It’s been little more than two weeks, but it seems like all the commotion around ‘Slap Gate’ is finally starting to die down, just in time for a new celebrity controversy to break through. And the latest star to come under fire is Ezra Miller.
The actor, who uses they/them pronouns, was in We Need To Talk About Kevin and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. Their esoteric fashion choices on the red carpet have also made them a style icon in recent years. But arguably, they’re best known for their role as the Flash in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), appearing in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and, Justice League. And a standalone movie, The Flash, is slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2023.
As if being part of one huge Warner Bros franchise wasn’t enough, Ezra was also cast in Fantastic Beasts. You might remember a different Fantastic Beasts star better, though: Johnny Depp. Whether or not you saw the films, there’s no doubt you were well aware of Johnny Depp’s inclusion, and subsequent exclusion, in the series. The star famously “resigned” from his Fantastic Beasts role in 2020 upon the studio’s request. This resignation, along with Disney’s dismissal of the actor from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, came after Depp lost a libel lawsuit against a British newspaper that accused him of being abusive toward his ex-wife, Amber Heard. In a true full-circle moment, Amber Heard is also a part of the DCEU—she played Mera in Justice League and again in Aquaman. Which brings us to the current controversy surrounding one Ezra Miller.
On March 28, Ezra was arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct after a karaoke bar altercation that involved them yelling at a woman singing, grabbing the microphone from her, and then lunging at a man playing darts. The very next day, things took a turn for the worse when a local couple filed a restraining order against Ezra alleging that the actor broke into their home, stole from them, and threatened to kill them.
The incident is making plenty of waves—from fans taking to Twitter to petition the actor’s replacement in the DCEU to conflicting reports about Warner Bros’ reaction (according to Rolling Stone, executives held an emergency meeting and agreed to pause future projects with Ezra; a source from the studio later denied this claim).
This isn’t the first time Ezra has demonstrated problematic behavior. Back in 2020, a video surfaced showing them grabbing a woman by the throat, choking her, and pushing her to the floor. Earlier this year, in January, they posted an Instagram story inexplicably threatening a specific chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. And prior to their recent arrest, police in Hawaii were called on them 10 times in the month of March.
So, yeah. People are talking. With Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore hitting theaters everywhere this month, that’s not exactly surprising. But the conversation around Ezra Miller has expanded in recent days; it’s no longer an issue of this actor facing public backlash but of all actors who’ve faced backlash.
The latest installment of Fantastic Beasts sees Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald, the character formerly portrayed by Johnny Depp. It’s not the first time an actor has been replaced on account of widespread controversy (see Kevin Spacey, Lori Loughlin, and Chris D’Elia), but it caused quite an uproar when it happened with #JusticeForJohnny trending on Twitter. Fans were equally upset with Warner Bros when Amber Heard wasn’t fired from her role in the DCEU despite the domestic violence allegations against her.
Now, with Ezra Miller’s scandal unfolding, plenty of comparisons between them and Johnny Depp/Amber Heard are being drawn. And of course, people are finding a way to bring Will Smith into the conversation as well. His fallout after the Oscars has been widespread and enormous, as a number of his upcoming projects have reportedly been either pulled or put on hold.
So, it begs the question: why hasn’t Ezra faced similar consequences?
Despite the fact that not every scandal is the same, it’s a valid question. Johnny Depp was effectively blacklisted from Hollywood even though he’s denied the claims of abuse, even going so far as to sue his ex-wife for defamation. Will Smith was condemned following the infamous slap and banned from the Oscars for the next decade. But the conversations about Ezra seem to show far more compassion and empathy.
Why? Is it, as some have suggested, an issue of race? A matter of publicity? Will Smith and Johnny Depp are both bigger names whose media coverage was vastly greater than Ezra’s. Or, is it a matter of money?
Personally, I suspect the latter. When Johnny Depp was recast in the franchise back in 2020, filming had started, but the actor had only completed one scene. Replacing him might have delayed the schedule, but it didn’t completely sink the project. As for Will Smith, a number of his films have reportedly been put on hold, but for the most part, they’re in pre-production.
Meanwhile, The Flash has already been filmed; to recast and reshoot now would likely cost a fortune. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore had its world premiere in London at the end of March; pulling it entirely would be an incredible loss for the studio.
