Daniel Stern, the actor indelibly etched in pop culture memory as the bumbling burglar Marv in the 'Home Alone' films, has found himself in real-life legal trouble. According to a report from celebrity news outlet TMZ, Stern was cited by police for allegedly soliciting a prostitute last month.
The Details of the Alleged Incident
The incident reportedly took place on December 10, 2025, at a hotel in Camarillo, located in Ventura County, California. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the citation was issued as part of an alleged prostitution sting operation. Notably, the 68-year-old actor was not formally arrested or booked. Instead, he was given a ticket and released.
In the state of California, the act of soliciting prostitution is classified as a misdemeanor offence. The potential penalties for such a charge can include up to six months in county jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or a combination of both. As of now, it remains unclear whether prosecutors will move forward with formal charges or if the case might be dismissed in court. Stern has not made any public statement regarding the citation.
A Life Away from the Hollywood Spotlight
The citation came during the holiday season, a time when Stern's most famous films traditionally enjoy a resurgence on television and streaming platforms. However, the actor himself has largely retreated from the public eye in recent years.
Stern resides on a farm in Ventura County with his wife and has embraced a quieter life focused on agriculture and art. In an interview with PEOPLE magazine published just over a week before the alleged incident, on December 2, 2025, Stern explained his absence from events celebrating the 35th anniversary of 'Home Alone.'
"I don't leave my farm," Stern stated. "It's no offence to the movie. I'm just … a phone call, Zoom call, I'm in, but … I'm a bit of a homebody."
From Actor to Sculptor
While he may have stepped back from acting, Stern has remained creatively active as a sculptor. In a curious full-circle moment, he revealed in the same PEOPLE interview that he had been commissioned by the current owners of the iconic 'Home Alone' house in Illinois.
They asked him to create a sculpture commemorating one of the film's most memorable scenes: the moment his character, Marv, screams in terror as a tarantula crawls on his face. "I'm creating a sculpture of me and the spider," Stern confirmed.
The juxtaposition of this artistic endeavour with the recent legal citation paints a complex picture of the actor's current life, far removed from the slapstick chaos of his most famous role but not immune to the consequences of real-world actions.
