The year was 2004. Lindsay Lohan was a promising 18-year-old actress who had made the successful transition from Disneychild star to a teenage actress about to embark on superstardom. With remakes of such classics as "The Parent Trap" and "Freaky Friday" already under her belt, the world was her oyster.
When Tina Fey of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" fame penned the script for "Mean Girls" with Lohan in mind, Lohan's career skyrocketed and solidified her status as the next big thing.
With her sudden resurgence from being the freckle-faced girl who played twin characters to the movie industry's hottest commodity also came intense media scrutiny.
Let's take a look back:
2004- The first of many hospital trips, attributed to "exhaustion."
The first of many car accidents.
2005- Appears in "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and releases second album that was certified Gold
2006- Letter from studio head blasts Lohan for consistently being late to the set of "Georgia Rule," if showing up at all. He called her behavior "discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional." He went on to say, "We are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so called "exhaustion."
2007- Enters drug and alcohol rehabilitation on three separate occasions
Arrested twice; first for DUI; then again for a second DUI along with a possession of cocaine charge
Releases statement: "It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to drugs and alcohol." She spends just 84 minutes in jail due to overcrowding of the Los Angeles County Jail System.
2008- Appears in a recurring role on ABC's "Ugly Betty."
Begins tumultuous relationship with celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson.
2009- Messy breakup with Ronson causes more media scrutiny.
Appears in TV movie "Labor Pains" on ABC Family.
2010- May: Lohan Misses court-ordered progress hearing; bench warrant for arrest issued. The actress, who was attending the Cannes Film Festival in France, claimed to have had her passport stolen. She had to post $100,000 bond. At a hearing later that month, she was ordered to wear a SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelet and to refrain from drinking alcohol until her next court hearing in July
June: Lohan's SCRAM bracelet goes off the night of the MTV Movie Awards; the judge orders another warrant for her arrest, and sets bail at $200,000. Lohan denies she consumed alcohol and claims a drink was spilled on her.
July: Lohan sentenced to 90 days in jail to be immediately followed by 90 days in a rehabilitation facility; judge also orders her to be evaluated by a court-appointed psychiatrist to determine if the numerous medications prescribed to her would cause her harm when combined with alcohol
August: Lohan serves two weeks in jail due to overcrowding; she is immediately sent to UCLA Medical Center, where she is released after just 23 days.
September: It is revealed to the press that Lohan failed two drug tests since her release from rehab; one testing positive for cocaine, another testing positive for amphetamines (reportedly Adderall, which her probation report indicated was one of the medications she was prescribed). Lohan was forced to surrender herself to court to be placed in jail and was quickly released on $300,000 bond. Days later, she was court mandated to enter the Betty Ford Rehabilitation Center and remain there until after the New Year.
December: Involved with an altercation with a staffer at Betty Ford. She allegedly twisted the woman's wrist.
2011 February: Formally charged with felony grand theft for the January theft of a $2,500 necklace from a store in Venice, California. Lohan claimed to have borrowed the necklace, but the owners told the police otherwise. She was seen on the security camera in the store putting the necklace on and walking out of the store, and prosecutors maintained that she used her friend to distract the storeowner. Lohan eventually pled guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor theft. She was sentenced to 120 days in jail, which was converted to house arrest due to jail overcrowding, and because she is a non-violent offender.
May: Begins house arrest, which ends up lasting for just 35 days. During her house arrest, she tested positive for drinking alcohol, and was immediately ordered back to court. The judge on the case did not revoke her probation, as the drug and alcohol testing was carried down from a previous violation, from another judge that presided over the case.
October: Lohan's probation is revoked, and she is arrested in court at a progress hearing. After being led away in handcuffs, she was booked and released on $100,000 bond.
November: At the formal probation hearing, Lohan is sentenced to 300 days in jail, 270 reduced. Despite the 30-day sentence, Lohan checks herself in and out of jail after just four and a half hours. Her probation was altered with extensive and very specific community service and psychotherapy requirements, which if completed successfully, would conclude in March of 2012. If she violates probation again, she will be sentenced to the 270 days in lockup.
- Lohan is set to appear on the cover of the Jan./Feb. issue of Playboy Magazine, where she will also pose fully nude in homage to Marilyn Monroe, and be interviewed for the issue.
At this point, Lindsay Lohan's rap sheet is getting to be longer than her acting resume. It remains to be seen whether or not Lohan can make a comeback. The truth is, taking just one look at her, it is shocking to think that she is the same Disney star once hailed as potentially one of the best young actresses in the business. The way her life story will unfold is truly in her hands at this point.