Thus, his disparate treatment could simply be a matter of timing and the bottom line. But one thing’s for certain: Ezra Miller can’t afford another controversy. Otherwise, his future projects might be canceled in a flash.
UPDATE 4/25: Just a few weeks after a restraining order was filed against them, Miller was arrested in Hawaii for second-degree assault. On April 19, the actor was at a private residence. When they were asked to leave, they allegedly became angered and threw a chair at a woman, leaving her with an injury on her forehead (for which she refused treatment). The arrest, Miller’s second, came less than a week after the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Images: Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
What do you spend your money on when you’re the youngest billionaire in the world? Evidently not charity cases. Kylie Jenner, self-proclaimed billionaire (and Forbes’ highest-paid celebrity of 2020), has sent fans into a moral dilemma over whether to keep worshiping at the altar of King Kylie or #eattherich this week when she posted a goFundMe for her makeup artist and “friend” Samuel Rauda’s medical bills after he was involved in a horrific car accident.
While Kylie did share a screenshot of her $5,000 donation, with a net worth of $900 million, it’s certainly raising some eyebrows—especially when that works out to 0.000006% of her net worth. While Miss Jenner more or less offloaded the financial responsibility of her friend’s surgery onto her lip kit army, here are five things she’s posted on Instagram that would have paid for Samuel’s $60,000 surgery (and even the full $120,000 goFundMe request).
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If you were watching Kylie’s instagram story on December 27th, did you realize this photo cost over $50,000? Yeah, that’s what we thought, broke bitch. That tiny bag Kylie is holding is the Hermès Matte Alligator Kelly Pochette Poussiere, which retails for approximately $49,999 if you’re in the market. Paired with a Charlotte Knowles London Exclusive Green Check Skinny Dress and Trouser ($900), Dior Sunglasses ($340) and Yeezy pumps ($240), this quick glimpse into Kylie’s wardrobe is only worth about 0.0056% of her net worth, but would have covered 85% of Sam’s original medical expenses.
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While Kylie’s daughter Stormi normally steals the attention of whatever picture she’s in, even she can’t outshine the $50,500 Harry Kotlar 5962 Classico Earrings Kylie’s wearing here. Didn’t catch those, you uncultured swine? Don’t worry—the more obvious matching red Bottega Veneta Cutout Sequined Jersey Turtleneck Gowns cost nearly triple Kylie’s donation goFundMe donation, at around $14,000.
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Posted less than two weeks ago, this picture not only called you poor, but also crossed the street to avoid you. For those who don’t keep up with coveted designer bags, this Instagram features not one, but three Hermès bags. In the name of science, we did some research: they appear to be alligator skin, which puts them at a hefty approximate $48,000 each.
The bottom line: With just the three handbags in the upper left corner, Kylie Jenner could have paid for her “friend” Samuel’s surgery, but didn’t.
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While at first glance this may just be a cute snap of Stormi holding an $800 Prada Re-Edition bag that costs over half my rent, look again at the orange vehicle behind here and squint at the logo. If you recognized that as the $400,000 Lamborghini Jenner acquired in 2018, congrats on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. For everyone else: That car could have paid for all of Samuel’s medical bills three times over.
Still Not Getting It? Let’s Put It In Perspective…
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You may recognize this picture from Kylie’s Instagram story on March 10th, but I bet you didn’t know she’s wearing a S/S 2006 Runway Brown Tie Around Ultra Tiny Bikini by Dolce and Gabbana that retails for $6,200. For those bad at math, let me spell it out for you: Kylie Jenner spent more on a bikini than she donated to a “friend” to save his life.
So, is this the end of King Kylie’s reign? Unfortunately, probably not. But, in a year that has had nearly 11% of Americans unemployed and millions more scraping to get by, maybe it’s something to start thinking about when a celebrity chooses to post a goFundMe and offload financial responsibility onto their fans.
Images: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com; kyliejennersoutfit, kyliejenner / Instagram
Lana, sweetie. Lana Lana Lana. Lana Del Rey, the Lena Dunham of pop music (how did I never before notice how similar their names are?) has come prancing down the path chef Alison Roman cleared all of a week ago with an Instagram rant that begins by name-checking seven successful female musicians, six of them women of color, for getting away with what she can’t, and, shock of shocks, the world is up in arms.
