When someone becomes famous they lose their anonymity and are no longer able to walk down the street without being recognized, or if they're especially well-known, without the paparazzi following them. For the most part we equate celebrity with money, but with the advent of social media and reality TV based fame, rich and famous don't always go hand in hand as they once did in the old world of Hollywood. Between the launch of the hit series Survivor in the year 2000 to the year 2015, over 300 reality TV shows hit the air waves making everyday people celebrities.

While most people gain their fame for their work as an actor, or a TV celebrity, others acquire it thanks to their illustrious family. Others have money at one point, often the peak of their fame, and end up losing it all thanks to cancelled contracts, careless spending, mismanagement of money, or the drying up of job opportunities.

Some famous dads like to live it large, despite the fact they have little to no money in the bank, and some have even declared bankruptcy. These are 15 celebrity fathers, who despite being famous, are poorer than most average folks.

15 Jon Gosselin

Time has been unkind to TV star Jon Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus Eight. The TV dad made headlines in 2014 after being evicted from his Pennsylvania apartment for not paying his rent. A source confirmed the rumour saying, "It’s true. He was evicted last week and has been in the process of moving out." At one time Jon Gosselin and then-wife Kate were bringing in around 22,500 USD per episode. After he lost his regular spot on the show when he and Kate decided to end their marriage, and the show became Kate Plus 8, he had to find other sources of income. Unfortunately, although working installing solar panels and as a waiter, Jon has been said to be an unreliable employee, which is probably one of the reasons why his net worth is estimated to be a small 25 thousand dollars sum.

14 Michael Lohan

Michael Lohan is never going to win father of the year. Apparently a penchant for drama runs strong in this bloodline since Michael Lohan manages to land in the news quite frequently, despite his daughter, child star Lindsay Lohan being the famous one. With his reliance on his daughter and her earnings fueling his alcohol and cocaine addictions, Michael is a downright deadbeat dad and has repeatedly lapsed in paying child support payments for his kids. A previous landlord went on record saying that Lohan's house was unsafe for his children since it was growing mold.  The dad refused to keep up with landscaping and maintenance around his home, and did not allow professionals, presumably hired by his landlord, to treat his mold infestation. Today, Lindsay's father is said to be worth 50,000 USD.

13 Spencer Pratt

This is another example of a couple who have let their celebrity lifestyle completely wipe them of any financial security they might have had. The couple has not allowed a lack of finances to stop them from starting a family with their first child, son Gunner Stone, born this past October. While Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag aren't in the habit of discussing exactly how much money they have (or don't have), the pair moved into a rent free Santa Barbara vacation home that was owned by Spencer's parents, presumably to save some cash, in 2010. While they made a lot of money on The Hills, the pair reportedly blew over two million dollars a year on their wardrobes and accessories, and precious gems, naturally, so they don't exactly have a sizable nest egg for their new family.

12 50 Cent

If your dad is 50 Cent, odds are you aren't getting any money in your birthday card. In 2014, 50's son, Marquise Jackson graduated from high school with zero emotional and minimal financial support from his dad. When dad failed to show up for the ceremony he said, "“Yea I broke down. I was really excited to see my pops at my graduation today but he never showed up. My sister and mama is always there for me. Just know that you wasn’t. I did it without you!" Perhaps 50 was busy sorting out his own finances, in 2016 as his lengthy bankruptcy case ended where he was ordered to pay out 23 million dollars to his creditors over a five year period of time.

11 Nick Cage

Once "it" man Nick Cage let his funds leave Las Vegas along with the huge number of roles he used to have. Back in 2009, Cage was one of Hollywood's highest paid actors bringing in 40 million dollars. Thanks to some issues with money handling, and some serious spending habits, Cage found himself in a huge amount of debt that led him to sue his financial adviser. That same year Cage received a 6.2 million dollar IRS tax lien and a number of foreclosures on his home. His money manager counter sued Cage stating that he had spent at least 33 million dollars on frivolous expenses including vintage cars, yachts, real estate, rare artwork, and jewelry. The father of two was reportedly selling a number of his properties in order to help pay off some of his debts.

10 OJ Simpson

OJ Simpson had one of the biggest career nosedives we've ever seen, even though the glove didn't fit. Although he was not found to be criminally guilty of murder, he lost the civil case and was ordered to pay 33.5 million dollars to the Brown and Goldman Families. In 1997 The Juice defaulted on his mortgage and it was reported that he has paid barely any of the money owed for the civil case. The father of five was arrested in 2007 and served time for armed robbery of his own memorabilia. While OJ has some money care of his NFL pension, it's been said he has around a 250K nest egg, which is not that much for a famous retiree to have to last them through their senior years.

9 Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker almost lost it all. Apparently the comedian and actor ran up back taxes over seven years and owed over 14 million dollars in debt as of 2014. Fortunately for Tucker he was able to reach a deal to settle his tax bill, with representatives for Tucker saying that it was poor accounting and business management responsible for his woes. Since most liens require several notices, odds are that Tucker or his financial managers were well aware of these debts long before a lien was put in place. The father of two has a lot of speculation surrounding how much money is left in his bank account, with some saying 11.5 million dollars, others saying 5 million, and many suggesting that his bad debts outweigh his earnings.

