world, he made a living selling illegal substances. According to a biography called “Tim Allen (Overcoming Adversity)”, his activities caught the attention of an undercover officer in the late-70s. Convinced to sell the disguised cop 650 grams of cocaine in an airport of all places, Allen was expecting to be paid $42,000 but he got arrested instead.
Just before Allen was arrested, a law had been passed which tied a life sentence to anyone who was caught selling at least 650 grams of cocaine. Since that was exactly the amount of the drug that Allen had been caught trying to sell, Tim cut a deal in which he named other dealers to avoid spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Eventually sentenced to seven years in prison, Allen was released in 1981 after serving only two years and four months. According to the aforementioned biography, the information Allen gave to police resulted in 20 people getting indicted and four major drug dealers being convicted and sent to prison.
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A New Perspective
Even though Tim Allen made a deal that allowed him to escape spending the rest of his life in prison, spending a couple of years behind bars is bound to change anyone. During a 2017 Closer Weekly interview, Allen outlined how his time in prison changed his life in a big way.
Speaking about being sentenced to prison time, Tim Allen said; “It was a watershed moment. It put me in a position of great humility, and I was able to make amends to friends and family and refocus my life on setting and achieving goals.”
In the years since Tim Allen left prison in 1981, the comedian has avoided finding himself in any serious legal jeopardy. Of course, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes. After all, during that same Closer Weekly interview, Allen spoke about the addiction issues he struggled with during the ‘90s. Fortunately, he has “been sober for almost 20 years” and that has allowed him to be “much more present” in his life.
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