Top 10 Celebrity Scandals of Each Year (1990-1999)
1990: Milli Vanilli Are Stripped of Their Grammy
The German-French duo of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus (known as Milli Vanilli) burst onto the music scene in the late 1980s. By 1990, they had broken into the American scene with such hits as “Blame It on the Rain” and “Girl You Know It’s True,” and won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990. However, the win was short-lived and taken back when it was revealed that the duo was lip-syncing. The boys were attractive, stylish, and marketable in the visual sense. However, their producer, Frank Farian, did not care for their vocal talents. So he chose to maintain the visuals, and record the vocals with studio performers. The discovery was gradual, albeit nonetheless shocking.
1991: Pee-wee Herman Exposes Himself
Top 10 Celebrity Scandals of Each Year (2000-2009)
Anyone who was a kid in the late 1980s remembers “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” The surreal yet educational program was widely popular and garnered 15 Emmy awards. It aired from 1986 to 1990, at which time Pee-Wee actor Paul Reubens chose to take a sabbatical from the character. Reubens had put great effort into developing the character as a positive role model, taking careful measures to avoid anything that could damage his child audience. This made his arrest in July of 1991 all the more shocking. Reubens was caught… ahem… enjoying himself at an adult movie theatre. Reubens and his lawyer did their best to avoid publication of the event, but to no avail.
1992: Sinéad O’Connor Tears Up a Photo of the Pope
Sinéad O’Connor has always been an activist for one cause or another. She considered herself a protest singer, and this didn’t really touch any real nerves until her 1992 performance on “Saturday Night Live.” O’Connor sang an a capella rendition of Bob Marley’s “War.” However, she was singing it in regards to the Catholic Church’s controversial practices towards children, rather than the original intent of the song, racism. Towards the end of the song, she held up a photo of Pope John Paul II, tore it up while singing the word “evil” and exclaimed, [“Fight the real enemy!”] “SNL” was in no way aware of her intentions, and they as well as NBC were as shocked as the rest of us.
1993: Michael Jackson’s First Trial
Top 5 Facts About Michael B. Jordan
Michael Jackson hadn’t had an easy life up until that point. However, things got much worse for him following these first allegations. In 1993, Evan Chandler accused Jackson of being more than inappropriate with his son, Jordan Christopher Chandler, aged 13. The Chandlers had become very close to Jackson, frequently staying at his house at Neverland Ranch. The case itself has some bizarre twists and turns, including allegations of Chandler blackmailing Jackson. The case ended up being settled out of the courts. It was not fully proven at the time that Jackson had performed any of the alleged actions, as many witnesses seemed unreliable, in that they were profiting from telling their stories. Jackson’s reputation never really recovered and was plagued with subsequent allegations.
1994: Nancy Kerrigan & Tonya Harding’s Rivalry
Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said something along the lines of, “Fame is something that must be won. Honor is something that must not be lost.” If Tonya Harding and her entourage ever encountered this quote, they stopped reading midway. In 1994, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan had become the main obstacle to Tonya Harding’s pursuit of fame, fortune, and the top step of the podium. Harding’s bodyguard and her ex-husband hired a hitman to attack Kerrigan after a practice skate. He clubbed her in the right knee, and the media footage is memorable, as television cameras captured the immediate aftermath of the attack. Harding was eventually stripped of her titles, and banned from competing.
1995: Hugh Grant’s Escort
In 1995, Hugh Grant was just gaining popularity in mainstream cinema, having starred in “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” and promoting the rom-com “Nine Months.” Well, that called for celebration, right? So how does a seemingly proper Englishman celebrate? With a $60 um… “party favor” from an escort of course! Hugh Grant was caught and arrested soliciting a sex worker. Cue the publishing of his mug shot, plastered all over the tabloids. Grant, however, seemed to take it as best he could, issuing his apologies and even making a little light of the situation. In a now-classic moment, Jay Leno’s first question to Grant on “The Tonight Show” was “what the hell were you thinking?”
1996: Prince Charles & Princess Diana’s Divorce
Prince Harry's Spare: Top 10 Most Shocking Reveals
In the summer of 1981, 750 million viewers tuned in to watch the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, in many time zones and countries. It was much like a fairy tale come true, as the English school teacher’s assistant was becoming a princess. The relationship was ripe with problems from the start, and the two separated in 1992. They did not, however, officially divorce until 1996. They remained married yet separated until Queen Elizabeth II urged the divorce, which would essentially strip Diana of her claim to the throne. The “People’s Princess” was always beloved by the public, and continued to be throughout the marital hardships, until her untimely and tragic death in 1997.
1997: Mike Tyson Bites Off Evander Holyfield’s Ear
Regardless of whether you were a fan of boxing or not, if you were alive in 1997, you remember the “Bite Fight.” Did you know, however, that Tyson bit both Holyfield’s ears? We all remember the right ear, which Tyson took a one-inch piece of, but the fight resumed and Tyson was only disqualified following his attempt to bite Holyfield’s left ear (leaving it scarred but not maimed). The two had an existing history and beef, which included Holyfield allegedly head-butting Tyson in the ring on numerous occasions. Tyson claimed the bites were retaliation for these instances. We can only assume, however, that there wasn’t much in the boxing rulebook about ear bites. At least not before 1997.
1998: The Monica Lewinsky Affair
Top 10 Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2021
U.S. Presidents are sometimes a fun source of entertainment and scandal. The talk of the late 90s was Mr. Bill Clinton and his notorious affair with intern Monica Lewinsky. The recorded conversations, the blue dress, the cigars, the lies… everyone and their mother knew every detail thanks to every media outlet. The two allegedly carried on the affair for 2 years - between 1995 and 1997. They might have gotten away with it, had it not been for the Paula Jones case. Clinton was being accused of sexual harassment by Jones, a former employee, and lied under oath regarding his relationship with Lewinsky. Thus began the incredible case that eventually led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
1999: The J.Lo & Diddy Club Incident
Top 24 Celeb Scandals of Each Year (2000-2023)
Ever wonder why Sean “Puffy” Combs changed his name so many times? This is the explanation for one of those times. In 1999, then couple Jennifer Lopez and P. Diddy were leaving a club event when Diddy accidentally knocked a drink out of a man’s hand. Now, this happens a lot, right? But the man who lost his drink was a gang member called “Scar,” and a fight ensued resulting in gunshots and injured clubgoers. The couple fled the scene and were quickly apprehended by police who found a gun in their vehicle. The blame game was played, and the couple ended up acquitted thanks to high-priced lawyer Johnnie Cochran. Puff Daddy changed his name to P. Diddy to try to move on.
