Top 20 Celebrities Who Have Been Homeless

Homelessness touches every corner of society, including people who later become household names. Many well known actors, musicians, and athletes experienced nights in cars, shelters, and on the street before their careers took shape. Their stories include practical steps they used to get through those periods, the services they relied on, and the jobs they took to keep moving.

This list gathers public figures who have been open about unstable housing at some point in their lives. Each entry focuses on concrete details such as where they stayed, how they earned money, and the specific breaks that moved them toward stability. The aim is to present clear information that helps readers understand what those stretches looked like in real terms.

Halle Berry

Early in her career in New York City, Halle Berry ran out of money and stayed in a shelter while looking for steady work. She used city services and short term housing while continuing to attend auditions and take small modeling and acting gigs.
Her first screen opportunities followed soon after, including early roles that led to parts in films such as ‘Jungle Fever’. Consistent work replaced temporary housing, and she relocated for projects as her bookings grew.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey has described living with his family in a van after his father lost a job, with stints on a campground and time in a tent. He worked as a janitor and security guard during high school to help cover expenses while still developing stand up material.
Open mic sets at clubs in Canada expanded into regular bookings. He later moved to Los Angeles for television opportunities and built a film career after years of club work and sketch shows.

Sylvester Stallone

Before ‘Rocky’, Sylvester Stallone faced a period without stable housing and slept in public places while trying to sell his scripts. He took short term jobs and wrote daily, often in libraries and borrowed spaces to avoid costs.
He sold the ‘Rocky’ screenplay with the stipulation that he would play the lead. That deal created steady income and housing, followed by ongoing work that established him as a leading actor.

Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey spent stretches living in his car while touring the stand up circuit in the early 1990s. He parked at rest stops and used public facilities to wash up before club sets and daytime auditions.
Television exposure through ‘Star Search’ and work on ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ brought a regular paycheck. Those shows led to ‘The Steve Harvey Show’ and nationwide tours that ended his reliance on a vehicle for shelter.

Tyler Perry

While trying to stage his first play in Atlanta, Tyler Perry slept in his car and relied on friends for meals during slow ticket weeks. He rewrote scripts between odd jobs, rented small venues, and built mailing lists to bring audiences back.
Word of mouth eventually filled theaters for ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed’. Profits from those runs funded new productions and launched the Madea stage shows, which created stable housing and a growing business.

Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish has shared that she lived in her car during a rough period while working open mics and small club spots in Los Angeles. She took any paid set she could find and used day jobs to cover fuel and food while saving for an apartment deposit.
A steady run of club bookings and hosting gigs followed. Television appearances built into film roles and a best selling comedy special, which provided the consistent income she lacked during her car living stretch.

Chris Pratt

As a young adult in Maui, Chris Pratt lived in a van and worked at a restaurant to cover basic needs. He showered at the beach and saved tips to pay for gas and audition trips.
An audition with Rae Dawn Chong led to his first role, which helped him move to the mainland for television work. Parts on ‘Everwood’ and later ‘Parks and Recreation’ shifted him from vehicle living to steady housing and long term contracts.

Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank and her mother relocated to Los Angeles when she was a teenager and spent time living in their car. They sometimes stayed in empty apartments they were caretaking while Swank went to readings and after school acting classes.
A small role on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and then the lead in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ turned into consistent work. Those jobs provided the funds to leave temporary housing and secure a permanent place to live.

Jewel

After losing a job, Jewel lived in her car and performed in coffeehouses and small clubs to pay for food and gas. She wrote songs in parking lots and used free community resources to print flyers and promote shows.
A local following led to a record deal and the release of ‘Pieces of You’. Touring income and album sales ended the period of car living and created financial stability.

Shania Twain

As a teenager, Shania Twain spent time in a shelter with her family after leaving an unsafe home environment. She supported her siblings, sang in bars to earn money, and later took a hotel resort singing job that provided a room and steady pay.
A demo recorded during that resort contract led to a label deal. Her next albums brought international tours that moved her far past the shelter systems she once used.

Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao left home young and slept on the streets in Manila while selling goods to cover meals. He fought in amateur bouts to earn small purses and trained in gyms where he could also find a place to rest.
Selection to a national boxing program provided housing and a path into professional fights. Championship purses ended his street sleeping and funded permanent homes for his family.

Kurt Cobain

As a teenager in Aberdeen, Washington, Kurt Cobain went through periods of couch surfing and brief stretches sleeping under a bridge. He practiced guitar in borrowed spaces and rehearsed with early bands in storage rooms and friends’ garages.
He formed Nirvana and recorded early tracks with limited funds. Breakout success with ‘Nevermind’ created financial security and stable housing after years of makeshift living arrangements.

Chris Gardner

While training as an unpaid stockbroker in San Francisco, Chris Gardner and his young son stayed in shelters and sometimes on public transit. He kept business clothes at the office and mapped shelter schedules to ensure a bed for his child.
Passing the licensing exam led to a full time broker position. He later founded his own firm, and his story inspired the film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, which highlighted the shelter system he once relied on.

Kelly Clarkson

After moving to Los Angeles, Kelly Clarkson lost an apartment to a fire and spent a short period living in her car and in a shelter. She worked temporary jobs and sang wherever she could while deciding whether to return to Texas.
She went home, auditioned for ‘American Idol’, and won the first season. A record contract and touring income followed, which ended the unstable housing that came after the fire.

Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou emigrated from Benin to France as a teenager and spent time homeless in Paris. He collected bottles for deposits and slept outdoors while looking for work.
A chance introduction to a fashion designer moved him into modeling. Music video appearances and then film roles such as ‘Amistad’ provided the steady income and housing he lacked when he first arrived.

Lil’ Kim

Lil’ Kim left home as a teenager and spent time on the streets of New York. She freestyled at neighborhood spots and recorded early tracks with friends while rotating between friends’ couches.
Meeting The Notorious B.I.G. led to membership in Junior M.A.F.I.A. and a solo career. The release of ‘Hard Core’ and touring income replaced couch surfing with permanent housing.

DMX

As a young man in Yonkers, DMX experienced stretches of homelessness after leaving an unstable home. He rapped in parks and at local battles, sold mixtapes hand to hand, and slept in abandoned buildings when he had nowhere else to go.
Regional buzz led to a record deal and the release of ‘It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot’. Album sales and tours provided stable income and housing, ending the street living he endured earlier.

Ella Fitzgerald

After leaving a reform school, Ella Fitzgerald was homeless in Harlem for a time and sang on street corners for tips. She used soup kitchens and free public spaces while practicing for open mic contests.
A performance at the Apollo amateur night led to work with the Chick Webb Orchestra. Club residencies and recording contracts provided regular paychecks and permanent housing.

Michael Oher

Michael Oher spent parts of his childhood without stable housing while moving through the foster system in Memphis. He stayed with friends and sometimes slept wherever he could during gaps in care.
A local family took him in, and he excelled at high school football. A scholarship to Ole Miss and a professional career followed, and his early years later became the basis for the film ‘The Blind Side’.

William Shatner

After a divorce and a dry spell for acting jobs, William Shatner lived out of a pickup truck with a camper while traveling to regional theater gigs. He cooked on a portable stove and parked near venues to cut expenses between shows.
Guest roles and convention appearances built a steady income. Work on ‘Star Trek’ films and later television series such as ‘T.J. Hooker’ returned him to permanent housing and regular pay.

Share other verified stories of public figures who faced homelessness in the comments so readers can learn how they navigated those hard stretches.