10 Most Shocking Reveals from Infamous Scandals

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the biggest scandals in recent memory — and the jaw-dropping revelations that they unearthed.

Varsity Blues, Hollywood Stars

Turns out that there is one school you can cheat your way into: the School of Hard Knocks. And, well, at least for a time, a number of top American universities. In what the Federal Bureau of Investigation called “Operation Varsity Blues,” 33 parents of high school students who were applying to schools like Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, and more conspired to illicitly get their children into those schools. William Rick Singer cooperated with the FBI after it became clear that he had accepted over $25 million to bribe university officials and commit fraud on behalf of these parents. But the biggest shock of all? Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman — both well-known Hollywood personalities — were part of the scheme. Both faced criminal charges, with Loughlin serving a two-month prison sentence.

The FBI Failed to Prevent the USA Gymnastics Scandal

Like with “Operation Varsity Blues,” institutional corruption can run far deeper and for far longer than one might expect. Take the USA Gymnastics abuse scandal, for example. Considered as the largest abuse scandal of its kind in the history of sports, it was first reported upon by the Indianapolis Star in 2016. They revealed that “predatory coaches were allowed to move from gym to gym, undetected by a lax system of oversight, or dangerously passed on by USA Gymnastics-certified gyms.” The disturbing scandal snowballed from there, with unethical conduct on the part of physician Larry Nassar earning him up to 175 years in Michigan State Prison. Perhaps most troubling of all? The fact that the FBI was aware of the allegations against Nassar… and declined to investigate.

Sandusky, Paterno, & Penn State

The 2011 Pennsylvania State University scandal unfortunately proves that, even if those willing to speak up in the face of injustice do so, bad actors can shut them down and perpetuate a predatory system. Revered college football coach Jerry Sandusky, at one point the assistant coach of the university’s Nittany Lions team, was indicted in November of 2011 on 52 counts of heinous treatment of minors, which had occurred between 1994 and 2009. An independent investigation determined that Joe Paterno, the team’s head coach, as well as other university officials, were well aware of the allegations against Sandusky, but chose not to act.

Jared Fogle’s Ring of Abusers

The wild, perturbing career trajectory of former Subway spokesman and current convicted felon Jared Fogle — his epic rise and catastrophic, self-inflicted fall — will surely be studied for decades. In 1999, Fogle lost 245 pounds through a combination of physical exercise and Subway, well, subs. The media representative then enjoyed over a decade of public trust and credibility before it came to a screeching halt in 2015. Surreptitiously recorded remarks made by Fogle revealed a history of making predatory comments and even advances on minors. Once it came out that others involved in Fogle’s charity the Jared Foundation had participated in further abuse alongside its namesake, the former spokesman was down for the count, sentenced to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

NXIVM & DOS

As long as the devious and powerful are willing to take advantage of others, then predatory organizations like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM will continue to thrive. For the uninitiated, career criminal Raniere provided self-help workshops as a front for criminal activity in 1998. Utilizing exploitative tactics drawn from multi-level marketing scams, Raniere convinced a number of prominent public figures to take part, like “Smallville” star Allison Mack. A 2017 New York Times exposé revealed the existence of “DOS,” which forced the cult’s female members to debase themselves so as to provide material for blackmail if the truth about the group ever surfaced. Raniere’s reign of terror ended in 2019, when he was found guilty of all charges against him and sentenced to 120 years imprisonment.

How Bill Cosby Kept the Allegations at Bay

America’s Dad no more. Rumors about Cosby’s alleged grave misconduct had swirled for decades. But they only truly came to light in 2014, after comedian Hannibal Buress made an offhand joke in an October 2014 standup set in Philadelphia. The joke, which Buress had incorporated into his act with little previous fanfare, kicked off a domino effect that resulted in the beloved Cosby’s genteel public image being obliterated. Over 60 women came forward, accusing the “Cosby Show” star of years of assault, abuse, harassment, and even involuntary drugging. The most damning charge of all? That Cosby had paid many of his accusers off to guarantee their silence

Michael Jackson Shared a Bed With His “Friends”

He was the King of Pop, but a series of explosive allegations from the early 1990s and mid-2000s seriously damaged Jackson’s claim to the throne. In a long, torrid saga beginning in 1993, dentist Evan Chandler accused Jackson of inappropriate conduct with his 13-year-old son Jordan. These followed several trips to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch amidst a blooming friendship between Jordan and the singer. While Jackson wasn’t brought up on charges, with relevant law enforcement agencies citing insufficient evidence to move forward with the case, children questioned — including actor Macaulay Culkin — confirmed that the “Billie Jean” singer often encouraged them to platonically sleep together.

What Sean “Diddy” Combs Needed All That Baby Oil For

This former hip hop mogul’s fall from grace was swift, public, and relentless. And that’s with good reason — especially if you ask the federal agents who raided Combs’ Miami and L.A. properties in March 2024. Pulling on that tiny, loose thread tore the whole sweater apart: not only did the raids reveal narcotics at Combs’ residences, but reportedly over 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. Predictably, Combs didn’t just keep them around for household purposes. Rather, the purpose was to facilitate his now-infamous “freak-offs.” These were lengthy, hedonistic parties which often featured unwitting participants in adult acts. Combs stands accused of orchestrating and directing these freak-offs, and threatening those who refuse to comply with career-ending blackmail.

Harvey Weinstein’s Attempts to Silence His Accusers

In yet another example of wealthy elites finding out that the rules do, indeed, apply to them as well, prominent film producer Weinstein’s storied career ended in seconds in 2017. Weinstein was accused of misconduct stretching back at least three decades. Described as the beginning of the #MeToo movement, which aims to expose abuses of power by high-level executives across multiple industries, over 80 women came forth and blasted Weinstein for his misconduct, claiming that he had used his power and influence to coerce them into unwanted sex acts. To top it off, journalist Ronan Farrow reported that Weinstein had employed private security firms like Black Cube to spy on, intimidate, and discredit his accusers.

The Epstein List

Chances are you’d never heard the name “Jeffrey Epstein” before his 2019 death. However, if you hung around in the world of the rich and famous, then he likely would have been a familiar face. Epstein, a New York financier and broker, was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of trafficking minors in Florida and New York. However, before Epstein could face justice for his transgressions, he was found dead in his jail cell the following month. While the circumstances of Epstein’s death remain suspicious, significant attention was paid to unsealed court documents from a 2015 civil lawsuit that listed several high-profile individuals as his friends or associates. These included Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Kevin Spacey, among others.

Which scandal shocked you the most? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!