Britney's Bad Luck
The pop princess had one of the most scandalous years of all, and it all started on Jan. 3, when the singer was taken to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and held for psychiatric evaluation. Soon after, she lost visitation rights with her sons and was put under the watchful eye of her father, Jamie, who became her conservator.
Mary-Kate Linked to Ledger's Death
When a masseuse discovered Heath Ledger's body on Jan. 22, she spent nearly 10 minutes making phone calls to Mary-Kate Olsen -- before ever dialing 911. The Olsen twin refused to speak about her involvement, and rumors circulated that she requested immunity. Federal prosecutors decided not to issue a subpoena for her to testify.
Political Prostitution
Eliot Spitzer, the New York governor known for cleaning up corruption on Wall Street, made a mess of his own in March when he patronized the prostitution service, Emperors Club, and paid frequent, $4,000-a-month visits to "Client 9." The call girl's identity? Ashley Alexandra Dupre, 23, from New Jersey. Spitzer soon resigned.
Anne Hathaway's Bad Boyfriend
Anne Hathaway's longtime boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri, was taken into police custody in early April after allegedly bouncing a $215,000 check. The star split with the Italian real estate developer, whom she said was "the love of my life," just hours before his arrest on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The Miley Cyrus Shoot
The Disney star caused a media frenzy when she appeared semi-topless in the June 2008 issue of
Vanity Fair. She even told
Us that she was "so embarrassed" by Annie Leibovitz's photos. The news came shortly after Cyrus was criticized by parenting groups after photos showing her in a green bra surfaced online.
Hogan Doesn't Know Best
Hulk Hogan's family has had its share of scandal, but when Linda Bollea, 49, filed for divorce from her husband and took up with a 19-year-old, it just got weirder. Her new beau, Charlie Hill, was a former classmate of Linda's daughter Brooke. "I'm totally freaked out," Brooke said. "I personally don't like it at all, or condone."
Jamie Lynn Spears Gives Birth
The teenage sister of Britney gave birth on June 19 to daughter Maddie. Jamie Lynn announced she was expecting a baby when she was only 16 years old. She and her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge, got engaged a few months later.
Madonna Becomes a Yankees Fan
In July, Madonna hosted late-night visits from Yankee player Alex Rodriguez at her apartment in New York City. A-Rod attended the singer's concert, and Madge went to a Yankees game and dressed her son Rocco in the team's shirt. The new relationship preceded the end of Madonna's seven-year marriage to director Guy Ritchie.
The Divorce Heard Round the World
Madonna's divorce had nothing on that of Christie Brinkley and ex-husband Peter Cook. On the very first day of the bitter public trial, Cook and his former assistant, Diana Bianchi, detailed their affair. He recalled how he frequently had sex with Bianchi, then 18, paid her to presumably keep quiet and spent $3,000 monthly on web porn.
A Topless Tryst
Sienna Miller and the still-married Balthazar Getty got cozy on a boat in Positano, Italy, on July 12. When the photos leaked of a topless Miller kissing Getty, he announced he and his wife -- with whom he has four children -- had separated. Miller also took action, by suing the photo agencies for violating her privacy.
Every Parent's Nightmare
OMFG! In July,
Gossip Girl turned negative criticism into
great publicity. Four new ads promoted the second season, and one actually quoted the Parents Television Council ("Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate"). "It reeks of desperation, if they have to position themselves as ... so controversial that they've been called out by us," said the council.
The Blonsky-Bianca Brawl
The
Hairspray star and her father were arrested in July after getting into a fight with the family of
America's Next Top Model contestant Bianca Golden over saved seats in the departure lounge at an airport in Turks and Caicos. Bianca's mother was allegedly kicked and punched all over her body and was airlifted for treatment.
To Drink or to Drive
Before the
Transformers star was arrested for suspicion of DUI after a car crash on July 27, LaBeouf spoke out against drunk driving and opened up about his struggles with alcohol in
Details. "I don't know how to have one drink," he said. LaBeouf -- who injured his hand in the accident -- was never charged.
John Edwards Comes Clean
The former Democratic presidential hopeful admitted in August to a long-rumored affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter. Edwards -- who has been married to wife Elizabeth since 1977 -- said the affair began in 2006 when Elizabeth's now-incurable cancer was in remission. He denied that he was the father of Hunter's baby daughter.
A Palin Pregnancy
Just days after John McCain made Sarah Palin his running mate for the presidential campaign, the Republican VP candidate announced her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant. In a statement, Palin -- who is pro-life -- asked the media to respect the teen mom-to-be as she "faces the responsibilities of adulthood."
Lauren Conrad Deals with Another Rumor
Hills star Lauren Conrad can't stay out of the rumor mill. She denied reports in October -- a month before the scandal aired on the MTV reality show -- that she had a fling with Justin Bobby, the sometimes-boyfriend of her former roommate Audrina Patridge. "I'm being accused of being a bad friend, a slut and a liar all at once," she told
Us.
The Spencer-Heidi Nuptials
If the Nov. 20 elopement of
Hills' Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag wasn't scandalous enough, the reaction to the wedding was. Heidi's mom, Darlene Egelhoff, said she was devastated and believed Spencer might have even drugged her daughter before the ceremony in Mexico. "It's the biggest mistake Heidi's ever made," she told
Us.
The Truth about Brangelina
In a December issue of
Us Weekly, sources revealed how Angelina Jolie flirted with Brad Pitt -- then married to Jennifer Aniston -- by getting naked on set. The two actresses spoke out in interviews, and Aniston told
Vogue she was bothered that Jolie felt the need to recount a detailed timeline of how she fell in love with Brad.
Usmagazine.com | Photos - 2008's Biggest Scandals
2008 celebrity scandals
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