I’ve never especially liked Lana. In 2014, I was at Coachella with friends complaining aloud about how her whole Williamsburg broody hipster thing felt so affected and manufactured, and my friend Paul argued back so fiercely (“She is in charge of her own narrative!”) that a stranger tapped me on the arm and asked if I was OK, mistaking my gay bestie for an abusive boyfriend. Lana’s performance that evening was so lackluster (she shuffled around the stage smoking a cigarette, ew), I felt I’d won the argument by default. And yet.
And yet I’m about to kind of, sort of defend her. Speaking of abusive boyfriends: She was announcing she’s allowed to write about hers without being called hysterical or glorifying abuse. Her actual message, which no one bothered with because she started out by shrieking the names of female artists we unequivocally stan, holds water. She writes, “Can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money—or whatever I want—without being crucified or saying that I’m glamorizing abuse??????” (Six-question-mark emphasis hers.) If we ignore her supremely misguided first few lines (for just a minute), she’s basically saying: “My experiences are mine, and I can write them however I want without you calling me a bad feminist.”
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Which resonates with me in a BIG ol’ way. Why? I’m a novelist, and my latest thriller, called THE HERD, has something to say about internalized misogyny and commodified feminism; it’s a whodunit set in an elite, progressive, “empowering” all-female coworking space, and because I am a feminist and I created it, sure, fine, it’s a feminist novel. The LA Times even said I’d been “widely hailed as a master of the ‘feminist thriller,’” which is honestly news to me, but cool. Thing is: Not everyone’s quick to agree. Enter the handwringing, pearl-clutching readers and reviewers insisting THE HERD is anything but feminist, since it features a cornucopia of Nasty Women behaving in unladylike ways (and even using the word “c*nt.” The nerve!).
The argument makes me so tired. The idea that female-created art needs to portray women in only a positive light—that we can’t have songs about women entangled in emotionally abusive relationships or books about women being mean to each other—is actually pretty f*cking sexist. I don’t want to read a novel or watch a movie or listen to a song about women smiling beatifically and holding hands and singing Kumbaya. (It exists, and it’s called “Run the World” and it’s a fantastic song, so we can all move on to creating different things. Congratulations, everybody, we did it.) Men are allowed to make art about awful men; why can’t women do the same, especially, as in Lana’s case, when they’re sharing their own damn experiences?
And speaking of women being mean to each other! Our society loves a “cat fight,” a “mean girl,” a girl-on-girl “feud” with a fetishization and fascination that is so gross! There’s a reason Mean Girls has an eponymous movie, musical, and in-development nightmarish-sounding themed restaurant (oh yes), while the male equivalent (F*ckboys: The Musical?) remains a pipe dream. We love to see women as jealous shrews and harpies tearing each other down.
Um hi, who do you think benefits from the messaging that women are awful to each other, we can’t lift each other up, and the only way to succeed is to stomp on women’s backs? Drumroll please…f*cking men. The patriarchy. Gross.
And yes, Lana played into that trap by naming these women—more so by pointing the finger at women of color. To state the obvious, basically everything is harder for non-white women than for white women. For Lana to insist that all these artists get free passes while she’s the marginalized one, whine whine, is tone-deaf and out-of-touch. It’s Alison Roman all over again, her voice rising in horror as she let us all know she’d sooner die than follow in the footsteps of Marie Kondo and Chrissy Teigen. That was really, really, really, really, dumb of her. Alison’s apology was also off-tone and dumb. Chrissy graciously accepted it, but of course all anyone wanted to talk about was the *jazz hands* FEUD.
White women: DON’T BE STUPID. F*cking think about the proper nouns you’re using during interviews or, Jesus Christ, in PUBLIC STATEMENTS YOU VOLUNTARILY RELEASE. Name-check white men (how many stupid things has stupid Guy Fieri put his name on?) or at the very least, fellow white women, my lord. Lana, that was just as dumb as the time you shuffled around the Coachella stage forlornly sucking on a cigarette.
But what wasn’t dumb was what she said after—she was, I believe, trying to criticize the industry and not the female pop stars she named. Do you honestly think she has a problem with Beyoncé shaking her perfect ass and singing, “He Monica Lewinski’d all on my gown”? I don’t. Read the rest of the statement. She writes, “I’m fed up with female writers and alt singers saying that I glamorize abuse when in reality I’m just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world.”
