Top 20 Celebrity Scandals You've Never Heard Of

Over the years, several high-profile careers have been completely or almost destroyed by scandals involving sex workers. Just ask Hollywood actor Hugh Grant and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. However, some stars, like R&B singer D’Angelo, have managed to emerge from such messes with their reputations barely scratched. Back in 2010, while on a prolonged hiatus from music, D’Angelo was caught allegedly trying to pay an undercover cop posing as a sex worker $40. The handcuffs were promptly slapped on his wrists and he was charged with solicitation. While the arrest made headlines briefly, it subsequently vanished into the abyss of forgotten tabloid news. These days, the incident is so obscure that it doesn’t even appear on the singer’s Wikipedia page.

In March of 2008, NFL player Donté Stallworth was riding high, having just signed a seven-year contract with the Cleveland Browns worth $35 million. However, just one year later, his life took a tragic detour. In the early hours of March 14th 2009, Stallworth, who had spent the night drinking at a hotel bar, fatally struck a 59-year-old pedestrian with his car. To his credit, he called 911 and remained at the scene, but his blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit. Stallworth was facing a potential 15-year prison sentence, but he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and only received a 30-day jail term. Perhaps aiming to avoid a prolonged media spectacle, he quickly settled with the victim’s family for an undisclosed amount.

You may have heard of Errol Flynn, the dashing Australian-born actor who charmed audiences during the Golden Age of Hollywood with his swashbuckling roles. But you may not know why his career took a nosedive in the early 1940s. Flynn was just as famous for his on-screen roles as he was for his off-screen sexual escapades. This all came to a head in 1942 when he was accused of statutory sexual assault by two underage girls. The resulting trial became a media sensation, as crowds flocked to the courthouse to show their support for Flynn. Though he was ultimately acquitted of the charges, the damage was done. The scandal left his reputation in tatters, effectively sinking his career as a romantic leading man.

For passengers aboard Chicago's Little Lady on August 8th 2004, it was a messy case of “right place, wrong time.” Just as the open-top sightseeing boat cruised underneath the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago, they were greeted by an unplanned, and utterly disgusting, shower of 800 pounds of human waste. The foul downpour came courtesy of a Dave Matthews Band tour bus, whose driver, Stefan Wohl, thought it wise to empty the vehicle’s septic tank while crossing the bridge. Although the band wasn’t on board at the time of the incident, they still faced legal fallout, and had to cough up $200,000 towards environmental protection. As for Wohl, he pleaded guilty to reckless conduct, receiving 18 months probation and a $10,000 fine.

Throughout her career, writer and filmmaker Lena Dunham has found herself at the center of multiple controversies, so it’s no surprise that this particular one slipped under the radar. In September 2014, Dunham published her memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl,” which included a passage about her sexually experimenting with her younger sister in the past. Conservative commentator Kevin D. Williamson jumped on these excerpts, claiming it wasn’t merely a case of innocent curiosity, as Dunham portrayed, but outright molestation. Dunham rejected this interpretation, emphasizing that she does not condone such behavior “under any circumstances.” Her stance found backing from some child psychologists, who argued that the events described in the book fell “within the norms of childhood sexual behavior.”

2017’s “The Greatest Showman” spins a sanitized tale of P. T. Barnum’s life, skipping over how he came into show business. In 1835, Barnum launched his career by exhibiting Joice Heth, an enslaved Black woman he claimed was 161 years old. Barnum reportedly made $1,500 weekly by showcasing Heth for prolonged periods. Although skeptics questioned his claims, many believed him, thanks to Heth’s frail appearance. Rumor has it that Barnum may have even removed her teeth to make her look older. After Heth’s death in 1836, Barnum continued to exploit her. He arranged a public autopsy, charging spectators 50 cents for admission. The autopsy revealed that Heth was around 80 years old, exposing Barnum’s deception, but this barely put a dent in his career.

