• Tom Selleck is the popular star of Magnum, P.I. and Blue Bloods
  • The actor made headlines in a controversy a few years back
  • Selleck was accused of stealing water during a drought

When it comes to television, few actors have enjoyed as much long-term success as Tom Selleck. The star broke through on Magnum, P.I. in the 1980s. All these years later, he's enjoying a resurgence on Blue Bloods, where he's starred for over a decade.

Off-screen, however, Selleck has been at the centre of the odd scandal over the years. But perhaps the biggest one: did Tom Selleck really steal enormous quantities of water during a terrible drought? That's just what the Blue Bloods star was accused of in 2015.

A weird one: Tom Selleck's water theft scandal

Tom Selleck, who lives in California, was actually sued in 2015 by a local Water District for improperly hauling over a million gallons of water to his ranch over a two-year span. 

Adding to the trouble: California was in the throes of a record-breaking drought, and mandatory water cutbacks were enforced where Selleck lived.

As the scandal played out, Selleck's name was dragged into unflattering headlines. Was it another case of a star abusing money and power, thinking they can get away with it?

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But Selleck would escape the lawsuit largely unscathed. In the end, it was determined that a "construction company" had paid for the water, but that it had violated several rules.

The scandal concluded without determining Selleck's involvement, or why the water was hauled to his farm.

Selleck nevertheless settled the lawsuit by paying nearly $22,000, the amount the Water District had paid to investigate his case.

The verdict: It appears something fishy was going on, but we don't know if the Blue Bloods star was personally involved. Selleck never commented on the case.