I’m just a glamorous person is an objectively hilarious line, but also, she speaks the truth! She’s allowed to write about her imperfect experiences and show herself in whatever the hell light she wants. I’m allowed to write about women f*cking up and trying their best and being vulnerable and struggling and showing their ugly sides, showing what’s beneath the perfect facade. We are, in the words of my fiery friend Paul, “in charge of own narrative.”
She writes, “There has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me…the kind of women who get their own stories and voices taken away from them by stronger women or by men who hate women.” The women who look like me part… give me a break. Now edit out the part where you claim all these other (mostly non-white) women get the free passes you don’t, but otherwise, I’m on board. Let’s show those angry “writers and alt singers” (of all genders!) that we won’t take the bait and put our fellow ladies down. Drop your cigarette. Write your poetry. Record songs that show yourself as messy and struggling and vulnerable of a light as you want. I still won’t listen to them, but I very much respect your right to make ‘em.
Images: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com; lanadelrey / Instagram
There have been many unfathomable changes in the last month, but out of all of them, who would’ve thought that we’d all come out of quarantine thinking Ellen DeGeneres is a sh*tty person? Well, to be fair, I kind of thought that before, but over the past month, it feels like the floodgates on negative press about Ellen have sprung a major leak.
First, there was the viral Twitter thread, in which dozens of people shared their personal anecdotes of Ellen being a nightmare. Then, last week, Ellen got raked over the online coals for a tone-deaf joke about her quarantine being like jail. But while that joke was in poor taste, even more concerning is a new report about how poorly her TV show crew has been treated during this time.
Speaking to Variety, two sources from within the show shared how the core Ellen crew—around 30 people—were essentially ghosted after production shut down last month. According to the sources, the crew “received no written communication about the status of their working hours, pay, or inquiries about their mental and physical health from producers for over a month.” When pressed for more information, “Higher-ups in production would occasionally answer phone calls but reveal little” about what was actually going on. Considering that I start to freak out if my mom doesn’t respond to my texts within five minutes, I’m not even sure what I would do if my bosses stopped talking to me for a month. Especially now, we should all be communicating more, not less.
Today I learned Ellen makes $50 million a year and the show has been around for 18 years aaaand her crew isn’t being paid adequately. Hmm.
— roxane gay (@rgay) April 17, 2020
As if the lack of communication wasn’t bad enough, things got worse when the Ellen higher-ups did start communicating again. Last week, as the show resumed production from home, the majority of the crew was told to “brace for a 60% reduction in pay.” Normally, the crew works four 10-hour days a week, but after the first couple weeks of the shutdown, those were reduced to eight hours. Now, the crew have been told that their pay will be cut to two eight-hour days a week, which is… just not enough money. Reached for comment, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television, which produces Ellen, said that they “have made decisions first and foremost with in mind,” but that seems apparently false.
In the past few weeks, production has ramped back up on Ellen, and DeGeneres is now doing a full five episodes a week from home. But while new episodes of Ellen are airing every day, the sources told Variety that only four of the core crew members are actively working on the at-home version. So it’s understandable that the rest of the crew was reportedly “incensed” when the show hired an “outside, non-union tech company” to handle the production.
While at the moment, it doesn’t sound like any crew members have been fired, hiring an outside company that isn’t unionized with the same skills as your long-time employees is a pretty major slap in the face. But above all this other nonsense, the sources say that the most upsetting part of all this is the “lack of personal outreach from show leadership to check on longtime employees” during this difficult time. I hate to say it, but this sounds pretty in line with some of the other stories we’ve heard about Ellen DeGeneres recently, no?
Obviously, this is a tough time financially for a lot of people, as well as a lot of businesses. Millions of people have been laid off or furloughed, and the entertainment industry is certainly not immune to this. But considering that Ellen DeGeneres makes $50 million a year from her TV deal, it seems like she could be doing a lot more for the people who work for her. When it comes to paying the crew, that obviously involves a lot of other people, but Ellen has the resources to actually do something about it. Variety reports that during Jimmy Kimmel’s initial shutdown, he paid his show’s stagehands with his own money. Obviously, not everyone can afford to do that for their employees, but um, Ellen can.
Or if she’s not going to give them money, you know, maybe a check-in phone call or a text would be nice? Just a thought! Gotta say, the last month has not done any favors for my opinion of Ellen DeGeneres. It’ll be interesting to see whether she cooks up some elaborate damage control PR campaign, but I have a feeling she’ll just go about her business like nothing is happening. The midwestern moms probably still love her, so that’s what really matters.
