Tricked Into Showbiz
From the moment Leif Garrett stepped into the spotlight, everyone assumed he was destined for greatness. But behind the teen-idol grin lurked a far darker truth. Pushed into roles he never wanted and controlled by people who valued profit over his well-being, Garrett was dragged into a world of secrets, pressure, and destructive habits he could never outrun—setting the stage for a lifetime of battles no fan ever saw coming.
1. He Was Born Into It
As Leif Garrett grew up and his career progressed, he realized many of the most important decisions that would determine his future had been made for him. Even from the beginning, while he may have eventually developed an interest in show business, he seemed destined to end up there anyway. Born in 1961, he not only grew up in Hollywood, but his mother, Carolyn Stellar, was already an experienced actress.
Still, even as a child, his life wasn’t all glitz and glamor.
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2. He Had No Father
Leif Garrett was no stranger to hardships, and even though the issues in his life became much more complex, they all might've stemmed from his childhood and the man who wasn’t there. When he was still just a boy, his father walked out and left his family behind.
Perhaps because of that, Leif took after his mother and followed in her footsteps—but he wasn’t the only one.
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3. They Found Work Together
Born with connections in the entertainment industry, Leif had no difficulty securing his first acting gig, although his mother made most of the arrangements, as Leif was only five years old. He wasn’t an only child, though, and he often auditioned together with his younger sister, Dawn. While they also worked independently, the two siblings did end up filming several films together over the course of a decade.
Even so, it was his solo career that really changed everything...
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4. He Booked A Bigger Gig
While Leif Garrett had gained a moderate amount of experience by the 1970s, he had mostly worked on TV movies and small, one-episode roles, but all that was about to change. Joining the series Three for the Road, he was ecstatic to book his first leading role, even if the show only lasted for about 13 episodes.
Suddenly, he went from a budding actor to being on the cover of magazines.
Screenshot from Three for the Road, Paramount Pictures (1975)
5. He Became An Idol
Three for the Road may not have had what it took to survive past its first season, but the series did wonders for Leif’s burgeoning career, especially among America’s youth. Seemingly out of nowhere, his face began popping up on magazines like Tiger Beat, as teenagers across the country found their newest idol. In fact, the only celebrity whose posters sold more than Leif’s in the 1970s was superstar Farrah Fawcett.
As a result, the opportunities kept coming in—and for much bigger projects.
Screenshot from Three for the Road, Paramount Pictures (1975)
6. He Was In A Classic
Although he had already played one of the lead characters on a TV series, Leif was about to book his biggest role in 1983, which paired him with one of cinema’s greatest icons. Cast as Bob Sheldon, one of the major “Soc” characters in The Outsiders, Leif’s popularity grew as he got the chance to work with director Francis Ford Coppola.
While filming, it was easy for him to get into character—especially given his living arrangements.
Screenshot from The Outsiders, Warner Bros. Pictures (1983)
7. They Were Separated
According to Leif Garrett, it wasn’t too challenging to emulate the kind of hostility present in The Outsiders, since he was able to draw from real life. To cultivate these feelings, Coppola purposely treated Leif and the other actors playing Socs better than those playing the Greasers. For instance, the director put Leif up in a swanky suite, while the Greasers stayed in more standard hotel rooms and received less per diem.
And while that helped him pull off a stellar acting performance, he still had his eyes set elsewhere.
Screenshot from The Outsiders, Warner Bros. Pictures (1983)
8. He Began A Different Career
Despite being only 15, Leif had already become one of the biggest young celebrities in the US when he got the chance to go even further—in a completely different industry. Embarking on a music career, his star power earned him a five-album contract with Atlantic Records, despite not having much experience. Nonetheless, he released his first single in 1977, along with his debut album, Leif Garrett.
Lucky for him, he appeared to have found something else he was good at.
9. He Was Successful
Leif’s debut album consisted entirely of covers of popular hits, but even so, it managed to gain quite a bit of traction and prove that Leif had potential as a musician. Featuring renditions of songs like “Johnny B Goode” and “The Wanderer,” Leif won over his listeners, with the album reaching 37th on the Billboard 200.
