Top 10 Celebrity Scandals of All Time: Kanye West, Brad Pitt, Pee Wee Herman and More
Justin Bieber's recent troubles with the law have certainly been dominating our headlines as of late, but "celebrities" and "scandals" go hand in hand... and they have for the longest time. So, inspired by the Beebs, we decided to take a look at the top 10 celebrity scandals of all time... and the results were so scandalous, it made the Beeb's problems look tame in comparison!
10. Isaiah Washington's Big Mouth: remember when "McDreamy" was a thing? Yes, folks, it was. Ask your parents. Anyway, in 2006, Grey's Anatomy was the hottest show on television, and two of the stars went toe-to-toe in an epic battle that cost one actor his entire career. Isaiah Washington was complaining about co-star T.R. Knight being late to the set, and he reported used a homophobic slur. Patrick Dempsey (the McDreamy in question) told Washington to "pick on someone his own size," which prompted Washington to choke Dempsey and shove him backwards before storming off to his trailer. Days later, at the Golden Globes, Washington had an evil smile as he referred to Knight as a "f--got" in a supposedly "joking" manner. T.R. Knight subsequently came out of the closet, and Washington's contract on Grey's Anatomy was not renewed. Even though Washington apologized later on, the rumor around Hollywood was that the "pink mafia" had him blacklisted, and his subsequent efforts to revitalize his acting career have failed miserably.
9. Vanessa Williams Loses Miss America Crown: In 1984, Vanessa Williams made history by becoming the first black Miss America winner. She was riding high on the wave of her title when, 10 months into her reign, she received an anonymous call stating that nude photos she took prior to becoming Miss America were about to surface. The photos, according to Vanessa, were disseminated without her permission. Playboy was initially due to publish the photos, but publisher Hugh Hefner turned them down. Bob Guccione of Penthouse picked up the photos, and subsequently earned Penthouse a $14 million payday. Embarrassed by the scandal, Vanessa was forced to give up her crown; Suzette Charles, the runner-up (who was also black), subsequently took the crown.
8. January Jones's Secret Baby Daddy: when actress January Jones announced she was pregnant, the next logical question was "who's the father?" But January sent Hollywood into a tailspin when she decided to keep her baby daddy's identity a secret. "I knew I would be raising my son alone. It was something I was prepared for mentally, it was something I went into knowingly, and I was excited about it," she said at the time. This led to endless speculation about who the father of her baby was... including her very married X Men director, and the very married chef Bobby Flay.
7. Brad Pitt Leaves Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie: in 2000, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were THE Hollywood It Couple. Jennifer was riding high on the success of Friends, and Brad was the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood. When the duo got married, it made headlines everywhere, and the photos were absolutely gorgeous. The rumors then began about the duo having a baby, but nothing ever came of that. Then, in 2005, the rumors began to surface that Brad cheated on his wife with the sex kitten to end all sex kittens, Angelina Jolie, while on the set of Mr. And Mrs. Smith. The duo denied that they ever had an affair while Brad was married, but shortly after Jennifer filed for divorce, the two made their relationship public when Angelina announced she was pregnant with daughter Shiloh and Brad was the father. Six kids later, the duo haven't tied the knot. Meanwhile, Jennifer frequently gives interviews where she still expresses her love for Brad. A bittersweet situation all around, to be sure.
6. The East Coast West Coast Rap War: I don't know who in Hollywood thought that petty hoodlums from the inner city would understand the subtle nuances of "creating controversy for the sake of entertainment," but nevertheless, the "rivalry" between the East Coast rap contingent and the West Coast rap contingent exploded in deadly violence when its two biggest stars, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, were killed in a hail of gunfire. All sides now admit that the "beef" was started, not by the artists or by the executives, but by the magazines who wanted to sell more copies of their issues.
5. Pee Wee Herman Gets Busted: in the 1980s, there was no bigger child hero than Pee Wee Herman. With his hit show, Pee Wee's Playhouse, and his subsequent movies based around the Pee Wee Herman name, Paul Reubens (the actor behind the moniker) was a financial and pop culture success. Then, in 1991, Paul was arrested for masturbating in a theater. Retailer sent into overdrive, pulling Pee Wee toys off the shelves, and subsequently forcing the cancelation of the hit show. He appeared on the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, and was subsequently able to keep the arrest off of his permanent record (if he didn't, he would have had to register as a sex offender), but his career has never recovered.
4. Kanye West Says that George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People: nowadays, Kanye is crazy just to be crazy. But back in the day, Kanye's crazy actually had a point. In 2005, the Bush administration came under fire for its lackluster (to say the least) response to Hurricane Katrina. Kanye, in response, decided to do something about it. On Sept. 2, 2005, during a benefit concert for hurricane relief which was broadcast on NBC, West was a featured speaker. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people." At this point, telethon producer Rick Kaplan cut off the microphone and then cut away to Chris Tucker, who was unaware of the cut for a few seconds. Still, West's comment reached much of the United States. Bush stated in an interview that the comment was "one of the most disgusting moments" of his presidency.
3. Jerry Lee Lewis Marries His 13 Year Old Cousin: Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the pioneers of rock'n'roll, and his records sold astounding numbers in the 1950s. But while on tour in Britain, a journalist discovered that he was married to Myra Lee Brown, who was Jerry's first cousin once removed. As if that wasn't scandalous enough, it was revealed that she was 13, not 15 as Brown, Lewis, and the management had previously insisted. The publicity caused an uproar, Lewis's tour of Britain was cancelled, and he was subsequently blacklisted from radio and touring, effectively ending his career.
2. The OJ Simpson Trial: The O. J. Simpson murder case (officially the People of the State of California vs. Orenthal James Simpson) was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, Calif., Superior Court that spanned from the jury being sworn in on Nov. 2, 1994, to opening statements on Jan. 24, 1995, to a verdict on Oct. 3, 1995. Former professional football star and actor O. J. Simpson was tried on two counts of murder after the June 1994 deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a waiter, Ronald Lyle Goldman. The case has been described as the most publicized criminal trial in American history. Simpson was acquitted after a trial that lasted more than eight months.
1. The Black Dahlia Massacre: One of the biggest tragedies in American history, the Black Dahlia was the name given to aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, who was found dead in Los Angeles in 1947. The 22-year-old's body was found in a field, severed in half from the waist down, drained of all her blood, and washed by her killer. Her face had been slashed from the corners of her mouth to her ears, giving her the "Glasgow Smile" (think of Heath Ledger as The Joker). Her breasts and thighs had several slashes, and skin was removed from various parts. She had been beaten, mutilated, forces to swallow feces, and decapitated. It's currently the oldest unsolved case in LAPD history.
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