Images: David Crotty/Getty Images; rgay / Twitter
At this point into quarantine, I’m starting to think that celebrities are competing in a secret game of Who Wants To Be Dragged On Twitter. It feels like new famous people are coming out of the woodwork to be problematic, tone-deaf, or just plain dumb nearly every single day, and I honestly have to thank them for all the prime content. Just yesterday, we had Ellen DeGeneres getting dragged for making a joke about being in jail, but it’s already time to move on to today’s bad look. Today’s celebrity Twitter dragging is one Tori Spelling and the reason is totally ridiculous.
On Tuesday, Tori Spelling posted on Instagram, inviting her followers to a virtual meet-and-greet. The event, which is actually happening today, includes “live, individual video chat,” and allows you to “take virtual selfies” and download the full video after. Okay, fun! I’m not sure how a “virtual selfie” is any different from a regular screenshot, but getting to talk one-on-one with Tori Spelling is pretty cool, right? She said there were only 20 spots available, so it’s definitely an ~exclusive~ opportunity.
Well, Tori neglected to mention one important detail in her Instagram post. Upon going to the link, you can reserve your spot—for a cool $95 fee. LOL, in what f*cking world?! As a young millennial who’s never watched an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, I’m aware that I’m not the target audience for this, but like… is there even a target audience for this?
Based on the online reaction, I’m gonna say the answer is “not really.” First of all, Tori Spelling is not exactly at the pinnacle of her career right now. One tweet called her a D-List celebrity, and like, I don’t know about that, but I certainly wouldn’t pay almost $100 for a few minutes of small talk over a crappy internet connection and a screenshot with her.
$95…to take virtual selfies with TORI SPELLING Who in their right mind would do this?? It is clearly the end of days👇 #COVID19 #QuarantineLife https://t.co/CJYKkBKh7c
— Karen Huger’s Hair (@KarenHugersHair) April 8, 2020
Especially right now, so many celebrities are more accessible to their fans than ever, so charging that much for a virtual meet-and-greet feels ridiculous. Celebs are going live on Instagram every 10 minutes, making TikToks, and generally making more boredom-fueled content than we can consume. What makes Tori think that we’e all clamoring for a bit of time with her?
But Tori Spelling’s level of fame isn’t the main issue here. As you’re probably aware, there’s a little global pandemic happening right now. Millions of people have lost their jobs, the healthcare system and other essential parts of our society are under immense strain with resources in short supply, so there’s no shortage of worthy causes to donate to. While Tori Spelling’s financial issues have been incredibly public over the years, I’m pretty sure shelling out for her virtual meet-and-greet doesn’t count as a charitable donation. If you’re considering spending the $95, please go give that money to something worthwhile.
Since the mostly negative public response, Tori’s Instagram post has been deleted, but the site to sign up for the event is still live. Hopefully the die-hard Tori fans, wherever they are, will still be able to find it. The meet-and-greet is in just a few hours, but unsurprisingly, it looks like there are still spots available. Thank god! Funny enough, a video from Tori Spelling on Cameo is $100, so when you think about it, maybe $95 is actually a good deal?
Images: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com; torispelling / Instagram; karenhugershair / Twitter
Friends, we have trouble in paradise (or at least some bizarro trailer park version of paradise): TMZ is reporting that JWoww got a restraining order on estranged husband Roger Matthews (and kicked him out of the house) after an apparent altercation. Color me surprised to see the second drunkest Jersey Shore cast member appear in a story containing the phrases “estranged husband” and “restraining order.” Throw in some lotto scratch-offs, and you’ve got the white trash trifecta!
TMZ is light on details surrounding why JWoww got a restraining order, but we know for a fact that Roger did the worst thing possible: He used a sh*tload of Insta videos to plead his case where one video would probably suffice. I’d kick him out of the house for that, too. According to Roger, JWoww started the fight, getting “completely, uncontrollably emotional like she always does.” (He gaslights, too—this guy really does it all!) He says that he went home after the fight, only to be awakened by the cops. They informed him that he didn’t have to go home, but that he couldn’t stay there thanks to a newly minted restraining order. Rog picks things up from the back of his squad car escort:
There are like 50 more of these (like I said, what a prick!), eventually moving from the squad car to his friend’s couch. If what he says is true, it sounds like it got pretty nasty. Telling your kids (in front of their dad, no less) that you’re sorry you ever had children with him is extremely effed up!