But, of course, he wanted much more than 37th place....
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10. He Reached Even Higher
Leif Garrett released Feel the Need in 1978. Finally, he was able to sing some original material instead of all covers, which thankfully paid off. Fans loved the album’s first single, "I Was Made for Dancin'," and it found a spot at number ten on the US Hot 100.
Unfortunately, this was where it all started to go downhill.
Screenshot from Feel The Need Performance, CBS Records (1979)
11. He Felt Completely Alone
Leif’s management saw an opportunity to grow his audience even bigger by taking him on a worldwide tour, but this was arguably the worst decision they could have made. Away from home and bouncing around places where he didn’t know anyone, he couldn’t help but feel isolated, and mostly clung to his managers. Since they often visited nightclubs and bars, this introduced the 15-year-old Leif to drinking and using other dangerous substances.
Adding insult to injury, his success started to mirror his miserable frame of mind.
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12. He Started To Decline
Leif became overjoyed as his first two albums seemed to prove he was meant to be a musician as well as an actor, but he soon discovered just how volatile this kind of fame can be. While he continued recording albums and singles into the 1980s, none of his new material ever reached the same level of success as when he was starting out.
To make matters infinitely worse, he nearly drove himself to an early grave.
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13. He Had An Incident
Rising to stardom at such a young age, Leif Garrett was sadly exposed to some of the darker sides of Hollywood when he was most vulnerable, leading to lifelong issues. According to him, he began using illicit substances at only 14 years old, paving the way for his lowest moment just four years later. One night, while driving to his dealer after a late-night party, he lost control and crashed his mother’s Porsche 914.
However, in the cruelest twist, he wasn’t alone in the vehicle.
14. He Ruined His Life
Leif’s car crash wasn’t a simple fender-bender, as he had driven off the road entirely and plummeted down a hill for about 80 feet before actually crashing. The worst part was that neither he nor his one passenger, Roland Winkler, was wearing their seatbelts. The two hadn’t even known each other for more than a month, but this one moment with Leif left Winkler paralyzed.
Granted, neither of them had been in the right mindset for a late-night drive.
15. They Both Confessed
Although Winkler was Leif’s passenger and clearly the one who came out of this situation worse, this didn’t change the fact that he was still partially responsible in the eyes of the law. As both he and Leif testified, they weren’t only going somewhere to purchase illicit substances, but had already taken some and were both inebriated.
Naturally, Leif had little choice but to answer for his poor decisions.
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16. He Faced The Consequences
With the incident occurring on November 3, 1979, Leif Garrett was just five days short of his 18th birthday, allowing him more leniency than most who commit the same act. Still, he didn’t get off scot-free, as driving while inebriated is still a serious offense, and he lost his license for a year, during which the court placed him on probation.
But that proved just the beginning of the consequences he faced.
17. He Had To Pay
Even though the courts ruled that, since Winkler knew Leif was under the influence and still entered the vehicle, he had contributed to his own injuries—Leif was still largely at fault. The jury assessed every aspect of the case and, while Leif’s insurers bore the brunt of the financial loss, he still had to pay $15,000 in punitive damages.
He started to slow down after these tragic events, especially with the things he didn’t want to do in the first place.
18. He Changed Gears
Following the horrific incident that left a friend of his scarred for life, Leif Garrett tried to pick up the pieces of his career and continue making music, but it just wasn’t the same. Apart from recording the song, “I Am A Rebel,” in 1981, he decided it was time to leave music alone for a while and get back to what he truly wanted to do—acting.
Behind the scenes, though, there were more unfair factors at play.
19. They Wouldn’t Let Him
By the 1980s, Leif was in his 20s and growing out of the teen idol persona that had put him on the map in the first place, and his management didn’t like it. A large part of the reason why he stopped making music during this time was that he wanted to move on to creating music for an older demographic, but the higher-ups wouldn’t allow it.
