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Will Smith -

At the 2022 Oscars on March 28, when Chris Rock made a tasteless joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia, Will Smith took to the stage and slapped Rock across the face. He was heard to shout "keep my wife’s name out your [ ] mouth" as he returned to his seat. Smith later won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in 'King Richard,' and made a tearful apology in his acceptance speech. 

The incident shocked the world and completely overshadowed other important events that took place at the awards. 

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Michael Jackson -

The King of Pop saw his life turned upside down in 2003 when police began investigating a series of child molestation accusations against him.

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Michael Jackson - His Neverland Ranch was eventually raided and the whole 2005 trial was a massive media circus, but MJ ended up being acquitted of all charges. Nevertheless, the event would end up tainting his career forever.

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Princess Diana -

The world came to a halt with the news of Princess Di's death on August 31, 1997. By then divorced from Prince Charles, she died in a car accident alongside her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

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Princess Diana - The two were reportedly fleeing paparazzi in Paris when the crash happened. The driver was later determined to have been at fault as he was under the influence.

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O.J. Simpson -

In what has been considered one of the most publicized court cases of all time, former NFL star O.J. Simpson was tried for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. His arrest was broadcast live to over 90 million people.

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O.J. Simpson - Simpson ended up being acquitted of both counts in October 1995. In 2007, he was arrested for several felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping after an incident in a Las Vegas casino. He was sentenced to 33 years in jail, but was released on parole in 2017. Simpson died from cancer in 2024. 

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Harvey Weinstein - In one of Hollywood's greatest scandals ever, mega-producer Harvey Weinstein's life went into a downward spiral when it was reported by the New York Times that he had sexually assaulted numerous women in the industry, including many high-profile actresses. In May of 2018, he turned himself in.

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Harvey Weinstein - After the New York Times story was published in October 2017, a series of events took place, including the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault being brought to public attention, sparking many people to come forward with their stories. In March 2020, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

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Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky - Nobody will ever forget the moment the then-US President admitted to a grand jury in 1998 that he had lied in a previous deposition about having been involved with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

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Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky - The lie led to his impeachment, while Lewinsky suffered so much criticism she is now an advocate for victims of bullying. He and his wife Hillary are still famously together.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - These two started out as a trio, as it is widely agreed that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met and fell in love on the set of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' while he was still with 'Friends' star Jennifer Aniston.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - And because it wasn't a big enough scandal that one of the most famous couples in the world had to break up in order for Brangelina to happen, the pair then proceeded to dash everyone's hopes and dreams when they announced their split in 2016. The messy divorce and custody battle has been ongoing for years. 

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Lance Armstrong - Cancer survivor and the world's most famous cyclist was engulfed in controversy when it was revealed that he had been getting away with doping the whole time. 

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Lance Armstrong - He infamously admitted to using the performance-enhancing drugs on camera during an interview with Oprah. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.

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Donald Trump - The President of the United States is no novice to controversy, and despite the fact that the 'Access Hollywood' scandal didn't change the election results, it certainly shook things up during the campaign, with some Republicans dropping their support for him.

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Donald Trump - On his way to film an episode of the show with TV host Billy Bush, Trump was recorded saying these infamous words (in regards to women): "When you're a star, they let you do anything. Grab them by the [ ]."

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Woody Allen - The world could barely believe it when Woody Allen left his long-time partner Mia Farrow for none other than her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, in 1992.

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Woody Allen - The couple are still married to this day, and even though his legacy in the movie industry is undeniable, this stomach-churning relationship will always haunt him.

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z - Who could ever forget Jay-Z and Beyoncé's sister Solange's altercation in an elevator after the 2014 Met Gala, in which the latter unleashed her fury on her brother-in-law for reasons we can only assume but will never know? The family feud came as a shock to fans who thought Bey and Jay were the perfect celeb couple.

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z - Two years later, with the release of Beyoncé's intimate album 'Lemonade,' her fans learned that her husband did indeed screw things up, but details remain a mystery. The couple's joint album 'Everything is Love,' which was released in 2018, is a celebration of forgiveness and their newfound passion.

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Hugh Grant - It's been over 20 years since British heartthrob Hugh Grant was arrested with a prostitute in Hollywood and his mugshot was all over the news. At the time, he was also in a long-term relationship with actress Elizabeth Hurley.

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Hugh Grant - Grant then went on the 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' to publicly apologize, in what is still considered one of the greatest celebrity mea culpa episodes ever.

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Britney Spears - The pop singer starred in probably one of the most shocking celebrity moments of the century when she hit rock bottom in 2007 and memorably shaved her head in front of the paparazzi one night.

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Britney Spears - Apart from that, Britney also checked in and out of rehab that year, gave a disastrous VMAs performance, and ended up in psychiatric hold, all of which cost her the custody of both her kids. Her parents kept her under conservatorship for more than a decade, and the 2021 trial which eventually freed Britney from this legal repression was another of the most shocking events in celebrity history. 

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Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson - This 2004 episode was so bizarre it even got its own name: Nipple-Gate. During the Super Bowl Halftime Show, JT ripped Jackson's bodice, leaving her decorated nipple exposed for a second.

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Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson - The incident resulted in thousands of dollars in fines for network CBS, who also came under fire for rescinding Jackson's invite to the Grammys but not Timberlake's.

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Paul Reubens - Paul Reubens, who played beloved character Pee-wee Herman, was at the epicenter of a scandal when he was arrested in 1991 for touching himself at a Florida porn theater.

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Paul Reubens - Even though he managed a deal to get the indecent exposure charges dropped from his record, it took him almost 15 years to get the character back in the public's good graces, in the form of Netlfix's 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday.'

