The Shady Side Of Macaulay Culkin

The following article contains references to addiction.

For anyone who watched the "Home Alone" movies on their early 1990s releases, Macaulay Culkin will always be the cherubic, wise-cracking tween with a penchant for cheese pizza, booby traps, and inflicting unimaginable amounts of pain on the local opportunistic thieves. Of course, the former child star is now very much a middle-aged man with two kids of his own, too. And whether intentionally or unintentionally, he's done a lot in the intervening years to distance himself from his family-friendly past.

Indeed, just like many youngsters who found global fame at a ridiculously early age, Culkin became a bit of a wild child and then a wild adult, getting into trouble with the law and repeatedly courting the tabloids for his extra-curricular activities. The New Yorker has settled down now, of course, but he's still not averse to whipping up a few headlines with various displays of shade. Here's a look at 14 examples that will make you see Kevin McCallister in a whole new light.

Ronald Reagan isn't the only former U.S. President who had an acting career before setting up residence in the White House. Well, of sorts. Donald Trump appeared in everything from kids classic "The Little Rascals" and hedonistic disco biopic "74" to fashion satire "Zoolander" and soap opera institution "Days of Our Lives" before pipping Hillary Clinton to the election post in 2016.

Of course, Trump's most famous thespian role remains his cameo in one of the few sequels that at least equals its predecessor, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." But it's unlikely that the star of the 1992 comedy voted for the 45th. Indeed, when asked which of the movies he starred as Kevin McCallister in he preferred on a Reddit AMA, Macaulay Culkin cited the 1990 original. And the lack of a certain business tycoon was one of the main reasons.

Culkin, who, as quick-thinking crime-fighting tween Kevin McCallister, asks the future POTUS for directions in the Plaza Hotel lobby, remarked, "The first one was more fun because we didn't know what we were walking into and it was a lot less flying all over the place; it was all in Chicago. Also, it had 100 percent less Trump." In an interview with The Guardian just a year earlier, the New Yorker remarked, "He's like the Candyman, we have to stop saying his name."

Macaulay Culkin has a reported net worth of $18 million (per Celebrity Net Worth). But that figure would have ballooned even higher had he taken part in one of the most successful sitcoms of the 21st century, "The Big Bang Theory." The likes of Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, and Jim Parsons reportedly earned a whopping $1 million every episode from the eighth season onward. But as he told "The Joe Rogan Experience," the former child star has no regrets about turning down such a cash cow.

Culkin revealed that he was constantly pursued in the casting stages of the CBS sitcom but that its concept never really sat right with him: "... The way the pitch was, 'Alright, these two astrophysicist nerds and a pretty girl lives with them. Yoinks!' That was the pitch. They were like, 'We'll get some real physicists to do the math,' but I was like, 'Yeah, I'm cool, thanks.' And then they came back at me again, and I said, 'No, no, no. Again, flattered, but no.' Then they came back at me again, and even my manager was like twisting my arm."

However, Culkin, who didn't let slip which character he was approached to play, is glad he stuck to his guns: "I'd have hundreds of millions of dollars right now if I did that gig. But at the same time, I'd be bashing my head against the wall."

Macaulay Culkin is one of those celebrities who've taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, like Kevin McCallister took to a swinging paint can. And the actor isn't afraid to poke fun at the world of football on the social media platform.

In 2019, the "Richie Rich" star joined the internet pile-on that amassed following Baker Mayfield's slightly disheveled post-game appearance after the Cleveland Browns' defeat to the Denver Broncos. With his ill-fitting woolen overcoat, bedraggled hair, and mustache, the quarterback got dragged in several online memes. And getting in on the action, Culkin remarked that he looked like one of the Wet Bandits portrayed by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in the "Home Alone" movies. "I'm ready for you Baker Mayfield ... Come at me, bro," the star captioned a photo in which he held up one of McCallister's favorite weapons.

The year previously, Culkin had also incurred the wrath of New England Patriots fans on X when he reminded everyone of a recent loss while live-tweeting the Academy Awards. Referring to one of the night's musical categories, the mischievous star posted, "Actually, the best original score of the year was New England 33 Philadelphia 41."

Macaulay Culkin forever shattered his cherubic child star persona in 2004 when he was caught with both controlled and uncontrolled substances in his possession by police. The "Getting Even with Dad" star was busted for carrying just over 17 grams of marijuana, 32mg of clonazepam, and 16.5mg of alprazolam in Oklahoma City and subsequently spent a brief period in a jail cell before being freed on bail of $4,000.

Culkin initially protested his innocence in the court case, which was finally settled in the summer of the following year. But after eventually issuing a guilty plea, the former child star was given three suspended prison sentences, all lasting one year, and was issued a $540 fine.