As one of the only doctors in the U.S. specializing in late-term abortions, Dr. George Tiller attracted no shortage of detractors. Leading the charge was conservative TV host Bill O’Reilly who regularly attacked Tiller on his Fox News show. O’Reilly dubbed him “Tiller the Baby Killer” and even compared him to terrorist groups. So when Tiller was fatally shot on May 31st 2009 by an anti-abortion extremist, many couldn’t help but connect the dots between O’Reilly’s incendiary rhetoric and the heinous act. He was accused of painting a target on Tiller’s back, especially since an earlier attempt on the doctor’s life had already occurred in 1993. While he condemned the murder, O’Reilly insisted his campaign wasn’t to blame for the violence.

Singer and actress Brandy Norwood has spent most of her career steering clear of controversy. But in 2006, it found her. On December 30th, Norwood’s car rear-ended another vehicle during a multi-car collision on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. The driver in the other car was a mother of two named Awatef Aboudihaj, who sustained severe injuries which she later succumbed to in the hospital. Brandy faced no criminal charges for the accident, as prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to guarantee a conviction at trial. However, she was hit with four wrongful death lawsuits from Aboudihaj’s family and other drivers involved in the collision, all of which were eventually settled out of court.

To date, Karl Malone remains one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, earning the nickname “the Mailman” for his unmatched delivery skills. Malone had enjoyed a pristine reputation since he began his professional career in 1985, but that all changed in 1998 when The Globe dropped a bombshell. The tabloid alleged that Malone had fathered three children in the ‘80s with two women, one of whom was a teenager named Gloria Bell. While Malone managed to escape any legal repercussions for the crime, he had already reached a quiet settlement with Bell’s family years before the story surfaced. Even after the controversial publication, Malone’s career carried on without a hitch, until he officially retired in 2005.

A revolutionary fashion designer, Coco Chanel redefined women’s style in the early 20th century. Her legacy remains iconic, however it has been marred by the revelations about her ties to the Nazi Party. During WWII, Chanel resided in the Hotel Ritz in Nazi-occupied Paris, alongside high-profile German personnel. She became romantically involved with Hans Günther von Dincklage, a Nazi intelligence officer, and allegedly worked as a spy under the code name “Westminster.” Chanel also reportedly participated in Operation Modellhut, a failed plot to exploit her connection to Winston Churchill to sway British diplomacy. After the war, she was investigated by French authorities, but escaped prosecution, supposedly due to Churchill’s intervention. She subsequently fled to Switzerland, before returning to Paris in 1954 to revive her brand.

The late Chuck Berry was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who left a lasting legacy on R&B and rock music. By the late 1980s, Berry branched out, notably purchasing the Southern Air Restaurant in Wentzville, Missouri. To the oblivion of the employees and customers at his restaurant, Berry installed video cameras in private areas, which were eventually found by one of the cooks. A total of about 200 women filed a class-action suit against Berry in 1990, for infringing on their rights to privacy. Although he claimed no wrongdoing, Berry opted to settle his accusers, and paid out over $1.2 million.

Just when his career as a solo pop star was taking off, Bruno Mars fell into some trouble with the police. During an indulgent night out in Vegas, he was caught in possession of illicit substances at the Hard Rock Casino and was swiftly arrested. He ended up pleading guilty in court. The “Uptown Funk” crooner enrolled in an education program, doled out a few thousand dollars, and put in hours of community service as penance. As such, his record was expunged, and the story has largely remained obscure… that is, until today. Luckily, the incident taught Mars a big lesson that mistakes like this could flush all of his hard work down the drain.

David Letterman became one of the most beloved figures in America with his long-running late night talk shows. But the renowned host found himself in a scandal in 2009 when Joe Halderman, one of the producers of “48 Hours,” attempted to blackmail him for millions. Letterman had been romantically involved with some of the female staffers who worked for him, and Halderman threatened to expose the affairs. Letterman got ahead of him, setting up a sting with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which resulted in Halderman’s arrest. All of this was made public in an episode of “The Late Show,” by the host himself.

