6 Successful Female Celebrities That Used To Work In Strip Clubs

  

It’s well known that when people are trying to get their big break in Hollywood, they take on multiple jobs just to get by. They work as servers, bartenders, bellhops and any other flexible job, that’ll allow them to attend auditions during the day and still provide enough money to have a place to sleep at night. Sometimes, young dream chasers will even take on unfamiliar jobs in order to keep them afloat, while they are patiently waiting for their big break. Hollywood is exposed with stars that took on some jobs in unconventional clubs. Here are 6 Hollywood Female celebrities that started their careers by taking on work in strip clubs.

1. Lady Gaga

Before Lady Gaga became one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, she was a stripper with a bizarre act. Gaga has admitted to using props and strange tricks to draw attention to her strip shows. Speaking of her past as a stripper, Gaga stated, “I was working in strip clubs when I was 18. My act was pretty wild. I’d wear black leather and dance to Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses and Faith No More. Very rock ‘n’ roll. I don’t like to talk about it too much, but there were drugs, serious drugs.” Although, she doesn’t like to talk about it, clearly her stripper past didn’t stand in the way of her dreams. Lady Gaga is a five time Grammy winner and is now worth an estimated $190 million.

2. Catherine Zeta-Jones

Before Catherine Zeta-Jones became a household name, she had a stripper name. Most famous people who admit to being a former stripper, say they did it to survive, but not Catherine Zeta-Jones. Catherine has admitted to being a stripper in order to pay for a nose job. After she earned enough money, Zeta-Jones got her rhinoplasty and moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. Well, clearly the the stripper funded nose job paid off, because the 44-year-old actress is now worth an estimated $45 million.

3. Kendra Wilkinson

Kendra Wilkinson  got her break in Hollywood, when she began dating Playboy founder, Hugh Hefnerin 2004. So, it should come as a surprise that Wilkinson used to work in a strip club as a stripper. Kendra has admitted that she was actually discovered by Hugh Hefner while stripping. She was personally invited to a Playboy mansion party by Hefner afterwards, and the rest is history. Kendra is now married to former NFL player, Hank Baskett and the couple have two children together.

4. NeNe Leakes

Rumors circulated for a longtime, that the Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Nene Leakes had once been a stripper. NeNe denied the allegations until 2009, when she finally came clean about about her past in her autobiography, Never Make the Same Mistake Twice. Leakes wrote, “Yes, I was a stripper – let the judgments ensue. I’m not ashamed.” She added, “[I stripped] for the sake of my son, and to restore my confidence in myself. My son was in private school, his father wasn’t chipping in for ­pull-ups or food, I had no job and no money coming in, the rent was past due, and the super told me and my roommate that our condo owner was about to put us out. It was about survival.” NeNe Leakes who once went by her stripper name, Silk, is now worth an estimated $9 million.

5. Eve

Before Eve was signed to Ruff Ryders, she was an 18-year-old woman in platform heels, stripping to make a living. Photos of Eve during her stripper days surfaced on the internet years ago and showcased her all-inclusive strip shows, which appeared to border along the lines of live sex shows. She has commented on her past work as an exotic dancer, stating, “Come on. That was a hustle, too. There’s a song about it on my album, ‘Heaven Only Knows.’ But I don’t regret it—I was 18 and confused, going through personal problems. I did it for about a month, and I was glad I did it. It helped me find Eve, helped me get serious. It was depressing.” It looks like it did help her, because the 35-year-old rapper, singer and actress is a Hollywood star.

6. Renee Zellwegger

Before making it big in Hollywood and becoming an A-list actress starring in films like, Jerry Maguire,Bridget Jones Diary and Chicago, Renee Zellwegger worked in a Texas strip club. Although she never hit the pole, Renee did work as a cocktail waitress and has commented about her previous employment stating, “It was a classier club where the waitresses kept their clothes on.” Renee was asked if she wanted to dance topless, but the aspiring actress declined. She’s now worth an estimated $60 million.