Lindsay Lohan's Mugshots Are Proof She's Drastically Transformed

This article contains mentions of addiction.

Growing up in the spotlight isn't easy. Many young actors struggle to deal with the intense pressure that accompanies fame and fortune, and as they grow up, their life often spirals out of control. Lindsay Lohan is one of them. She went from cute and bubbly child star to hot it-girl to Hollywood pariah with a string of mugshots to her name.

Many of Lohan's sketchiest moments were caught on camera via paparazzi or police departments. And it hit her hard — in both her personal and work life. For a long time, Hollywood wouldn't cast Lohan anymore as her history of addiction and legal woes made her an expensive liability. Larry Thompson, who produced "Liz & Dick," had to jump through hoops to bring her on board the 2012 Lifetime biopic. "Lindsay Lohan may be the most insured actress that ever walked on a soundstage," he told E! News in April 2012.

However, following Lohan's self-imposed Dubai exile, the tides are finally turning, and she's slowly making a comeback. She finished filming a sequel to her 2003 hit, "Freaky Friday," in September 2024. The fact that family-friendly Disney is willing to hire Lohan is a clear sign that she's back in favor and that all is forgiven. Still, it's been a long, arduous journey to get there. We're looking back at Lohan's mugshots and how she's drastically transformed since her troubled years.

Lindsay Lohan's mugshot spree kicked off in July 2007. The 21-year-old was pulled over by cops after her SUV was spotted speeding after another vehicle. Lohan failed two breathalyzer tests and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Then, during a search at the police station, cops found drugs in her pocket, resulting in charges of DUI, possession of cocaine, transporting a narcotic into a custody facility, and driving on a suspended license.

Lohan was wearing an alcohol monitoring device when she was apprehended. She'd agreed to wear the device three months earlier when she'd been busted for driving with a blood alcohol level greater than .08 and misdemeanor hit-and-run. She'd gone to rehab following the first arrest and had been clean and sober, but sadly, she relapsed before the second.

"Addiction is a terrible and vicious disease," her attorney, Blair Berk, said in a statement (via People). "Since Lindsay transitioned to outpatient care, she has been monitored on a SCRAM [Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring] bracelet and tested daily in order to support her sobriety. Throughout this period, I have received timely and accurate reports from the testing companies. Unfortunately, late yesterday, I was informed that Lindsay had relapsed."

Lindsay Lohan had the whole mugshot thing down to a fine art by November 2007. Her second was taken at Lynwood, California Women's Correctional Facility, and it looked more Hollywood headshot than prison mugshot. Lohan went full-out glam, pouting for the camera, with freshly styled hair and sultry makeup.

She checked into the facility to serve a one-day sentence stemming from her two arrests earlier in the year. Lohan was in and out in a flash, serving a whopping 84 minutes of hard time. Lohan got off lightly compared to her fellow party girl, Paris Hilton. She served 23 days of a 45-day sentence in June for violating her probation from a previous traffic violation. "It was pretty difficult. The cell was 8 by 12. I was alone the entire time," Hilton told Larry King following her release. "It was a very traumatic experience," she continued. "It gave me a time out in life ... I took that time to get to know myself. I have a new outcome in life."

Although she was arrested again in 2010, Hilton never returned to jail. Sadly, it wasn't the same case for Lohan. Her 84 minutes clearly didn't allow any time for reflection, and her legal woes were far from over.

Sadly, by the time Lindsay Lohan posed for her third mugshot in July 2010, nobody was shocked that she'd landed in legal hot water again. She was back behind the camera for violating the three-year probation order relating to her two 2007 DUI convictions. Lohan missed a May court date and skipped some of her alcohol education classes, resulting in a failure to meet the court-mandated attendance quota. Lohan had missed seven of the 27 weekly classes she was ordered to attend, despite being granted a year extension to complete them.