Perhaps long-time "Home Alone" fans, the prosecution remarkably appeared reluctant to punish Culkin too heavily. The Associated Press reports that Greg Mashburn, the Assistant District Attorney, wanted the fact that the star had adhered to his probation guidelines taken into consideration, adding (via Entertainment Weekly), "This was a rare circumstance for Mr. Culkin. He was not an abuser."

In 2012, Macaulay Culkin sparked rumors about a heroin addiction due to some photos in which he looked worryingly emaciated. The "American Horror Story" actor has consistently refuted talk that he ever had a drug problem, but he did tell Esquire eight years later that he has overindulged at certain times.

"I played with some fire, I guess is the best way to put it," the New Yorker acknowledged. "At the same time, I've never been to rehab or anything like that. I've never had to clean out that way. There were certain times when I had to catch myself, once or twice. You're having too good a time, Mack ... But I never went so far down that road where I needed outside help."

In fact, Culkin believes that he wouldn't be the person he is today if it wasn't for the "illuminating experiences" he had while high. He does, however, claim that his more hedonistic days are now far behind him: "So besides the occasional muscle relaxer, no, I don't do drugs recreationally. I still kinda drink like a fish. I drink and I smoke. But I don't touch the things. I do love them. They're like old friends. But sometimes you outgrow your friends."

As the most high-profile youngster to be allowed into Michael Jackson's inner circle, Macaulay Culkin has inevitably and repeatedly been asked about all the damaging allegations about the King of Pop. But as fellow Hollywood star James Franco found out to his cost, there's a time and a place. And storing your luggage on a flight isn't the right one.

After confirming to Esquire once again that he never saw anything inappropriate during all the time he spent with Jackson, Culkin recalled the time he bumped into Franco on a plane: "I give him a little nod as we're putting our bags overhead. 'Hey, how you doing?' 'Good, how ya doing?' And it was right after the 'Leaving Neverland' documentary came out, and he goes, 'So, that documentary!' And that was all he said."

Unsurprisingly, Culkin didn't appreciate being put on the spot like that. And he soon put "The Disaster Artist" star in his place: "I was like, 'Uh-huh.' Silence. So then he goes, 'So what do you think?' And I turned to him and I go, 'Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?' And he sheepishly went, 'No, I don't.' So I said, 'Cool, man, it was nice to see you.'"

In 2018, Macaulay Culkin spoke about his desire to have children with long-time girlfriend Brenda Song during an interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Nothing wrong with that, obviously. But many readers took umbrage with how the "Home Alone" star expressed this.

Discussing his relationship with Song, Culkin remarked, "This one's a good one, so I'm probably going to put some babies in her in a little bit. I mean, we've definitely been practicing. I'm going to have some pretty babies. She's Asian, so I'm gonna have tiny little Asian babies." Referring to the only child of Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon, the former child star then added, "It's going to be adorable — a bunch of Sean Lennon's running around the house, that's what I'm looking for."

As you would expect, Culkin was called out on social media for insinuating that all Asian kids look identical and for reducing his future wife to the color of her skin: "Tell me you fetishize Asian women without telling me you fetishize Asian women," one disgruntled X user wrote. The actor's comments inevitably resurfaced three years later when he and Song welcomed their first child into the world.

Perhaps thwarting two professional criminals on the big screen as a tween gave Macaulay Culkin a little too much confidence when it came to taking on men who were much older and much bigger than him. For in 2020, the "Home Alone" star decided to make an enemy of wrestling legend Bill Goldberg.

The feud started when Culkin publicly voiced his displeasure at Goldberg defeating "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in the WWE's Super Showdown. "I've just canceled my tickets to Tampa Bay," he wrote on X, referring to the WrestleMania 36 event he was due to attend. He also replied "Amen" to another disillusioned account, WWE Creative Humor, which sarcastically celebrated how the franchise was "all about building new stars like Brock Lesnar, [Goldberg], and The Undertaker."

After stumbling across Culkin's comments, Goldberg responded to the actor directly with a classic high school insult, "Duly noted dork," alongside mad face and thumbs-up emojis. This didn't appear to scare his new nemesis, though. Referencing a botched move the wrestler had tried to pull off against The Undertaker, Culkin wrote, "Just don't try to tombstone me."

Bill Goldberg isn't the only professional wrestler that Macaulay Culkin has had an online beef with. The "Home Alone" star also incurred the wrath of the man mountain known as Booker T after throwing some shade on X.

The unlikely beef began when Culkin took aim at the WWE star's ubiquitousness while tweeting about some pre-show coverage: "Glad to see Booker T is still on it since you know he'd be hosting a pre-show even it was by himself in his breakfast nook with no cameras." Unsurprisingly, the five-time world champion didn't take this insult lying down.