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Tiger Woods - Many A-listers have sullied their careers with affair scandals, but few had a list quite as long as golf star and international sports icon Tiger Woods, who was exposed as a serial cheater in 2009.

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Tiger Woods - At first, it was revealed he was cheating on his wife and mother of his two kids, Elin Nordegren, with a night club hostess, but suddenly the number of mistresses rose to 14, and Woods had to check into rehab for sex addiction.

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Chris Brown and Rihanna - The night before the 2009 Grammys, Rihanna was taken to hospital with “major contusions,” a split lip, and a bloody nose after her then-boyfriend Chris Brown reportedly assaulted her.

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Chris Brown and Rihanna - The singer was charged with felony assault and sentenced to five years of probation and more than 1,400 hours of "labor-oriented service." In 2017, he released a documentary in which he discussed the attack.

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Taylor Swift and Kanye West - One of music's longest-standing beefs started at the legendary 2009 VMAs, when Kanye stole the mic from Taylor Swift as she was about to give her acceptance speech to protest her win over Beyoncé in the best video category.

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Taylor Swift and Kanye West - Since then, they've had their ups and downs, but their relationship once again flaked in 2016 when Kim Kardashian posted a video of what seemed like Taylor consenting to Kanye calling her a derogatory name in one of his lyrics, which Tay-Tay strongly denies. Then in 2020, there were many more updates to this story.

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner - The word gasped when Hollywood power couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their divorce in 2015, after 10 years of marriage.

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner - Turns out, Affleck was allegedly cheating on Garner with their nanny Christine Ouzounian, who had been hired to look after the couple's three children.

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Bill Cosby - In April 2018, the #MeToo movement achieved a real milestone when disgraced sitcom Bill Cosby was found guilty on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

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Bill Cosby - Constand was one of many women who accused Cosby of drugging and assaulting them. The comedian rose to fame with his '80s sitcom 'The Cosby Show.' Cosby's conviction was tossed out just three years into his sentence and he was released, but multiple women are bringing civil suits against him. 

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Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson -

Teenagers all around the world were swooning over the 'Twilight' stars relationship, but the illusion soon came to an end. 

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Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson - Stewart was caught red-handed cheating with her 'Snow White and the Huntsman' director Rupert Sanders, after which she had to issue a public apology to Pattinson.

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Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland - This one may be buried in many people's memories, but it was a big deal back in 1991 when the Hollywood couple split.

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Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland - The future 'Runaway Bride' pulled a shocking move when she called off their wedding three days before it was due to happen, and instead jetted off to Ireland with Sutherland's friend Jason Patric.

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Charlie Sheen - In November 2015, actor Charlie Sheen went on the 'Today' show to do something many praised as brave: he publicly admitted to being HIV-positive.

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Charlie Sheen - The 'Two and a Half Men' star said he'd paid people "in the millions" in the past so they wouldn't reveal his condition.

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Drake - A feud between Drake and fellow rapper Pusha T resulted in one of the most incendiary tracks hip-hop fans have heard in a while.

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Drake - Pusha's song 'The Story of Adidon' revealed, among other things, that Drake was hiding a love child with a former adult film star. Drake later confirmed the information on his new album 'Scorpion.'

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Arnold Schwarzenegger - However, Drake's not the only one with an estranged child. Hollywood star and former California governor Schwarzenegger did it first back in 1997, when he got his housekeeper pregnant.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger - Ten years later, it was revealed that Joseph Baena was indeed Arnie's son, and the news prompted his wife Maria Schriver to leave him. Fun fact: Joseph was born four days apart from his half brother Christopher!

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Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee - Way before Kim Kardashian became famous for her sex tape, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were already making headlines in 1997.

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Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee -

A tape they had made and locked in a safe was stolen by an electrician, and it became one of the first viral 'sex tapes' online—making as much as US$77 million in the first year alone!

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George Michael - George Michael was one of the biggest pop stars of the '80s and '90s, but the reason why his name was so famous in 1998 was a little darker. The star was arrested at a Beverly Hills park bathroom for "engaging in a lewd act."

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George Michael - Everyone assumed this meant he was looking for sex, especially as rumors of his homosexuality were going around like crazy. A few days later, he came out during a CNN interview, saying he felt "stupid" for letting his "sexuality be exposed that way."

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Winona Ryder - Ryder had already become a cult actress by the time she was engulfed in a shoplifting scandal in 2001, when she was caught ripping the security tags off US$5,000-worth of merchandise and putting it in her bag.

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Winona Ryder - The 'Stranger Things' star was convicted of grand theft and vandalism, and sentenced to three years of probation, community service, thousands of dollars in fines, and compulsory psychological and drug counseling.

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R. Kelly - The 'Ignition' singer suffered a huge blow to his popularity in 2002, when the Chicago Sun-Times received a tape that allegedly showed him having sex with, and urinating on, a girl who was underage. He was acquitted of all counts of child pornography in a 2008 trial.

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R. Kelly -

His sexual misconduct allegations date back to 1994, when he married 15-year-old R&B star Aaliyah. In 2017, he was accused of creating an abusive "cult" of young women, but he denied all accusations. But following a controversial docuseries a few years later, R. Kelly was convicted of nine crimes including sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, and sex trafficking.

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Martha Stewart -

And last but not least, the queen of homebaking and her inside trading scandal. In 2002, she was investigated for selling off 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems after she received a tip they were going to drop drastically. Following a highly-publicized trial, she was sent to jail for a total of five months.

See also: Celebs open up about mental health

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