As one of Hollywood’s most glamorous leading ladies, Lana Turner’s romantic life was the subject of much interest and talk. By the late ‘50s, Turner became involved with Johnny Stompanato, a mobster who was reportedly very possessive and violent. On April 4th 1958, the two had gotten into an intense fight while Turner’s daughter Cheryl Crane was home. Concerned for her mother’s safety, Crane fatally wounded Stompanato. The death and subsequent trial became the talk of town, with dozens of reporters swarming the court during the hearings. Both Turner and Crane were exonerated, but that didn’t stop the rumors around Tinseltown. Still, this story has since largely been forgotten.

You can’t talk about the silent era of film without mentioning Charlie Chaplin and his body of work. Through his Tramp persona, he charmed his way into the hearts of millions around the world. But what many may not know about Chaplin is that behind the on-screen antics, he showed a disturbing attraction for much younger women. Indeed, three of his marriages were with minors, despite the fact that he was well into his adult years. These stories made some waves at the time. Yet despite the unlawful activity, Chaplin’s name and legacy don’t seem to have been tarnished too badly…

The world famous boxer Manny Pacquiao hung up his gloves briefly in 2015 when he decided to run for a Senate seat in his home country of the Philippines. During his campaign the next year, he made disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ+ community in a televised setting. After the segment aired, Pacquiao was hit in the face with a flood of criticism, with many local celebrities calling for a boycott of the famed boxer. In addition to the online backlash, he lost his endorsement deal with Nike. Pacquiao eventually apologized for his statements, although he didn’t exactly change his stance. Still, he was elected.

Throughout her limitless career, Mae West was known for heralding sexual liberation through her art. She was seen as rather bold for her time period, and was therefore no stranger to controversy. Before she drew large audiences to the box office for her steamy movies, West was already an established playwright and stage actress. Using the pseudonym Jane Mast, she penned a highly controversial Broadway play that debuted in 1926. The show was deemed too indecent for public viewing, leading to West being arrested and spending 10 days in prison. Another work of hers, “The Drag,” which was about a closeted gay socialite, was similarly controversial, and didn’t even make it to Broadway.

In between his acclaimed movies “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” David O. Russell got embroiled in a huge scandal that somehow flew under the radar. The Hollywood director was alleged to have assaulted his then-underage niece Nicole Peloquin. According to Peloquin, Russell had been assisting her during a gym session when he engaged in non-consensual touching. Although he admitted to the occurrence, Russell asserted his innocence, claiming that Peloquin had invited the interaction. At the end of the day, no charges were filed against the director due to a lack of evidence, so the case never even went before a court of law.

In the summer of 1987, Hollywood actor Matthew Broderick was vacationing in Northern Ireland with his then-girlfriend, actress Jennifer Grey. The two had hit it off on the set of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and began a relationship which they had largely kept hidden from the media. While driving one night, Broderick crashed directly into another car after veering off into the wrong lane. Broderick and Grey survived the accident with significant injuries, but the passengers in the other car, mother-daughter duo Anna Gallagher Margaret Doherty, passed away. Broderick got off on a careless driving charge and was ordered to pay a small fine, a move that was referred to as “a travesty of justice” by the family of those lost.

The PBS documentary series “Finding Your Roots” brings on different celebrities every episode and traces their ancestral roots. In 2014, Ben Affleck appeared on the show and found out, along with everyone watching, about some of his relatives, like his mom, who was a civil rights activist. Behind the scenes, however, the program’s genealogists had discovered that one of Affleck’s ancestors was a slave owner in Georgia. Feeling embarrassed about the revelation and not wanting the information out in public, Affleck pressured the show’s producers to edit that segment out. It all came to light during the 2015 Sony Pictures hacking scandal, when the story was leaked to the public.



Are there any other obscure celebrity scandals you think should be resurfaced? Share them with us in the comments below.