Despite all these frustrations, he still had the energy to search for romance.
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20. He Had A Love Life
Being so heavily involved in entertainment, most of the people Leif might have called his friends were also working in the industry, including those who meant even more to him. Dating several actresses, including Justine Bateman and Tatum O'Neal, one of his first serious relationships was with Nicollette Sheridan. After seeing each other casually for five years, he ended up proposing in 1985, and she said yes—only to change her mind shortly after.
Meanwhile, it seems he wasn’t happy with staying away from music for too long.
21. He Came Back
Although Leif had taken some time to slow down in the early 1980s, he found himself in a place where he was willing to give singing another shot a decade later. However, as solo work had left a bad taste in his mouth, he began touring with the band, the Melvins, and even recorded a cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for their album.
Unfortunately, as he found out, this wasn’t exactly turning over a new leaf.
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22. He Felt Disrespected
A year before he began touring with the Melvins, Leif got another taste of how underhanded the music world can be, as another company bought out his old record label. Although he wasn’t much involved with them anymore, they released a greatest-hits album called The Leif Garrett Collection and wanted him to promote it. The kicker? He never saw any royalties from it.
That definitely stung, but much more painful losses loomed o the horizon.
Screenshot from I Was Made for Dancin’ Performance, Scotti Brothers Records (1979)
23. He Lost Someone
After his failed proposal to Nicollette Sheridan, Leif tried his hand at a few other relationships, but none of them worked out—at least until he met Elaine Bilstad. Another actress, he and Elaine seemed like they might go the distance, but this only led to more heartache as she tragically passed in 1999.
On the professional side of things, he desperately wanted to try something new.
24. He Created A Group
Losing the love of his life, Leif threw himself into his work, which thankfully kept him even busier as he had established his own record label, Tongue and Groove Records. With this, he was able to take his music in a whole new direction. Partnering with musicians Michael Scott and Christopher Wade Damerst, he created the band Godspeed and used his label to release a three-song EP.
Around the same time, he was finally able to get some much-needed closure.
25. They Saw Each Other Again
Not only was Leif able to form some new connections in the music world in 1999, but he was also lucky enough to receive what he had likely needed for a long time—forgiveness. Thanks to VH1’s Behind the Music, a meeting took place where Leif reunited with Roland Winkler, who was much more at peace than expected. Winkler admitted that Leif’s actions directly after the crash had actually saved his life, and he carried no ill will towards him.
Regrettably, Leif himself still wasn’t doing any better in his personal life.
26. They Caught Him
Leif’s professional life may have been starting to look up, but when it came to his physical and mental state, he was still dealing with the demons that had followed him since the beginning. This put him back on the law’s radar when, on June 29, 1999, he tried to purchase more narcotics, but was unlucky enough to do so from undercover officers.
The proceedings lasted for years, during which he somehow continued pushing himself toward new opportunities.
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27. He Performed Live
As he had always wanted to focus more on his acting, Leif tried to expand his talents beyond the big and small screens by taking to the stage. Although he wasn’t able to find immense success in live theatre, he was still pleased to star in iconic productions like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Nonetheless, by this point, his career was on track to hit rock bottom.
Screenshot from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1999)
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28. He Had Nothing To His Name
Heading into the new millennium, although he tried to act like business as usual, Leif’s fortunes weren’t improving much. In massive debt, he began the process to declare personal bankruptcy, and it became public that he truly owned nothing except a few household items, clothes, and about $350 in his pocket. His work had come to a standstill, and the only money he was receiving was $1,000 each month as gifts from his mother.
All the while, the consequences of his brush with the law were still looming.
29. He Was Absent
As part of the outcome of his 1999 arrest, the law required Leif to appear in court to present a progress report in 2001. However, since he still wasn’t in the best place, he never actually showed up. This only made things worse for him, as the judge had no choice but to put out an arrest warrant for him.
Fortunately, he wasn’t all out of second chances.
