For Hollywood, 2023 was a year that redefined scandal. From tumultuous love affairs to legal battles that played out like courtroom thrillers, here are the top 10 celebrity controversies and scandals that had the entire world at the edge of its seat this past year.
In the pages of her memoir Worthy released in October, Jada Pinkett Smith bared her soul, unraveling the tapestry of her life, difficult childhood, and inner struggles.
But the ultimate bombshell? Her seemingly rock-solid marriage to Hollywood A-lister Will Smith – who infamously jeopardised his career by slapping Chris Rock for disrespecting his “wife” at the Oscars last year – was a sham.
Jada revealed that she and the Oscar-winner had secretly been living “completely separate lives” since 2016, but were only putting up a front.
Adding a dash of spice, it was also revealed that Chris Rock had asked Jada out during this separation.
However, Jada emphasised that she and Will Smith are “are staying together forever” as they navigate their complicated relationship.
In a revelatory chapter of her recently-released memoir, The Woman In Me, Britney Spears dismantled the two-decade-old narrative of her tumultuous split with Justin Timberlake.
The Princess of Pop revealed that the NSYNC frontman had coerced her into an abortion during their teen romance, despite her desire for motherhood.
Setting the record straight, Spears further challenged the skewed narrative painted by Timberlake’s Cry Me a River music video, which painted her as a cheating “harlot” who had broken the heart of America’s Golden Boy.
Now, decades later, Spears revealed that there was actually mutual infidelity, leaving Timberlake facing massive backlash.
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs faced a series of harrowing sexual assault allegations by at least four women within the span of just two weeks.
Most surprisingly, the catalyst for his downfall was his ex-girlfriend Cassie even though the pair had always presented a united front even after their breakup in 2018.
In November, Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy, alleging decade-long emotional, physical, and sexual abuse – including drugging, sex trafficking, and rape – throughout their on-off relationship.
Diddy settled the lawsuit with Cassie in record time, but vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a “money grab” move.
Still, he faced an avalanche of backlash, losing multiple partnerships and stepping down as chairman of his music network
Ariana Grande’s sudden split from husband Dalton Gomez left the world in shock, but the real jaw-dropper came when insiders reported a secret romance brewing between Grande and her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater – who was married to the mother of his child at the time.
The plot thickened even more when Slater suddenly divorced his wife, Lilly Jay.
The pair have made some rare public appearances as a couple since, such as at Disneyland and at each other’s’ shows. For the most part, though, the duo remains out of the public eye, choosing to quietly navigate the storm of controversy surrounding their budding relationship.
Three women accused the That ‘70s Show star Danny Masterson of raping them in the early 2000s, and the scandal played out in front of the world like a courtroom drama.
Even co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis found themselves entangled in controversy, facing severe backlash when they provided character references for their former colleague during the trial.
But the verdict was clear; in September, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his crimes.
Fans were blindsided when the famously body-positive singer Lizzo was accused of sexual harassment by her former back-up dancers.
The claims ranged from the About Damn Time songstress making her cast members touch nude performers to some other explicit acts.
But it didn’t stop there – Lizzo faced a heap of other accusations, from body-shaming to wrongful termination and even racial and religious discrimination.
Lawsuits flew left and right but remain unresolved, with Lizzo shrugging them off as “sensationalised” stories.
A family feud within the Presley clan seemingly ensued this year when the late Elvis Presley’s only daughter Lisa Marie tragically died of a cardiac arrest in January.
Just weeks after her death, Lisa’s mother, Priscilla, contested Lisa’s will, which bestowed control of her estate to daughter (Priscilla’s granddaughter) Riley Keough.
A friend of Lisa called the move a “money grab,” while Priscilla urged the public to ignore “the noise” around the court filing.
Keough was ultimately named the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate in summers following a months-long legal dispute, and peace has settled within the Presley family with Keough now on “good terms” with her grandmother.
Gwyneth Paltrow provided the internet with a whole new stock of memes when she took the stand for the $300,000 lawsuit against her by 76-year-old retired Optometrist Terry Sanderson, who sought retribution from the actress for causing him broken ribs and brain trauma in a 2016 ski accident.
Amidst questions ranging from the nitty-gritty of the crash to her Christmas gifts for Taylor Swift, Paltrow defended herself.
Paltrow, who labelled the lawsuit as an “attempt to exploit her celebrity and wealth,” was found not guilty, and the blame for the crash was placed on Sanderson.
The internet was quick to hop on the hate bandwagon when notoriously easy-breezy and wholesome Jimmy Fallon was exposed for his alleged “phoniness.”
A bombshell expose by the Rolling Stone featured accounts from 16 associates accusing Fallon of cultivating a toxic workplace environment, so much so that some workers even had “crying rooms” on set to release their emotional stress.
Fallon apologized over Zoom, and a few of his employees even came to his defense.
When all was said and done though, the talkshow resumed after the WGA Strike in October.
In a whirlwind year, Kanye West faced a Twitter ban for anti-Semitic rants, drew Hollywood’s condemnation, and made his musical comeback.
But what grabbed headlines was Kanye’s relationship with Bianca Censori as the pair kicked off the year by tying the knot, marking Kanye’s first love since ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
Among other antics, the duo made waves with their X-rated boat trip to Italy and their eccentric outfits – Kanye often barefoot and Bianca opting for minimal clothing.
Bianca’s friends grew wary, concerned that Kanye’s influence might be molding her into something other than who she “really is.”
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