Stars Who Struggled Before Making It Big

Jewel

Singer-songwriter Jewel fell on hard times when she was trying to pursue music. In her young adult years, she lived out of her car while traveling across the country, doing street performances and small gigs along the way. She eventually ended up in San Diego, where she was known to be homeless at one point.

After being propositioned by her boss and refusing to sleep with him, she got fired from her job and was no longer able to pay rent. While she was homeless, she says she nearly died in a hospital parking lot after the emergency room turned her away due to lack of insurance. At one point, her car got stolen and it was even more difficult for her to find a job without an address and not much of an education.