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30. He Changed His Mind
With a warrant out for him, Leif realized how serious the situation had become and appeared before the judge, stating that he had gone through a rehabilitation program. Verifying that this was true, the judge saw Leif’s potential to turn his life around and went much easier on him, dropping all the charges from his 1999 arrest.
However, sticking with this proved much more difficult than Leif thought.
31. They Took Him In Again
Leif’s 2001 stint in rehab unfortunately didn’t take, and he once again found himself in trouble only three years later, when authorities found him in possession of serious illicit substances. He had no defense to turn to, so after he pled guilty, the judge placed him on probation with the expectation of another progress report after several months.
As Leif found out, it’s all too easy for history to repeat itself.
32. They Found Him
Just like with his previous charges, Leif had trouble showing up in court by the time they needed to check on his status, so they had to order another warrant for his arrest. It wasn’t too difficult for authorities to find him this time, as in January 2006, he was caught trying to board a train on the LA Metro without a ticket.
This time, he was in far worse trouble than after his missed court appearance.
33. He Agreed To Their Terms
Not only had Leif skipped out on appearing in court and violated his probation, but the officers who caught him found even more narcotics on his person. Adding all this up, the authorities decided to bring him in and hold him without bail, providing him one saving grace. They offered to release him if he completed a far more intense recovery program, and he had no choice but to accept.
Even at this point, though, recovery was too challenging a battle.
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34. He Quit The Program
Leif stayed in this new rehabilitation program for a couple of months, but he couldn’t handle it any longer, and quit by the end of March that year. Investigating the situation, a Superior Court commissioner revealed that Leif had failed several tests while still in the program, resulting in yet another arrest of the actor.
At last, he saw how much his life had spiraled out of control.
Justin Higuchi, Wikimedia Commons
35. He Finally Saw The Problem
At this point, after years of trying to fight his demons all on his own, Leif had to face the fact that he simply couldn’t get any better without outside help. Still, this realization didn’t change what his past couple of years had looked like, and the judge sentenced him to 90 days of incarceration, followed by three years of probation.
Meanwhile, he hadn’t yet vanished from the public eye.
36. He Still Appeared On TV
Following his 90-day sentence, Leif tried to return to the spotlight through several guest appearances, including on the celebrity edition of Fear Factor. Likely owing to the many hardships he had already endured in life, his resolve proved superior to all the other contestants, and he took home the winning prize of $50,000.
While this wasn’t his only guest appearance around this time, others weren’t as successful.
37. He Didn’t Last Long
Wanting to up the ante from his time on Fear Factor, Leif continued pursuing some of the more extreme TV programs out there, such as Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge. Appearing on the show in 2007, Leif quickly realized how much his unhealthy lifestyle had taken its toll, forcing him to quit after only one episode due to the pain he was in.
On the other hand, he was happy to join another series—even if it was a more humbling experience.
38. He Joined Another Program
Content to make guest appearances and tell his story wherever he could, Leif showed up on the series, World's Dumbest…, and became a long-term cast member. As a show that featured several celebrities who had previously gotten in trouble with the law, but allowed them to have fun and be comedic, it seemed like the perfect home for him.
In yet another series, however, he revealed just how unfair the industry had treated him.
Albert L. Ortega, Getty Images
39. He Never Wanted To Sing
While it was easy to see just how unhappy Leif had been for a long time, the world didn’t find out the truth of his life until 2008, when he spoke more candidly on the show Biography. In his episode, he revealed that while he tried to make the best of it, he had never actually wanted a music career. He had always wanted to focus on acting, but once his fame skyrocketed, his management forced him to be a singer as well.
Sadly, he hadn’t yet overcome some of his worst habits.
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40. He Got In Trouble Again
Leif was still having a difficult time trying to stay sober, and this landed him in hot water again in 2010, when authorities found him and believed him to be carrying narcotics. Although he attempted to convince them that he had no such substances on him, he eventually caved and admitted that he had hidden some in his shoe.
