“Look, they’re filming! Robert Downey Jr. is confronting the police!” says Marge admiringly from her car in an episode from The Simpsons. “I don’t see the cameras,” says Bart. That episode was released on September 21, 1997, a time when the kids’ hero was away from the cameras but very close to crime. The Simpsons joke was not as fictitious or funny as it seemed. A year earlier, the actor had indeed been in an armed confrontation with police… but under different circumstances.
Some years ago, journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy tried to delve into Downey Jr.’s troubling past in an interview that ended abruptly when the actor decided to get up and leave. The actor didn’t want to explain himself. The world saw his fall and also had the opportunity to watch his rise and recovery from the ashes. His past as an addict has been forgotten, and his life became a success story that only a few can tell. Now, he’s opening up about his experience in jail and his journey.
Why Was Robert Downey Jr. Sentenced?
In 1996 he was arrested for possession of a .357 Magnum and substances while driving his car on Sunset Boulevard, one of California’s major thoroughfares. At approximately 30 years of age, the young heir to director Robert Downey was already an Oscar nominee, successful actor, and Hollywood star. However, as he became the most dangerous addict of the era, he nearly brought his future crashing down.
More than 25 years after the event, Downey Jr. is one of the highest-paid men in movies, the most famous face of Marvel, and the most beloved superhero who reminded us that we love cocky, slick characters who fill the screen with their boldness and sensuality. But how did he pull it off?
Not everyone comes out of addiction with the style that Robert Downey Jr. has. His past is so tainted with controversial events that, until today, he decided to talk about it. His affair began with his success as a star and possibly as a teenager. According to a BBC report, from a young age Downey Jr. had had constant access to drugs, as his father (also an addict) invited him to use them.
After he began to gain recognition, it was inevitable that he began to develop a strong dependence on alcohol, partying, and many substances. His family admitted him to various rehabilitation centers, but he always ended up going back to using.
After the Magnum incident in ’96, he drugged his way through a neighbor’s house and fell asleep on a bed. That crime earned him a three-month probation sentence with various sporadic drug tests. Despite that, he soon failed one of those tests and was arrested again. His fame waned after he was defended by O.J. Simpson’s lawyers and, although he was still performing and receiving critical acclaim, he spent an entire year in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison.
The world thought that Robert had returned clean to Hollywood with a new role in the series Ally McBeal, but soon after, in 2000, he was arrested again after someone made an anonymous call reporting that the actor was using cocaine and valium. However, he received no punishment and was released.
Finally, in 2001, Downey Jr. was walking barefoot outside Los Angeles and was arrested. Despite being found to have cocaine in his system, he was given another sentence of probation thanks to a law that helped addicts recover before being sent to prison. That was possibly the moment when the actor hit rock bottom, as it was the last controversy he was involved in.
The press speculated that the man suffered from some psychological disorder, but a diagnosis was never made, and he stated that he did not feel he had any condition other than a taste for drugs. He also confessed that after losing friends and family, he was sure he had to make a change.
Robert Downey Jr. Talks About His Time in Jail
A month before the release of his upcoming film Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. gave an interview to Dax Shepard o his podcast Armchair Expert. Unexpectedly, the actor opened up on his experience in jail, something he had never done so in over 25 years.
“I’m in court. I am being over-sentenced by an angry judge. Two weeks later, I am in a place called Delano, which is a receiving area where they decide where you’re going to go: arguably the most dangerous place I have ever been in my life because no one is designated if they’re a level 1, 2, 3 or 4 criminal,” said the actor.
He was originally convicted to serve three years but was released after only one year. However, it was not until 2016, when California’s Governor pardoned him allowing Downey Jr. to get back his voting rights. This didn’t really erase his conviction but he proved to have an “exemplary behavior.”
In 2008, Robert Downey Jr. got two parts that changed his life and put him back on track to become one of Hollywood’s best. Tropic Thunder earned him another Oscar nomination, and Iron Man turned him into a movie hero and a role model for all those dealing with addictions. The role was a perfect fit for him as it matched his personality. Tony Stark has a similar story of loss and redemption as Downey Jr. so he was the ideal man for the character. His arrogance, addiction, and remoteness from the world made him an excellent actor and today fans scream when they see him.