She also set off her alcohol monitor bracelet after attending the MTV Movie Awards in June. Lohan denied drinking during the event, and Judge Marsha Revel let it slide. Still, she wouldn't ignore the class absences — or Lohan's lackadaisical attitude to authority and the truth. "There were a number of instances of [Lohan] not taking things seriously," Judge Revel decreed, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "It's like someone who cheats but doesn't think it's cheating if they don't get caught."

Lohan had gotten away with just 84 minutes when she first went to jail. This time, though, she wouldn't be so lucky. Despite sobbing and pleading for just one more chance, Judge Revel came down hard. Lohan's case probably hadn't been helped by the fact she had F**K You painted on her nails. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by 90 days of rehab.

Lindsay Lohan was released from jail in August 2010 after serving 14 days of her 90-day sentence. But she wasn't a free woman yet, as Judge Marsha Revel had ordered Lohan to go straight to rehab – no stops, no alcohol allowed. So, Lohan checked in to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles to fulfill the 90-day rehab order. She was out in 23.

"She has learned her lesson," Lohan's attorney, "Dream Team" member Shawn Holley, insisted while requesting her probation terms be eased, according to CNN. Judge Eldon Fox bought it and allowed Lohan to return home. A month later, she was posing for her fourth mugshot after a drug test determined she'd taken cocaine and amphetamines. However, the actor got — yet another — lucky break. Holley appealed Fox's jail order, and a different judge granted bail.

Four days later, Lohan was driven back to rehab. This time, she entered a substance abuse treatment program at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Things didn't go so well, though. Lohan was sued by an employee who accused the actor of "twisting and pulling [her wrist] for 8-10 seconds" after refusing to take a drug test. Lohan claimed she had acted in self-defense. Per TMZ, the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

It was only a matter of time before Lindsay Lohan returned to the camera again. Unfortunately, it was for a mugshot, not a movie. Her troubles continued after leaving Betty Ford. Authorities claimed Lohan's alleged altercation at the treatment center was a probation violation. However, after the lawsuit was settled, the alleged victim refused to cooperate with cops, and the case was dropped.

Eighteen days later, Lohan was accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice Beach store. Despite a friend handing it back to cops, she was charged with felony grand theft. Lohan refused to accept a plea deal, preferring to roll the dice and head to trial. "Ms. Lohan has maintained her innocence from the moment this case was filed," her attorney, Shawn Holley, told The Hollywood Reporter. "We are confident that a jury will listen to the evidence fairly and acquit her." In April, the felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. A month later, Lohan was sentenced to 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service. However, overcrowding resulted in house arrest and an ankle monitor.

Lohan took advantage of being at home by throwing a bunch of parties. She flunked an alcohol test but escaped consequences because of a judicial error. However, she posed for mugshot number five in October 2011 when it was determined she violated probation by skipping out on her community service obligation. In November, Lohan was sentenced to 30 days but freed after four hours.

Lindsay Lohan had perfected her foxy felon look when she posed for the Santa Monica Police Department in March 2013. Her sixth and final mugshot was the result of pleading no contest to charges of reckless driving, lying to cops, and obstructing officers who were investigating a car crash she had on the way to a movie set in June 2012. Lohan, who was on probation at the time, drove her Porsche 911S into the back of a semi-truck and then claimed her assistant was behind the wheel.

However, she got lucky again and escaped being banged up behind bars. "Don't drive," Superior Court Judge James R. Dabney advised Lohan after sentencing her to 90 days of rehab, 30 days of community labor, and 18 months of psychological therapy.

The actor was not the first person to be caught up in the seemingly endless cycle of incarceration and parole because of addiction. And she won't be the last. Still, Lohan seemed to believe she was somehow different and didn't deserve to be locked up for her actions — especially not near "the other girls [who] were in there for murder." Lohan pled her case in an October 2014 interview with Jonathan Ross. "I made a mistake; I went to a club, and I drank, then I drove home," she said. "It's not the right thing to do. But to put someone in [jail] ... it was very scary, very jarring."

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).