Once again, he was about to get the help he needed—whether he wanted it or not.
41. He Received More Help
Leif seemed to be at the end of his rope, and even if he didn’t totally realize it at this point, the judge certainly knew he needed a stricter consequence to set him straight. Receiving a serious charge of narcotics possession, Leif had few options but to plead no contest and attend another court-ordered recovery program.
Even after all this time, though, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
42. He Joked About It
Appearing in over 150 episodes of World's Dumbest…, Leif was no stranger to joking about some of the content featured on the show, but he could take just as much as he dished out. With such a storied life, many of his more public incidents made their way into sketches on the series, and he even reenacted his arrest from earlier that year as a gag.
Nearly a decade later, he felt it was time to tell his whole story—including every gritty detail.
Ricardo DeAratanha, Getty Images
43. He Wrote A Book
Leif had previously gone into some detail about his time growing up in the entertainment business, but in 2019, he decided to lay his life bare for the public. Releasing Idol Truth, he used the novel and his subsequent interviews to highlight some of the most underhanded practices he had been a victim of. For instance, he explained that many of his earliest songs did not feature him singing, as his producers had replaced his vocals with those of singer Jim Haas.
Still, this wasn’t even the worst that the situation had gotten to.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
44. They Silenced Him
Even after pushing Leif into a music career that didn’t interest him in the slightest, his management decided his voice wasn’t good enough and replaced it on many of his tracks. That wasn’t even the extent of their treachery, however, as they even brought Jim Haas in for concerts to sing behind a curtain instead of Leif, who had to lip-sync everything.
This isn’t to say that Leif was a horrible singer by any means.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
45. He Had Potential
From the beginning, Leif Garrett knew he wasn’t naturally some sort of vocal prodigy, but he also believed he had what it took to be a decent performer. Despite never wanting to become a famous singer in the first place, he still had the desire to take lessons and improve, but his management always refused these wishes.
Thankfully, by this point, he had come to terms with his own imperfections.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
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46. He Realized The Truth
Releasing his autobiography in his late 50s, Leif Garrett had reached a point where he could look back on his life through a harsher and more truthful lens, and he wasn’t afraid to speak on it. When asked in an interview with Glide Magazine what surprised him most when writing it, he answered that, especially when he was younger and under shamefully little supervision, he hadn’t realized just how out of control he had been.
All in all, he was never prepared for the issues that others placed upon him.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
47. He Was Too Young
Although Leif realized he was responsible for many of the poor decisions he made, he has also admitted that he never should have been put in such damaging situations at such a young age. Given more money than he knew what to do with at 16 and taken to places where people served him drinks despite knowing his age, it's no wonder he fell to the most common vices in show business.
In truth, it all came down to his childhood and those who should have been looking after him.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
48. He Had Little Supervision
At the end of the day, Leif Garrett concluded that many of his biggest problems came from the fact that his mother trusted his managers too much. While he began drinking and taking illicit substances to cope with the lack of control over his career, he has stated that he likely wouldn’t have had the option if his mother had been more involved.
Sadly, there were some parental wounds he would never be able to heal.
Screenshot from Leif Garrett: Idol Truth – Book Trailer, Post Hill Press (2019)
49. They Couldn’t Patch Things Up
Although Leif admitted that his mother had been more hands-off than he wanted, his father had been completely out of the picture, which caused no shortage of pain. Still, they were able to reunite as his father’s health declined, and Leif became his primary caregiver. Unfortunately, this didn’t mean they were able to work out their issues, and his father passed in 2019 before Leif could find true closure.
On the other hand, he has tried to make the best of his mother’s situation.
Albert L. Ortega, Getty Images
50. He Takes Care Of Her
Despite not finding the closure he wanted with his father, Leif Garrett has tried to look at their situation in a positive light and acknowledge both of their imperfections. This type of attitude has certainly helped in recent years, as he has also become his mother’s caregiver in her old age. Stating that they have slowly worked through many of the issues between them, he seems content with the place they have reached in their relationship.
