Top 10 Most Scandalous Historical Women You've Never Heard Of

Top 10 Most Scandalous Historical Women You’ve Never Heard Of

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most shocking women you won’t find in the history books.

#10: Bettie Page

We all know the phrase pin-up girl. But Bettie Page? She was THE pin-up girl. With her iconic look and propensity for style, Page made an indelible mark in the pin-up field and set the standard for those who came after her. Her modeling career started in the early 1950s when she became one of the world’s first famous bondage models, posing for pin-ups with strong BDSM themes. She later became one of the first Playboy “Playmates of the Month,” taking the centerfold spot for January 1955. Page and her approach to sexuality took the world, and the 1950s, by storm.

#9: Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

Some might have considered Princess Diana a bit of a scandalous lady in her own right, but one of her ancestors has her beat. Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, is the great-great-great-great aunt of Princess Di, and boy does she have a story to tell. Georgiana lived in the late 18th century, but she didn’t let the morals of the time restrain her. Although married, she had her own affairs, and at one point her husband’s mistress openly lived with the couple. She had a famously ruinous gambling addiction, reportedly spending in one night what some people could live on for 20 years. If you want to know more about Georgiana, you can check out 2008’s “The Duchess.”

#8: Émilie du Châtelet

You’ve probably heard of Isaac Newton, the guy who discovered gravity, and one of the guys who developed calculus. But we’re willing to bet you probably haven’t heard of Émilie du Châtelet. This French philosopher and mathematician was extremely important to Newton’s legacy, and a maverick in her own right. She is responsible for the French translation of Newton’s book on the basic laws of physics, a translation still considered the standard today. She also had a famous romance with the philosopher Voltaire, and for a long time was only known for her involvement with him. Well, we’re here to set the record straight that this maligned woman was important in her own right.

#7: Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

There are so many famous one-named icons: Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé. Well, go ahead and add Colette to that list. Colette, whose full name was Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, was a French author and intellectual who sometimes moonlighted as an actress, journalist, and mime. Her most famous works include “Gigi” and “The Tendrils of the Vine.” Throughout her life, she attributed her ability to focus on her writing to her husband Henry Gauthier-Villars, one of France’s most well-known libertines at the time. Gauthier-Villars introduced Colette to the bohemian lifestyle in Paris and even encouraged her romantic entanglements with women. What a guy. However, she and Gauthier-Villars did eventually divorce, leading Colette to come into her own without the help of a man.

#6: Tallulah Bankhead

If there’s one place you’re going to find a scandalous, strong-willed woman, it’s Hollywood. Mae West comes to mind when thinking about the women of the classic film era who didn’t care what anyone thought of them. But nobody did things quite like Tallulah Bankhead. Bankhead was passionate about liberal causes, helping foster children and assisting families who needed to escape during the Spanish Civil War. She also had numerous affairs with both men and women, that she was unapologetic about. She was romantically connected to such notable women of the time as Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Billie Holiday.

#5: Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft might have been once best known for being the mother of author Mary Shelley or for her unconventional romantic dalliances. But now, while we still love to discuss those more sordid aspects of her life, this scandalous woman was also one of the most important feminist philosophers. Her most important work took on the idea that women were fundamentally inferior to men, arguing that men and women should be treated the same. She had two affairs when she was unmarried, not caring that she would be looked down on by British society. This was a woman who didn’t mind what anyone thought.

#4: Lola Montez

Started from the bottom, now we here. If there was anyone who embodied that sentiment, it was Lola Montez. Reportedly the inspiration for the “Sherlock Holmes” character Irene Adler, Lola was born Eliza Gilbert in Ireland. She married at 16, but when she separated from her husband five years later, she decided to take the stage name Lola as a professional dancer. She had numerous affairs before she became the mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The king made her a Countess, and with her newfound power she pushed the country toward liberalism and anti-Catholicism. Montez might have started as just a dancer, but she became one of the most powerful women in Bavaria.

#3: Evelyn Nesbit

If you’re the woman at the center of the Crime of the Century, then you’re definitely going to be on this list. Nesbit was an American actress, model, and chorus girl, perhaps most famous for her marriage to railroad mogul Harry Kendall Thaw, and what ensued after. Thaw was older than Nesbit, and had a history of mental instability. Things came to a head when he murdered the architect Stanford White, who had been romantically involved with Nesbit before their marriage. The sensationalist reporting was extremely unfair toward Nesbit, who was only in her early 20s at the time. She eventually made a small career in show business, including vaudeville, burlesque, and films.

#2: Agrippina the Younger

It’s always the woman behind the scenes. And as the wife (and niece, unfortunately) to Emperor Claudius and the mother of Nero, Agrippina had a lot of sway. During the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the Roman Empire, she was one of its most prominent female figures. Nero wasn’t originally supposed to be in line for the throne, but Agrippina was the one who schemed him into succession. Claudius found out about this plot, but died before he could do anything to stop it. Rumors swirled that Agrippina had poisoned him. She would continue to have great power over her son as emperor until her untimely death.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hypatia
The Great Roman Martyr of Philosophy

Isadora Duncan
A Pioneer of Dance Who Met a Tragic End

Lady Godiva
Riding Naked Through Town On a Horse Definitely Gets You Remembered

Eleanor of Aquitaine
The Queen of Not One, But Two Countries

Agnès Sorel
A Royal Mistress and Muse

#1: Julie D'Aubigny

While Julie D’Aubigny has inspired so much lore, it’s rare that we ever really talk about her. Known as Mademoiselle Maupin, or La Maupin, she was a fencing master, a world traveler, and an opera singer. She had a penchant for dressing in men’s clothing and had many romantic relationships with both men and women. One of the greatest stories has D’Aubigny blatantly kissing a woman at a ball, and then proceeding to defeat three men in three separate duels. She sang in operas across Europe, only retiring to a convent once the love of her life passed away in 1705.