Famous People from Brazil Who Lost a Significant Amount of Wealth

Contrary to what most people think, fame is not enough to guarantee financial stability. For various reasons, sometimes the spotlight fades for celebrities and financial problems arise. Usually, the lifestyle of famous people is busy and full of parties, drug controversies, and little to no financial reserves, which further aggravates the problem.

Maurício Mattar, one of the main heartthrobs of Brazilian television, reached the peak of fame in the ’90s, acting in several prime-time soap operas. He was also always in the media because of his romantic relationships with famous women, as well as some scandals involving fights and drug use. As time went by and his image became worn out, the actor began to fade into obscurity and lose his place in the world of celebrities, at the same time that he was involved in bombastic controversies. First, he was sued by his daughter for late payment of child support. Then, the actor was involved in a traffic accident and ended up hitting a motorcyclist.

The comedian Dedé Santana, a former member of “Os Trapalhões,” had a very successful career on the show. However, with the end of the group and poor management of money, the comedian Dedé Santana faced a serious financial crisis and, in 2016, he became indebted and completely without liquidity. Due to the situation, the comedian had to rely on the help of family and friends to pay his bills. In fact, Dedé Santana publicly revealed that he was helped several times by his stage partner and friend, Renato Aragão (Didi).

Mário Gomes, who has acted in more than 30 soap operas on Brazilian television and made a lot of money from his work on various channels, ended up becoming poor. That’s right! The actor returned to the media spotlight, but this time because of personal drama.

Rafael was a sensation among children in the ’80s and ’90s, having achieved great success as the lead singer of the now-defunct group, Polegar. In recent years, his name has become a headline in the main media outlets, with numerous controversial news stories, mainly related to drug use. He became addicted to crack and even worked in drug trafficking.

Rayanne Morais is a Brazilian actress and model. She became known after winning Miss Minas Gerais 2009, Miss Rio de Janeiro 2012, and achieving second place in Miss Brazil that year.

Former Formula One driver Emerson Fittipaldi also has financial problems. He was a two-time F1 world champion in 1972 and 1974 and an entrepreneur, but it seems he did not manage his finances well and is currently buried in debt. The list includes a series of million-dollar lawsuits in court. More than 60 cases are pending in the courts of the State of São Paulo. The problems are so many that the São Paulo justice system has determined the seizure of some of the former athlete’s assets for more than R$50 million!

Known as the former boyfriend of actress Susana Vieira, Sandro Pedroso has already appeared in some Globo soap operas. Without standing out in the celebrity career, the guy had to change the course of his professional life and started working as a waiter in restaurants around the city. To supplement his income, Sandro also decided to sell male necklaces and bracelets in a virtual store.

Roy Rossello, a former member of the Menudo group and participant in the reality show A Fazenda 7, was a celebrity in the ’80s. Despite the success of the band, his fame ended with the group’s breakup, when he began to have serious financial problems. To pay his bills, he even sold costume jewelry in a shopping mall in Campinas (SP).

Another former member of the Polegar band. Ricardo Costa performed in several shows at the height of his fame. In the early 2000s, after leaving the group, the musician graduated in Law and Culinary Arts. He opened a restaurant in Mogi das Cruzes and invested in a food truck bus to sustain himself, but both businesses failed.

Marcos Oliveira was part of the cast of the TV show A Grande Família, where he had great success with his most famous character, the pastry chef Beiçola, recognized by the public to this day. The eternal Beiçola is currently facing health and financial problems. Recently, the actor, who does not have any assets and is facing eviction from his home, shared a banner with his Pix number and wrote in the social media caption: “Every donation matters. Help me.” The request moved fans who left several messages of support on his Instagram.

The eternal “Cabeção” from Malhação also used social media to ask for help. The young man has been looking for work but hasn’t found any acting roles. Faced with difficulties and in search of a better life, he decided to spend some time in the United States, where he worked in a restaurant. After seven months in the U.S., the artist returned to Brazil, continuing the fight for an opportunity on the small screen.

