The Shady Side Of Tim Allen Everyone Ignores

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Tim Allen became a household name for his beloved role on "Home Improvement," but the man behind Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor is a lot more complicated in real life. After experiencing tragedy as a young boy, the '90s sitcom star turned to crime. While he moved on from his troubled past and made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, Allen's shady side continued to creep up now and again.

From his criminal past to accusations of disrespectful behavior toward co-stars, the "Toy Story" actor has racked up quite a few controversies that have hurt his reputation. Among those is his drunk driving charge at the height of his fame. In May 1997, Allen was arrested for driving 70 mph in a 40 mph zone with a blood alcohol level of 0.15, nearly twice the current legal limit. He initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea in exchange for probation, community service, and alcohol counseling.

In court, Allen admitted to consuming two beers and three drinks of vodka and orange juice. In April 1998, he entered a rehab facility as part of his deal with prosecutors. Allen's conviction is the more damning considering that he lost his father to a drunk driver when he was 11, an event that had profound, long-lasting effects on his life. On the bright side, Allen remained sober from then on. He may have learned his lesson, but Allen had been displaying some shady behavior for quite a while and didn't stop there.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Attending college is a privilege many can even dream of, but for Tim Allen, it was an opportunity to make money selling drugs. After transferring to Western Michigan University from Central Michigan University in 1974, the then-21-year-old started dealing with the help of a partner. It started out simple enough. "I was just a college dealer," he told Midwest Today in 1996. "Neither my partner nor I originally had any idea where we could get any more than the small amount of drugs we were getting."

He soon got caught up in a cycle that proved hard to break. "I wanted out of dealing so badly, but it never seemed to end," he said. "You'd think my family would've asked why I was dressed so well. I'd also lost a lot of weight because I was under a lot of stress." Allen believes drug dealing was a misguided attempt to deal with the anger he had carried since his father's untimely death. The sad truth of Allen's childhood made for a complicated adolescence.

Allen started drinking when he was a preteen, a habit that got progressively worse. "I really just played games with people and told adults what they wanted to hear, and then stole their booze," he said on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast in 2021. He didn't stop at alcohol, though. "I knew exactly what adults wanted — make your bed, be polite, use a napkin — and then I'd go steal everything in the house," he revealed.

Tim Allen's way of coping with his tragic past came at a high cost. In October 1978, at age 25, he was arrested in possession of nearly 1.5 pounds of cocaine during an undercover operation at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Michigan. At the time, he had a good job in an advertising agency and was in a loving relationship with his future wife, Laura Deibel. But he continued to accept the drug jobs.

In his court testimony, Allen minimized his role in the deal. "The cocaine was brought to my house. I was to deliver it," he said, according to Radar. He hid the drugs in a Thermos and took it to the airport in a satchel. "I left it at a locker," he explained. That's when the undercover police officer came in. "We gave the key to Michael Pifer and Michael Pifer unlocked the locker and took the package out," he said. Allen was sentenced to seven years in prison, but served a little over two years. 

Allen's time in jail at Sandstone Federal Correctional Institution in Minnesota was a big reality check. "I'm glad I paid for it and got straightened out," he said in the Midwest Today interview. His sense of humor proved invaluable behind bars. "There was this guy who always wanted to hurt me, but if I did Elmer Fudd, I'd get him laughing," he said. His career took off shortly after his release.

When Tim Allen was arrested, Michigan had recently passed a law that established a life sentence for anyone convicted of possession or delivery of more than 650 grams of cocaine or heroin. Allen fit that bill. However, he dodged the harsh punishment by informing on other drug dealers, AKA snitching. "We wanted to try to find everyone involved in the drug ring. Since we needed some of their testimony, a deal was struck. He clearly decided that it was in his best interests to deal with the prosecution," Lieutenant Michael Pifer told Radar.

Allen provided 20 names, leading to the arrest of four big shots, according to LADBible. Pifer believes he did the right thing. He knew right away that Allen wasn't a hardened criminal. "He wasn't like some of the dope dealers who'd shoot you the minute you'd turn your back," he said. "I think Tim is a guy who realized that he made a big mistake. He paid the price, and now he's getting on with his life."

After his arrest, Allen quickly learned that he would do whatever it took not to be in there longer than necessary. "I was put in a holding cell with twenty other guys — we had to crap in the same crapper in the middle of the room — and I just told myself, I can't do this for seven and a half years," he told Esquire in 2011. By serving his sentence in neighboring Minnesota, he faced no consequences for being a so-called rat.

When Tim Allen worked with Pamela Anderson on "Home Improvement" before she went off to start on "Baywatch," he reportedly acted inappropriately toward his costar. "On the first day of filming, I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly — completely naked underneath. He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we're even. I laughed uncomfortably," she wrote in "Love, Pamela," her 2023 memoir (via Variety).

Allen was likely referring to Anderson's work with Playboy before her acting debut on "Home Improvement." She was 23, and he was 37. Allen quickly responded to Anderson's memoir allegations against him. "No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing," he told Variety. A few days later, he implied that the network believed him. "Everybody at ABC is a little disappointed in her... memory, put it that way. All of us at Disney/ABC, really," he told Daily Mail.

While Anderson continued to stand by her statement, she later pointed out that she hadn't meant the anecdote as a character judgment on Allen. "Tim is a comedian, it's his job to cross the line. I'm sure he had no bad intentions," she told Variety in a text message exchange. She highlighted that her anecdote had to be viewed with context in mind. "Times have changed, though. I doubt anyone would try that post #MeToo. It's a new world," she continued. 

Pamela Anderson wasn't the only celebrity to accuse Tim Allen of questionable behavior on set. Casey Wilson (seen above) held nothing back when describing her awful time working with Allen in an episode of the Disney+ series "The Santa Clauses" in 2022. "Tim Allen was such a b*tch. It was the truly single worst experience I've ever had with a co-star ever," she said on the "B*tch Sesh" podcast in 2023 (via Variety).

The "Saturday Night Live" alum described a scene that required her to react to Allen coming down a chimney dressed as Santa. Her character woke up frightened and started throwing things at him, as expected. But Allen reportedly turned to the producer, who was right there next to them, and complained Wilson was stepping on his lines. The producer then turned to Wilson to relay the message "with horror on his face," she said. Wilson noted that "everybody was walking on eggshells" around Allen.

He didn't seem to mind. "When he was done, he was so f***ing rude. Never made eye contact, never said anything. It was so uncomfortable," she continued. The criticism isn't restricted to female actors. "[Allen] takes every opportunity to belittle," Alan Rickman wrote in his diary, according to The Sunday Telegraph. Similarly, director Barry Sonnenfeld accused Allen of being "a handful on set" in his 2024 memoir, "Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time" (via Daily Mail). "He was loud and his jokes were repetitive and sometimes mean," he penned.