As to what’s true and what isn’t, who knows? JWoww isn’t saying much. All I’ve seen is her latest Insta from an hour ago, which is clearly a statement from a lawyer or spokesperson:
“Any statements and social media posts depicting anything to the contrary are entirely false, misleading, and intentionally designed to cast Jenni in a negative light. She is proud to be a hardworking parent who provides for her children.” Ouch, JWoww. Way to hit a man right where it hurts!
What do I think? In one of his videos, Roger mentioned that he was there to see the kids since Jenni was leaving for work, “again.” My guess is that there was some dust-up over who brings home the bacon in this delightfully broken family. He bitched at her about always being on the road and ignoring the kids, and she shot back something about someone in the family having to work. Again, pure speculation, but we’re all thinking it. Or maybe I just watch too many movies.
The strangest part of this divorce and alleged altercation, to me, is that someone who made millions for being drunk and prone to conflict is exactly like that in real life!
Images: Shutterstock; rogermathewsnj, jwoww / Instagram
Celebrity scandals are what I live for. Okay, that is a slight exaggeration. But I love the thrill of knowing a new piece of gossip that lowers the level of perfection my fav celebrities have and makes them seem more human. 2017 was a pretty good year for celebrity scandals, but the celebrity scandals of 2018 did not disappoint. From feuds with the President to cheating scandals, 2018 was a dramatic AF year. Personally, I’m just glad it’s almost over. Then again, I said that about 2017, and 2018 turned out to be a way worse year. Well, whatever. I guess I have no way of knowing. Anyway, in no particular order, here were the biggest celebrity scandals of 2018.
1. Stormy Daniels Vs. Donald Trump
The year started off with a BANG. On January 12, the Wall Street Journal disclosed that Trump’s lawyer paid Stormy $130,000 of hush money a month before the 2016 elections. After this was publicized, it snowballed into a major scandal, as it always does when Trump is involved. In October, Stormy appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and disclosed some juicy gossip. If you want to know what the President’s penis looks like, I highly recommend watching it (if you haven’t already), or you can read this article where we broke it down. Or—and this is what I recommend—you could do neither and live your life in a relative state of bliss, never knowing the details of our president’s penis.
2. Tristan Thompson Cheatin
In April, a day before Khloé Kardashian gave birth to their daughter True, TMZ released videos of Tristan cheating on Koko. There had been rumors in the past of Tristan cheating, but it takes a real a**hole to cheat on his girlfriend WHILE SHE IS IN LABOR. While the couple has stayed rather hush-hush about the major scandal, Kim Kardashian (thank god) couldn’t keep her opinions to herself. She said, “I hate him. Sorry not sorry.” You bet I’m watching this season of KUWTK to see all the drama unfold.
3. Allison Mack Sex Trafficking Scandal
WTF. Former Smallville actress Allison Mack was charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and forced labor conspiracy for her involvement with the organization NXIVM. Women were recruited to join the alleged sex cult that was branded as “a female mentorship group that addressed their weaknesses.” Well, that’s one way to put it. She is currently out on a $5 million bond and under house arrest in her parents’ California home. And my parents wouldn’t even let me come home if I got a public urination ticket.
4. The Markle Family Drama
Every family has their fair share of drama when it comes time for a wedding. But Meghan and Harry’s wedding had a unique set of dramatic events. First, Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, started commenting on multiple “mistakes” she believes Meghan has been making. Rightfully so, Meghan decided the only family members to be invited to her wedding would be her father and mother. But wait, there’s more (obvs). After news broke that Meghan’s father staged photos for the paparazzi to take of him and earned some money, he decided he would not be attending the wedding “because he was getting heart surgery that same day”. I guess becoming a princess really isn’t as glamorous as I thought.
5. Kylie Jenner’s Secret Pregnancy
This list wouldn’t be complete without the most ULTIMATE secret celebrity pregnancy of all time. Although rumors started circulating in September 2017, Kylie’s pregnancy was not *officially* revealed until the birth of her daughter, Stormi, in February through an incredible video. But that didn’t stop fans from coming up with the most absurd theories for her pregnancy, including that she was Kim’s surrogate or her baby daddy was actually her bodyguard. Nonetheless, this was one of the biggest celebrity scandals of the year.
6. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B… Still
The drama between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj has been brewing since early 2017, but the real tea spilled at the Harper’s Bazaar ICONS party on September 7, 2018. A physical fight broke out at New York Fashion Week, where Cardi threw her heel at Nicki, but ended up with a bruise on her own face. Like, LMK how that happens. The feud is never-ending. It even led Cardi to post some nasty words about Nicki on Instagram. The timeline of their fight is too exhausting to even think about so read all the details here.
7. Roseanne, The Racist
Twitter tends to be the source of many large scandals these days, and TBH, I’m not mad about it. But the glory of the internet is that even though something may be deleted, we can always find it. On May 28th, Roseanne took to Twitter to address Valerie Jarett, Barack Obama’s adviser, and wrote “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj.” ABC worked fast and canceled her show revival immediately and released a statement explaining that her views do not align with theirs. She then got dropped by her talent agent and Roseanne reruns were no longer showed on Viacom channels. What did Roseanne have to say about this? She blames the tweets on the Ambien she had taken. Which literally nobody believed, and even the creators of Ambien clarified is not a real side effect.
People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.
— Sanofi US (@SanofiUS) May 30, 2018
When you get burned by a pharmaceutical company, take every seat.
Images: Giphy (2); @iamcardib / Instagram ; SanofiUS / Twitter
Wow, it’s been one hell of a year. With 2019 quickly approaching, what better way to ring in the new year than by reminiscing on the most shocking and dramatic celebrity breakups of 2018? I think we can all agree that Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson’s split was a major topic of conversation, so I won’t bore you with another article detailing their failed relationship. Instead, here is a list of the most newsworthy celebrity breakups in 2018 that you probably have forgotten about.
1. Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux
After a seven-year relationship, the two called it quits in February. Doesn’t that feel like a lifetime ago?? The couple got married in 2015 in a private ceremony. They released a joint statement sharing, “This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year.”
2. Becca Kufrin & Arie Luyendyk, Jr.
The. Most. Dramatic. Breakup. EVER. Not just of 2018. For those of you who may have forgotten (not sure how, though) Arie ended his engagement with Becca ON NATIONAL TV. TBH this seems like years ago, but the episode aired in March and it is hands down one of the most uncomfortable things you’ll ever watch.
3. Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez
This celebrity on-again, off-again couple was harder to keep up with than Kanye’s different scandals. After briefly rekindling their relationship at the end of 2017, Justin and Selena broke it off again in May. Bieber and Gomez won’t be getting back together anytime soon (we hope) since Bieber married Hailey Baldwin in September. But TBH, that relationship is difficult enough to follow along with.
4. Jenna Dewan & Channing Tatum
This one broke my heart. The gorgeous couple released a joint statement on Instagram in early April to announce one of the most unexpected and sad celebrity breakups of 2018.
5. Younes Bendjima & Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney has garnered quite the reputation when it comes to her relationships. Whether it’s drama surrounding her baby daddy, Scott Disick, or she’s dating younger men, like Younes, Kourtney continues to be a hot topic. Kourt and Younes split in August. But don’t fret, she’s already moved on to younger better things aka Luka Sabbat.
6. Jenni Farley & Roger Mathews
After three years of marriage and one month before their anniversary, the couple unexpectedly split. Mathews said, “My wife filed for divorce, it’s true…I don’t blame her. There’s no cheating or any dumb sh*t or any juicy details.” For once, no dramatic fights following this couple. But nonetheless, it’s one of the most shocking splits on the list. @Snooki, I’m hoping you are getting Jersey Shore drunk with your girl to help her heal.
7. G-Eazy & Halsey
After getting back together (again) in the summer, the couple called it quits “for good” in October. Now, you may be thinking “Nah, they’ll def get back together. They always do.” I’m afraid not. They unfollowed each other on Instagram. It’s pretty much official.
8. Kaitlyn Bristowe & Shawn Booth
Ah. Another Bachelor(ette) couple that didn’t last. But this one is v raw and I’m still in mourning. The two, unfortunately, broke up in October. Of course, their public statement was BS heartfelt. It includes the classic, “Even though we are parting as a couple, we’re very much committed to remaining friends.” Read the full statement here.
Images: Giphy (2); @jennadewan/Instagram.