The winner of Big Brother Brasil 3 was not able to manage the prize of R$500,000 after the end of the reality show. The contestant from Goiás sought new opportunities on TV but did not succeed. Taking advantage of his fame, the ex-Big Brother ran for city council in his hometown but did not get enough votes to be elected.

The former Globo actor debuted on television in 1995 and became known for his performances in soap operas such as A Próxima Vítima, Chocolate com Pimenta and Ti Ti Ti. Away from TV since 2012, Marcelo Barros seems to have completely abandoned his acting career.

Away from the spotlight since 2017, Rodolfo Carlos de Almeida, who gained fame in the late ’90s as part of a duo with ET on the TV show Domingo Legal, is currently going through financial problems. At the height of their fame, the duo ET and Rodolfo even recorded a CD full of funny lyrics and sold over 200,000 copies. Among their hits was “A Dança do ET,” which played with the duo member’s unique appearance.

The model and actor became known for participating in the TV shows Teste de Fidelidade and A Fazenda 6. However, he was unable to maintain his fame for long. His participation in the reality show was marked by many conflicts and intrigues. Unfortunately, new TV opportunities did not arise for the former actor.

The actor, now 56 years old, played Joventino Neto, also known as Jove on the 1990 soap opera Pantanal, written by Benedito Ruy Barbosa. Alongside Cristiana Oliveira, who played the iconic Juma Marruá, the artist achieved tremendous success when the show aired on the now-defunct Rede Manchete.

Former member of the band Twister, singer Sander Mecca, was very successful with the young audience of the 2000s. After the band’s breakup and without new job opportunities, the vocalist went through difficult years, sunk in vices and debts. He even sang in the subway of São Paulo to support himself and promote his music.

Veteran actress Neusa Borges, who hasn’t appeared in soap operas since Escrava Mãe in 2016 on Record TV, is another celebrity who has publicly lamented the lack of work on television and financial difficulties.

In 2016, actress and journalist Joana Fomm surprised her fans by talking about the lack of new opportunities on television. Without financial reserves, the veteran, a star on Globo, even asked for help from friends on the internet. Life was not easy for the talented actress, who faced several obstacles in her path from a very young age. Joana Fomm’s childhood was marked by poverty and some tragedies. When she was four years old, her mother and grandmother died in a flood. Her father was unable to raise the girl, so he gave her to a distant couple of relatives who adopted her. With the separation of the couple, Joana was raised by her stepmother without many luxuries.

Norma Blum has been looking for work for a while but has not yet been able to find a new opportunity on television. She has been away from drama since 2015, when she was part of the cast of Além do Tempo on Globo.

Famous for his role in Malhação in 2004 as Catraca, the drummer of the band Vagabanda, which featured actors Guilherme Berenguer and Marjorie Estiano, he was very successful in the series. The actor, son of Cissa Guimarães and Paulo César Pereio, had been without acting on TV for four months when he openly appealed on social media for work and promised to honor all commitments.

The actress started her artistic career in the ’80s but gained prominence on TV in 1990 when she played the unforgettable Zefa in the soap opera Pantanal, with the character being a huge success. With fame, new opportunities arose, and the actress even had a role in the program Show do Tom by Tom Cavalcante on RecordTV until 2012. The following year until 2015, she was present in Chiquititas, playing Carmem Almeida Campos, the main villain of the story.

Shortly after being let go, the comedians Charles Gutemberg and Marcelo Beny, who played Rapadura and Bananinha, respectively, were fired from SBT in 2017 after almost 15 years on the network. The duo was part of the cast of A Praça É Nossa and Comando Maluco.

After a few years away from the public eye, the duo Rick & Renner announced their return to the stage. Recently, the sertanejo singers released individual singles, including the great song “Morrendo de Saudade” released in June 2022, much to the delight of their fans!

It was with the success of the song “Mania de Você,” released in the late 90s, that twin sisters known as Pepê and Neném became famous throughout Brazil. The irreverent and captivating duo went through several financial crises, including being threatened with eviction due to a huge rental debt. With no money and no one to turn to in their family, Pepê and Neném relied on the help of actor Dudu Ramos, who sympathized with their situation and helped the girls.

