Entertainment
Jennifer Lopez Was Once Homeless: What Other Celebrities Struggled Before They Made It Big?
Jennifer Lopez is at the top of the A-list now, but back when she was a struggling dancer, the singer/actress had to put her dreams ahead of everything else, including living at home with her mother. “My mom and I butted heads,” Lopez tells W's August issue. “I didn’t want to go to college — I wanted to try dance full-time. So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, ‘This is what I have to do.’ A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe. When I got back, I booked In Living Color. I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year.” But Jennifer Lopez isn't the first celebrity to struggle with homelessness. What other stars went from having hard times to having it all?
Jennifer Lopez Admits She Was Once Homeless
Jennifer Lopez is at the top of the A-list now, but back when she was a struggling dancer, the singer/actress had to put her dreams ahead of everything else, including living at home with her mother. “My mom and I butted heads,” Lopez tells W's August issue. “I didn’t want to go to college — I wanted to try dance full-time. So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, ‘This is what I have to do.’ A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe. When I got back, I booked In Living Color. I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year.” But Jennifer Lopez isn't the first celebrity to struggle with homelessness. What other stars went from having hard times to having it all?
Halle Berry
Halle Berry may have an Oscar now, but there was a time when the aspiring actress had to live in a homeless shelter when her mother refused to send her money. When asked about her time being homeless, the actress said: "I probably was about 21. But a girl had to do what a girl had to do. You can do that when you're 21 and ambitious, and your eyes are this big and you don't want to go home." Looks like her struggle paid off.
Carmen Electra
The actress/model admitted in 2009 that she was once homeless during a period of time in her early 20s after her boyfriend stole her savings. In an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, Electra says of her hard times: "I remember sitting on a park bench in the valley," she says. "I was crying because I was stranded. It was over 100 degrees outside."
Jewel
When the singer Jewel was 18, she lived in her car while traveling to various gigs. Eventually the singer's music was recognized and she skyrocketed to stardom with hits like "You Were Meant For Me."
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank may have a thriving career now, but it took a lot of sacrifice to get there. The actress and her mother drove out to Los Angeles with only $75 to their name, determined to make Swank a star. They lived in their car for a time before a friend gave them a place to stay. It was a risky move, but, luckily, two Oscars later, it worked.
Sam Worthington
The actor moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood, but it didn't happen right away. Sam Worthington was living in his car, trying to make it as an actor... that is, until a little movie named Avatar plucked him out of obscurity.
Shania Twain
The singer's family was once so poor that they couldn't always afford to buy food, forcing them to move into a homeless shelter. While Shania's childhood may have been rough, the country singer eventually made it to the big time... and her childhood definitely made her a stronger person.
Jim Carrey
During his high school years, Carrey lived in a camper van with his family. He eventually moved out and lived in a tent in his sister's yard. After that, he bid adieu to his family and moved out to Hollywood at age 16.
