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Winona Ryder has courted many controversies in her life. From her heartbreaking split with former boyfriend Johnny Depp to facing bullying for her ‘Gothic’ appearance in her debut film ‘Beetlejuice,’ Ryder’s life’s been a movie with many plot twists. However, nothing will ever come close to her almost career-ending 2001 shoplifting scandal, which also led to her disappearance from Hollywood for quite some time. However, did you know the stealing stint, in which she was found guilty despite initial resentment, also landed her a role – but she ended up being fired from the sets for shoplifting again? Yes, you read that right! Scroll below for the entire scoop.
Back in the ’90s, Ms. Ryder was recognized as one of the most beautiful faces in Hollywood, which gained her an A-list status. Throughout her glorious career, she not only brought life to many iconic characters, but also received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Academy Awards nominations. Some of her most notable works include Beetlejuice (1988), Heathers (1989), The Age Of Innocence (1993), and Little Women (1994), among others.
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In 2001, Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting over USD 5,000 worth of products from a store located in Beverly Hills. After a trial, she was fined and sentenced to probation and community service. The ‘Girl, Interrupted’ star initially denied the allegations and said she was only doing research for a film where she would play a kleptomaniac character, but she was eventually found guilty of grand theft and vandalism, which led to her ban from Hollywood. Furthermore, she was sentenced to three years of probation plus 480 hours of community service. Additionally, she also had to pay $3,700 in fine and $6,355 in restitution to the store.
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The incident forced Hollywood to shut down its door for Winona Ryder. In 2003, she landed her first gig after the scandal, bagging a role in a small independent movie, Brown Bunny, written and filmed by director Vincent Gallo. The director reportedly never meant to cast her for a bigger role in the film but wanted to milk off her shoplifting controversy to generate buzz around his movie. However, he ended up firing Ryder, as she was reportedly caught stealing on the sets. Yes, again!
According to The Guardian, Gallo claimed he had only cast Winona because “I knew she was going to jail, and this will be good for the movie… I would never cast Winona Ryder in a significant role.” “She was not in great shape at the time,” he said, adding, “And she was robbing everything in sight.”
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Well, this wasn’t the first time Ryder was fired from a movie. Reportedly, she was fired from a film because she did Heathers, and while the dark teen comedy enjoys cult-classic status today, it was not perceived very well back then. In a 2013 interview with V magazine, the Stranger Things star revealed, “I was fired once from a movie because I did Heathers,” Ryder said, adding, “I was cast in a movie, and the director saw an advance screening and was offended by it and fired me. It wasn’t until years later that [the film] became more appreciated.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Winona Ryder will next be seen reprising her role as Joyce Byers in Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 5.
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