We hate to admit it, but there's a certain schadenfreude that comes from learning about rich, privileged celebrities falling from grace. But when said disgraced celebrity gets back on their feet and does better than before, it's hard to not want to root for them.

Below are a couple of famous examples of major comebacks involving some of today's most popular celebrities:

Robert Downey Jr.

A former druggie who fained fame in the '80s for roles on "Back to School" and "The Pick-up Artist".  Frequent run-ins with the law would later cost him several movie and TV roles, including one in "Ally McBeal."

Returned to acting after checking into his final rehab stint in 2001.  Lead roles in "Tropic Thunder," "Iron Man," "Sherlock Holmes," and "The Avengers" earned him the top spot of Forbes' list of "Hollywood's Highest-Paid Actors."

Neil Patrick Harris

This former child actor earned acclaim as the title character in "Doogie Howser, M.D." before the show ended in 1993. Faded away until a stint in 2004's "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" got his career rolling again, which paved the way for his epic role as "Barney" in the widely popular sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." Is now a frequent host of the Tony Awards.

Justin Timberlake

This former boy bander won over plenty of hearts before venturing into a solo career by releasing his debut album "Justified" in November 2002. Took a break from music to focus on acting. Is now back with two "The 20/20 Experience" albums and a massively successful 2013 stadium tour with Jay Z.

Paula Abdul

Pop music's former princess earned six No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the '80s and '90s. Went on a hiatus following a battle with bulimia. Is best remembered as the judge with a heart of gold on the popular talent show "American Idol" from 2002 to 2009. Has since appeared as a guest judge on several other talent shows.

Drew Barrymore

Her role as the young Gertie in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" made her one of the most famous childhood stars of all time. This quickly led to trouble with partying, and drug use landed her in rehab at the age of 14.
Returned to acting in the mid-'90s with leading roles in "Never Been Kissed," "50 First Dates," and "Charlie's Angels." She even started her own production company called Flower Films.

Nicole Richie

As the adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, Nicole first gained prominence as Paris Hilton's BFF on the Fox reality show, "The Simple Life" (2003-2007) before losing tons of weight. Debuted her House of Harlow 1960 fashion line in 2008, which earned her Glamour's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 2010. Has since released a self-titled perfume, and a second women's clothing line, Winter Kate. Is no longer BFFs with Paris.

Martha Stewart

By 1999, the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was a multi-billion dollar cooking, gardening, and entertaining company. Things came crashing down when Stewart was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and lying to federal investigators in 2004. She served five months in prison, and six months under house arrest.
 
Revived her career in 2005 by launching a syndicated talk show called "The Martha Stewart Show." This eventually led to many retail partnerships, countless entertaining books, and even a guest role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

Alec Baldwin

This Baldwin brother gained early recognition for parts in "Beetlejuice" and "The Hunt for Red October." A leaked voicemail involving his estranged daughter tainted his reputation. He career comeback involved landing the role of Jack Donaghey on "30 Rock," which won him the "Best Actor" Emmy Awards in 2008 and 2009.

Mayim Bialik

Another former child star best known for starring in the early 1990s sitcom "Blossom." After the show ended, Bialik did mostly voiceover work. She finally returned to television with appearances on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" but her role in "The Big Bang Theory" has earned her Emmy Award nominations the past two years.

Jimmy Fallon

Started his career in stand-up comedy and had a six-year run on "Saturday Night Live." Succeeded Conan O'Brien as the host of NBC's "Late Night" (which was renamed "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.") Is set to take over for Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" following the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Betty White

At 91, Betty is one of the last "Golden Girls" standing, and has enjoyed a long which includes Emmy nominations spanning from 1951 to 2013.  But it was only in 2009 when she starred in "The Proposal" alongside Sandra Bullock that really helped cement her popularity.

Britney Spears

This former pop princess dominated the late 90s. But her music career took a hiatus following a much-publicized breakdown and hospitalization. She's now returned from her public meltdown to serve as a judge on "The X Factor" and make more albums. Is set to begin her two-year residency tour in Las Vegas for a $30 million paycheck. Work bitch!
 

Ben Affleck

Won an Oscar in 1997 for his "Good Will Hunting" screenplay, but his other acting attempts at that time were all major box-office flops (remember Gigli?) Affleck continued to write, direct, and act in acclaimed films like "Pearl Harbor" and "The Town." It was his role in 2012's "Argo" (which he also directed) that scored him an Oscar for Best Picture of the Year. His next big project involves suiting up to play Batman in 2015's "Man of Steel" sequel.