At the height of his fame, he was bathed in $300,000 worth of gold, but a bizarre $1.3 million real estate carnage and a shocking health battle caused Mr. T.’s world to collapse.
The man born Laurence Tureaud became a global icon as BA Baracus in The A-Team and Clubber Lang in Rocky III, but his departure from the spotlight was paved with a real estate scandal that outraged the neighborhood.
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Mr. T became a global icon as BA Baracus in The A-Team. Image: Universal Home Video Australia.
The ‘Lake Forest Chainsaw Massacre’
In 1987, the former wrestler made international headlines when he personally cut down more than 100 oak trees at his sprawling $860,000 mansion in Lake Forest, Chicago.
Mr T claimed the trees aggravated his severe allergies. However, his wealthy neighbors were so shocked by the environmental destruction that they dubbed the event the ‘Lake Forest Chainsaw Massacre’.
The incident forced local authorities to issue a tree conservation ordinance to prevent similar “massacres” from happening again.
Mr. T later transferred the estate to his girlfriend, Phyllis Clark, in 1993. She eventually sold the property in 1999 for $2.4 million ($A3.4 million).
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Mr. T later transferred the estate to his girlfriend, Phyllis Clark, in 1993. Photo: Google Maps
From millions to $200
Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in the world, the actor’s bank account in the late 1990s told a different story.
In 1998, while battling a rare form of T-cell lymphoma diagnosed in 1995, the star faced financial problems.
“I’m probably broke. I probably have $200 in the bank,” he told Entertainment Tonight at the time.
He revealed that he gave his famous jewelry to his family to sell to survive.
“Material things… You can only take it to the grave, not beyond the grave,” he said.
![Actor Sylvester Stallone (R) with Mr T in a film scene](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sylvester Stallone with Mr. T in scene from the movie Rocky III.
The way back
Supported by his then wife Phyllis, the mother of his three children, Mr. T underwent grueling chemotherapy and radiation.
He eventually made a full recovery and began a slow climb back to financial stability.
The actor, now 73, stopped wearing his signature gold chains after the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005.
“As a Christian, when I saw other people losing their lives and their lands and properties, I felt that it would be a sin before God if I continued to wear my gold,” he said.
![Actor Mr. T.A-Team. ATeam. TV program. Television.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 768 768"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The actor famously stopped wearing his signature gold chains after the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005.
What is Mr. T worth now?
The star has since rebuilt his fortune through high-profile endorsements with brands including Snickers and Fuze Ice Tea.
He now lives a private life with homes reportedly in Chicago and Albuquerque.
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