So this morning we posted EW’s countdown of the top 25 biggest celebrity scandals of the past 25 years. (Online-only bonus: Check out Nos. 50-26 here!) Anyway, the full list of 50 is chock-full of things that make me die inside, including Ted Danson performing blackface while roasting then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg (No. 40), Woody Allen marrying Soon-Yi Previn (No. 6), and Michael Jackson dangling baby Blanket (No. 5). Other usual suspects on the list: R. Kelly, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Mel Gibson.
Now we want to hear from you, P-Dubs: What did we forget to include? Maybe it’s too recent to go down in the annals of "xx"-dom, but seems like Denise Richards’ nasty split from Charlie Sheen (who’s already on this list, natch) and her subsequent involvement with friend Heather Locklear’s ex, Richie Sambora, is tawdry enough to deserve a spot here. What say you?
Comments (1-30) of 58 Add your comment
The (alleged) affair between Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedy brothers is the first to come to mind.
…the Cruise-Kidman divorce…
How about when Jude Law cheated on Sienna Miller with the nanny? Magazines certainly spilled a lot of ink over it at the time.
You included O.J. Simpson’s book but not his trial?
How about this: wars are going on, congress is in session, major natural catastrophes occur, people become impoverished by cruel dictatorships, third-world women are sold into prostitution rings, the Supreme Court passes new judgments… and all I hear from the news media is all about the latest controversies with ParisBritneyLindseyAshleyBarryDogFightingHughTomMelJanetMichael…
I mean, did saxophonist Bill Clinton even make the list?
@stephen-
The Kennedy-Monroe pseudo-scandal was quite a few years before ‘82…
No Eddie Murphy and Scary Spice?! Considering he dumped her and claimed the baby was not his all in one fine swoop on dutch tv!
How about jumping the couch for Tom Cruise.
Rock Hudson being gay, HIV + then the kiss on Dynasty that amplified it all
Hmmmmm, I missed Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synching SNL appearance on your list. This is one of those moments that I enjoy because no one suffered, ya know; that picture of Whitney Houston made me sad. But Ashlee breaking into that dance; I’ll never forget it.
How is the OJ Simpson trial not mentioned at all, let alone #1?
Definitely Michael Jackson accepting the “artist of the millenium” trophy that was finally just a happy birthday gift. Priceless !
It seems like nothing now, but remember what a huge scandal it was when Roseanne shared a girl on girl kiss on her show? Along the same lines, Ellen coming out on her show was huge at the time… and almost ended her career.
Whitney Houston gets ranked “minor?” Are you people insane? And why Lohan’s latest skirmish even ranked is beyond me. I would think the whole “Paris-in-jail, Paris-out-of-jail” debacle would have rated a little higher than her. And what about her sex tape? What about Tim Sizemore’s drug use and explicit porn tape with two hookers?
First, whoops on Marilyn…
1. Anna Nicole Smith???
2. And how about Pam Anderson’s sex tape?
How about Lisa “left eye” Lopez setting fire to Andre Rison’s home.
Destiny’s Child’s Revolving Door.
LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson tried to break from manager Matthew Knowles, Beyonce’s Dad. At the “Say My Name” video, the public was surprised to see two new girls in the group. Luckett and Roberson took legal action against the group and the press had a field day comparing the group to the show “Survivor”. Soon after, one of the two new girls left the group.
Career Impact: Positive
“Say My Name” became one of their biggest hits and the new trio went on to release two more successful studio albums, with their hit song “Survivor” referencing the situation. The now all are solo artists, with Beyonce being one of the most successful artists today.
Two things:
Nathaniel’s right about the sheer silliness of including OJ’s book, but not his trial, which was dubbed the “Trial of the Century.” (hello!)
Also, I don’t know if “scandal” is the right word, but what about Ellen DeGeneres coming out on her sitcom. It seems like no big deal now, but it was HUGE back then (wasn’t she on the cover of Time?) and is certainly a bigger deal than some other random Hollywood young twit getting pulled over for driving drunk or shaving her head (which is happening WAY too often these days)
Oooh, good one Alison.
Robert Blake?? I was so sick of hearing about that… frankly I still am so I’m sorry I brought it up.
What about Taylor Hicks winning A.I. over the 4th place Chris Daughtry???? There’s a scandal in its own right.
Yes, OJ’s trial should’ve been on the list instead of his book, because that was the big subject of 1995 (even though I was only seven at the time it happened). Also, no Paris Hilton? Before Janet Jackson’s nip slip months later, that’s all everyone talked about, even in spam email (which is saying a lot). Sure the Superbowl fiasco should rank higher than Paris’s sex tape, since it occurred on the biggest televised event of the year. Still, considering how little I heard Paris Hilton before that incident, it’s impossible to ignore.
Sure, it’s ongoing, but what about Phil Spector?
I know this is recent, but no one has mentioned Michael Vick’s dog fighting mess. I am sure his NFL career is shot.
How about Karen Carpenter’s death with it’s relation to anorexia? That was the first time I had really heard of “eating disorders” and that you could die from them.
I don’t think athletic scandals would count since their not really “Hollywood” scandals so OJ’s trial and Michael Vick don’t really fit.
I also wouldn’t count Karen Carpenter. That’s more of a tragedy than a scandal.
Oops, I’d forgotten that OJ was an “actor,” wasn’t he? I guess his trial would count but I still don’t think Michael Vick does.
When I started reading the article about the top 25 scandals, I was pretty certain I knew what number 1 was; what was bigger than the O.J. trial in the 90s? I can’t believe that it wasn’t included! I agree with everyone else, murdering your wife is a tad bit worse than writing a book about it.
David Hasselhoff
How about Rock Hudson….I can still remember the look on my Mom’s face when that story broke. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a scandal now, but back then … Whoa,Nelly
Let’s see…ALL of Hollywood and we can only come up with 50? Let’s add a bit more:
- Mariah Carey saying she and Derek Jeter had broken up when Jeter stated they went for coffee…ONCE.
- Charlie Sheen trashing his hotel room(s)
I’m sure we have others.
Are you nuts? You list OJ’s creepy book and book deal about the murder but not the murder itself?
OJ going to trial for and getting away with double murder is THE celebrity scandal of all time.