7 Celebrity Scandals That Rocked Hollywood

Celebrity scandals are plentiful in Hollywood, but there are some infamous stories that left fans and followers distraught and speechless. These are the top seven celebrity scandals that rocked Hollywood. Read through and tell us which star’s story shocked you most.

1. Paula Deen

The bubbly Lady & Sons restaurateur, who’s famously known for using too much butter, surprised food fans around the world when she admitted to using racial slurs on multiple occasions. Deen faced an employee discrimination lawsuit, which lead to her being fired from the Food Network and several endorsement deals were canceled.

2. Bill Cosby

The once lovable Dr. Huxtable destroyed fans’ respect for him when multiple women began coming forward with rape allegations against the Cosby Show star. Incidents dated as far back as 1969. Many of the women made similar claims against the comedian of being drugged and sexually assaulted. Supermodel Janice Dickinson recounted her story from 1982 saying, “Before I woke up in the morning, the last thing I remember was Bill Cosby in a patchwork robe, dropping his robe and getting on top of me. And I remember a lot of pain.”

3. Michael Jackson

The “King of Pop” shocked the world in 1993 when allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch. Although there was evidence, no criminal charges were filed. Nearly a decade later, Jackson was charged with multiple counts of child molestation and drugging a different boy. He was acquitted on all counts. When Jackson passed away in 2009, rumors began flying alleging that his personal physician Conrad Murray was responsible for his death. Murray was found guilty for involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after two years in October 2013 due to prison overcrowding and good behavior.

4. Heath Ledger

In 2007, the Brokeback Mountain actor complained of poor breathing and insomnia, and revealed that he was taking medication for his inability to sleep. However, when Ledger was found in dead in his Manhattan apartment in 2008, fans were shocked to discover that his autopsy report revealed that he had died from acute intoxication from a cocktail of several prescription medications. He received a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

5. Josh Duggar

The 19 Kids and Counting star was raised under the strict guidelines of his Baptist family. Oldest son Josh went on to marry and have children of his own, but soon molestation rumors began flying. Tabloids got hold of 2006 police records which confirmed that Josh had admitted to molesting multiple underage girls, including several of his sisters. This unleashed a media firestorm and the TLC show was pulled. It was one of the more shocking celebrity scandals because the Duggar brand was built on promoting their virtuous family values.

6. Tiger Woods

Back in 1997, Tiger Woods was one of the most successful golfers in the world, winning his first Masters tournament at 21. Through the 2000s, Woods was a dominant force in golf winning the Masters four times and the U.S. Open on three occasions. Then in 2009, he took leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage to Elin Nordegren after multiple women came forward claiming they had affairs with the athlete. This was followed by a loss of golf form, and his ranking gradually fell to a low of No. 58 in November 2011. Woods also lost many sponsorship deals after admitting to the infidelities. By March 2015, Woods had fallen to #104, outside of the top 100 for the first time since 1996.

7. O.J. Simpson

At one time Simpson was a respected NFL star and actor in Hollywood. Then, in 1992 he filed for divorce from his wife Nicole Brown. Two years later, Brown and her male friend, Ronald Goldman, were brutally murdered outside her Los Angeles home. Police lead a low-speed chase and Simpson was eventually charged with murder. He was acquitted of all criminal charges in an extremely controversial trial. He later had to pay $25 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families in a civil suit. Simpson is currently incarcerated at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada and will be serving time for armed robbery and kidnapping until 2017.