The actress who played Zildete in O Outro Lado do Paraíso, a soap opera aired by Globo, Narjara Turetta, has been away from TV for years and has not been able to get new roles on television. The situation became so difficult that, to continue paying her household expenses, she even sold coconut water and worked as a tourist information monitor.

The controversial Theo Becker, the participant in the first season of the reality show A Fazenda and with a role in the soap opera Os Mutantes in 2008, stirred up conflict on social media again by making a post about vaccination in the fight against coronavirus and insinuating that some people were “forced” to get vaccinated. On his Twitter profile, Theo Becker opened a poll for his followers to vote on which vaccinated status they are: whether they are a “regretful vaccinated,” “vaccinated with fear,” “forced to vaccinate,” or “all of the above.”

Sérgio Augusto Bustamante, better known as Serguei, was a successful Brazilian singer and composer in the ’60s. The singer was a legend of Brazilian rock and also a precursor to the androgynous look in shows in Brazil.

Son of the Brazilian comedian Mussum, actor Mussunzinho became known when he worked on the Globo soap opera Caminhos das Índias in 2009. After the end of the soap opera, the actor went through a period without acting on television. At Globo, he was also a presenter on TV Globinho, and his last soap opera was Bom Sucesso in 2019.

Separated from actor Gerson Brenner, presenter Denize Taccto faced many financial and marital problems. In 2012, during the program A Tarde é Sua with Sonia Abrão, she revealed that she was evicted from her apartment and lost her two daughters (one from her relationship with Brenner and the other with her ex-husband) and her dog. To overcome the difficulties and financial crisis, Denize revealed on social media that she had to rely on the help of famous friends to raise her daughter and pay for Gerson’s medical expenses.

Another talented actress, unfortunately, spent the last years of her life with financial problems. The veteran had a brilliant career on Brazilian television, having played several successful characters. Her last work on television happened in 2009 when she acted in the series Toma Lá, Dá Cá on Globo.

Campeã of Big Brother Brasil 4, Cida was swindled out of her prize money. The winner of the fourth edition of the reality show lost all of the R$ 500,000 prizes she received at the time. In an interview with Domingo Show on Record, Gecilda ‘Cida’ Silva dos Santos said she was scammed by her advisor. She shared, “I met someone who said she was an advisor and this person asked me to be a guarantor for a house, to rent it for her. Long story short: she didn’t pay the rent for the house she was in, and they sued me.”

Campeão of BBB 2, Rodrigo Cowboy spent all his prize money in the blink of an eye. He invested in various businesses but didn’t succeed in any of them. He spent most of the R$ 500,000 he won at the time and bought a thousand calves for R$ 350 each. The venture didn’t work out, and financial problems began to appear

The football player Garrincha, an excellent dribbler in the history of Brazilian football, was always considered the best right winger in the world. The nickname was the name of a bird, which, as a boy, the winger liked to hunt.

Renata Frisson, known as Mulher Melão, became famous in Brazil when “fruit women” were popular. In 2010, with her fame shaken and no longer able to find work, the dancer experienced financial problems. Unable to pay her rent, in 2013, she had to leave a luxury apartment-hotel in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, where she lived, and return to Vila Valqueire, her hometown neighborhood.

Former bassist of Legião Urbana, Renato Rocha, ended up living on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The musician lost everything due to his drug addiction – the same reason that led to his expulsion from the band in 1987.

Unfortunately, Ramón Valdés, who played Seu Madruga, passed away in 1988 due to stomach cancer. At the time of his death, the actor was completely in debt, and the last years of his life were very difficult, with no money and accumulated debts. In 2010, one of his children even auctioned off some clothes worn by the actor in the series to raise funds to help his father.

Another actress from the Chaves series went through tough times in her life. Mexican Maria Antonieta de las Nieves, famous for playing Chiquinha, revealed that she had sold her house in Mexico to pay off debts.

Known for appearing masked and revealing his tricks on camera during the Brazilian TV show Fantástico, American magician Mister M saw his money disappear from his bank account due to the purchase of medicines and expenses to survive. The illusionist, who has three children, disappeared from the media for years. Without new opportunities, he saw his financial struggles worsen and had to rely on the help of his closest family and friends to continue paying his bills.