"You didn't say that, tell me you didn't just say that," Booker T responded. Apparently entirely unfazed by the man he was bad-mouthing wading into the conversation, Culkin doubled down, adding, "Oh I did, now tell me: can you dig that Suckahhhhh???" The wrestler then replied, "You better what [sic] your mouth sucka or I'm going to have to do something. Don't get me hot!" Much to the surprise of the X users watching the feud unfold, this appeared to be the final words on the matter.

Some believe that Macaulay Culkin should have picked up an Academy Award nomination for his star-making turn as Kevin McAllister in "Home Alone": he did receive nods at the Golden Globes and Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for his performance. Perhaps the snub explains the former child star's bizarre Twitter display during the 2018 ceremony.

"I will be live tweeting the Oscars tonight, but I won't be watching them. WHA!?! That's crazy," Culkin told his social media followers. "Question: Do you guys have any suggestions for what I should be doing instead of watching the show?" The actor then posted various snaps of alternatives, including having his toenails painted, playing computer games, and whipping up some ramen.

Culkin then shaded several famous figures, throughout the night. "EXCLUSIVE: I heard Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein were going to come disguised as a very tall man in a long trench coat but they got busted by security," was one such tweet. "Casey Affleck couldn't make it cause he was stuck in the 1950s," was another. The mischievous star even brought Hollywood royalty into the equation, posting, "O.M.G. I just ripped the loudest fart during this montage. Do you think Meryl Streep just heard it? #MyAssAlmostFlewOff #BossBaby #Oscars."

It's fair to say that Macaulay Culkin didn't do himself any favors by agreeing to appear on "The Joe Rogan Experience" in 2018. As well as sparking accusations of fetishizing Asian women, "The Good Son" star was also called out for his problematic sense of humor.

Culkin recalled one particular joke he told partner Brenda Song, an American actor with Thai parents: "'You know how I know you're Asian?' She goes, 'Why?' I said, 'It's the shape of your eyes. It's a dead giveaway.'" The New Yorker then revealed that he often makes similar quips in the comfort of their own home before telling Rogan that he'd be even more entitled to such comments if he ever had Asian children. Culkin and Song would later welcome two kids into the world together.

Amherst College's professor of American Studies, Pawan Dhingra, certainly didn't agree, telling NBC News, "The jokes he was saying to his girlfriend at the time, about the driving and about how she looks, the punchline to all those jokes is being Asian. I don't want to speak about their relationship in any way. I don't have any bearing on that. But it does kind of fit a very tired belittling of Asians — that we are the joke. We don't do anything funny. We can't make a joke. We are the joke."

Shortly after the global premiere of "Leaving Neverland," the documentary film in which Wade Robson and James Safechuck both accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse, Macaulay Culkin took to the stage for a live version of the "Bunny Ears" podcast. And although the "Home Alone" star, who famously became friends with the King of Pop when he was just a tween, didn't reference the allegations specifically, he was accused of undermining them.

While chatting to Weird Al Yankovic, Culkin asked (via The Sun), "I'm going to ask you a very serious question: what was your relationship like with Michael Jackson?" Having brought up the man at the center of such damaging accusations, the New Yorker was called out for acting insensitively when he suddenly burst into laughter.

After Yankovic described Jackson as "pretty sweet to me," Culkin responded in a deadpan manner, "Sounds amazing, he sounds really cool, yeah," much to the amusement of the audience, which included Jackson's daughter Paris. The actor then wrapped up this particular conversation with, "I will say he was a huge, huge fan of yours. Yes, he always had your videos kind of playing constantly. There you go, validation. Praise. Hail, Caesar!"

In 2018, for reasons that are still unclear, Macaulay Culkin began retailing T-shirts on his official website emblazoned with the name of another former child star, Devon Sawa. While the "Final Destination" actor initially thought about involving his lawyers, he instead decided to engage in a faux-online war.

Their internet back and forth lasted so long that it inspired a Vulture interview with the pair where Culkin explained its origins (sort of), "For me, it came from [both of us being] blond, young, '90s." Referring to "Bunny Ears," the "Home Alone" actor then added, "On the podcast, I started introducing myself, 'Hello, I'm Devon Sawa."'

Things appeared to have died down between the one-time golden boys until the mischievous Culkin tweeted (via the Daily Mail) a headshot of his apparent nemesis taken in his younger days, which had the insult, "F*** you Casper," written on the top, a reference to one of Sawa's most famous roles. "Really??! You sent me this?" the insulted responded in mock outrage. "I thought its [sic] was over."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).