8 Dennis Rodman

You'd think with his brightly coloured hair and mad B-ball styles Dennis Rodman would be the father any kid would be proud to call dad. Unfortunately history keeps repeating itself in the Rodman family. The basketball star has admitted that he never really knew his dad, and although he says he loves his own children very much, he frequently ignores his kids and has repeatedly lapsed in his child support payments. While Rodman has been said to have made 20 million bucks as an athlete for his contracts alone, by 2012 he owed over 860 thousand dollars in spouse and child support, and has been previously ordered to perform community service due to his inability to clear his debts. The star has repeatedly been treated for alcoholism, and is now said to be over one million dollars in the hole.

7 Willie Nelson

Back in 1984 the IRS began to look into Willie Nelson's tax returns. Unfortunately for Nelson the IRS found that a deduction he had taken for tax shelter investments recommended by his previous accounting firm was invalid and eventually found to be illegal, and he was assessed to owe six million dollars in taxes, in addition to 10 million dollars in interest. After a failed lawsuit, Nelson's debt doubled as interest continued to build with him not paying back enough. The IRS then forced Nelson to auction off personal effects including instruments and gold records, but unfortunately it didn't clear his debts. The father of seven released something akin to a Kickstarter Campaign, an album called The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories to clear his debts and help him sue his former investment firm.

6 Wesley Snipes

Sometimes lack of payment of debts can lead to a prison sentence when a star has no way of paying back their debts. This was the case for the Blade franchise star and father of five following filing for bankruptcy in 2006, after accruing millions of dollars in tax debt and interest for earnings from 1999-2001. When Snipes was found guilty of failing to file his 2008 tax returns he was sentenced to three years in prison. Snipes wasn't alone in his jail cell though; it was reported his trusty financial management team who had told the star he didn't need to pay taxes were also convicted. Today Snipes is believed to be worth less than a million dollars, which is nothing in terms of celebrity finances.

5 Gary Busey

Gary Busey is known for his bizarre behaviour above and beyond his acting portfolio. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s the father of three was famous for his roles in blockbuster hits such as Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and Predator 2. Fame and riches don't always equal financial security, and instead of laughing all the way to the bank Busey ended up declaring bankruptcy in 2012 thanks to over a million dollars in debt and less than 50 thousand dollars in assets. Some might speculate that the lack of cash flow was the inspiration for some of his most eccentric stunts. The father doesn't exactly excel at adulting and has been known to kick other actors in their stomachs, scream at fans, and spray the press with a hose.

4 Corey Feldman

Talent doesn't always translate into longevity or a success. Just ask former child actor and father of one Corey Feldman. While we can't fault Feldman for his parents stealing his money, (it has been reported that they managed to snatch up around a million from their son), we don't assume that he's exactly been a frugal father over the years. Feldman was able to seek emancipation from his parents as a teen, but then struggled with addiction issues. He's since made a bit of a career as a D actor in the reality TV circuit and has even resorted to holding events where people can "pay" to party with him to help increase his liquidity. Back in 1985 the star made 40,000 for Goonies, more recently he brought in a meager $7,200 for his work on The Surreal World in 2003.

3 Burt Reynolds

Although he was once one of the most sought after mustached stars from the 1960's on, this father of one (a son with Ex-wife Loni Anderson) didn't save his money, even though he's received regular work in acting for over 60 years. Reynolds filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with over 10 million dollars in debt in 1996. During an interview with Vanity Fair Reynolds said, “I’ve lost more money than is possible because I just haven’t watched it, I’ve still done well in terms of owning property and things like that. But I haven’t been somebody who’s been smart about his money. There are a couple of actors who are quite brilliant with the way they’ve handled their money, but they’re not very good actors.” He's managed to make some back and is said to be worth around five million dollars today.

2 Jo Francis

You might not recognize the name Jo Francis at first, but odds are you know his work. The father of two and owner of the Girls Gone Wild Company has recently gone bankrupt. Known for the 1990's and 2000's videos of college girls 'going wild' on spring break, flashing their assets for the world to see. Among other legal trouble, including accusations of hiding assets of over 20 million dollars in trademarks, and the fact that many of these people were unaware they'd been filmed, the financial documents revealed the company had only $50,000 dollars in assets and over 16 million dollars in debt. We imagine the internet has put a huge stoppage on the profitability of this company, and I can't imagine his kids are proud of daddy dearest and his less than reputable career.

1 David Cassidy

Medical issues and poor money management like bad investments in the Bahamas may have been the reason that former Heart Throb David Cassidy, of Partridge Family fame was near broke in the years before his death. With health issues preventing him from touring and bringing in an income, the father of two was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2015 and proposed to pay off the millions he owed in back debt over a 60 month period. His court documentations said, "While he still loves performing for his fans, it is more difficult to travel and perform in various parts of the United States or worldwide due to his health." Unfortunately for Cassidy his health got worse, and he passed away in late 2017.

Sources: Rolling Stone, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, Forbes, Huffington Post