35. Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin was emancipated from his parents at 17 after a bitter family battle over his $17 million Home Alone fortune. He accused them of mismanaging funds and emotional abuse, choosing independence over their control.
The child-star exploitation scandal faded from headlines post-90s. Paparazzi followed his wilder years, but the ugly custody war and financial betrayal that forced him to grow up too fast stayed buried under party photos.
