“I’m So In Love With My Brother”: 20 Celebrity Scandals You Totally Forgot About
Some call it intrusive, others say it’s just the price of fame—but let’s be honest: there’s something undeniably captivating about celebrity scandals. Maybe it’s because we tend to put stars on pedestals, imagining they live perfect, drama-free lives. So when the curtain gets pulled back and their personal mess spills into the public, it feels… strangely relatable. Like, “Oh, they’re just as messy as the rest of us.”
Whether it’s feuds that turned friendships into firestorms, arrests that shook fanbases, or jaw-dropping confessions that made headlines for weeks—celebrity scandals have always been part of pop culture’s DNA. But as fast as the news cycle moves, many of these moments were quickly buried under the next viral controversy. Some incidents were quietly swept under the rug, while others faded with time, especially in the pre-social media days when nothing lived forever online.
Let’s be real: if some of these stories happened today, they’d be blowing up on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and every gossip blog imaginable. Think think-pieces, fan wars, hashtags, and probably a couple of apology videos, too.
So in this list, we’re dusting off the drama and revisiting 20 shocking celebrity scandals—from bizarre love confessions to explosive feuds and everything in between—that once had everyone talking but have since slipped through the cracks of pop culture memory.
These aren’t just scandals—they’re a reminder that behind every perfect red carpet photo is a human being with flaws, regrets, and sometimes really bad judgment. Ready to take a walk down memory lane? Let’s dive in.
#1 Neil Patrick Harris And David Burkta’s Amy Winehouse Food Platter
Just three months after the heartbreaking death of Amy Winehouse in 2011, Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, hosted a Halloween party that would later stir serious controversy. At the event, they featured a buffet platter disturbingly designed to resemble the late singer’s corpse—a move that many found deeply insensitive.
Although the incident flew under the radar at the time, it resurfaced in 2022 when photos of the platter began circulating online. Faced with public backlash, Harris issued an apology, acknowledging the tastelessness of the display and expressing regret for the hurt it caused.
“It was regrettable then, and it remains regrettable now,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent, and I’m sorry for any hurt this image caused.”
#2 Sandra Bullock’s Cheating Ex
Shortly after Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for The Blind Side in 2009, her then-husband Jesse James was exposed for cheating. Multiple women came forward claiming they had affairs with him, leading to a very public and painful split.
“Yeah, I did cheat on my wife,” Jesse admitted to The Daily Mail in 2017. “I stood up and took accountability for it and apologized. And that’s the end of the story.
“I think it was having 50 or 60 or paparazzi outside my house for five or six months,” he recalled. “That was not a good feeling.”
Sandra and Jesse had begun the adoption process for their son, Louis, before the cheating scandal broke. After filing for divorce, Sandra finalized the adoption on her own and raised Louis as a single mom.
#3 Angelina Jolie Kissing Her Brother On The Lips
Angelina kissed her brother James on the lips after winning her first Oscar for Girl, Interrupted.
“I’m so in love with my brother right now,” she said during her acceptance speech. “He just held me and said he loved me, and I know he’s so happy for me. And, um, thank you for that.”
When asked about the controversial moment during an interview with People, Angelina said, “We’re the best of friends. And it wasn’t some odd open-mouthed kiss. It was disappointing that something so beautiful and pure could be turned into a circus.”
Angelina and her older brother have kissed on other occasions.
#4 Jon Hamm Assaulting A Student In College
In 1991, the Mad Men actor was charged with assault after participating in a violent group attack at the University of Texas-Austin.
The victim, a Sigma Nu pledge named Mark Allen Sanders, claimed that Jon Hamm and six other fraternity members beat him, shoved his face into the dirt, set his pants on fire, and led him around “with the claw of a hammer beneath his genitals.”
Sanders stated that Jon participated “till the very end.”
The lawsuit was ultimately dropped in 1993.
When Jon addressed the incident during an 2018 interview with Esquire, he referred to it as a “bummer” and said it had been “sensationalized.”
#5 Kenneth Branagh Cheating On Emma Thompson With Helena Bonham Carter
Dubbed the “golden couple” by the British press, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson married in 1989 and starred together in several films, including Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing.
In 1995, they announced their separation, initially blaming hectic work schedules. However, it was later revealed that Kenneth had an affair with Helena Bonham Carter.
Kenneth and Helena met on the set of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1994 and began dating publicly after his divorce from Thompson.
“I was utterly, utterly blind to the fact that he had relationships with other women on set,” Emma said in 2022.
“What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to deceive yourself.”
#6 Alec Baldwin Calling His Daughter A “Little Pig”
In a leaked voicemail, Alec Baldwin called his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, a “rude, thoughtless little pig” after she missed a scheduled phone call.
The outburst happened during his messy divorce and custody battle with Kim Basinger.
In 2019, Ireland addressed the incident with humor while speaking at her father’s Comedy Central Roast.
“Dad, I’m Ireland,” the model introduced herself to the 30 Rock actor. “I almost didn’t even know about it, because I haven’t checked my voicemails for the last 12 years.
“Mission: Impossible is what I call getting my dad to apologize,” she added.
#7 Billy Bob Thornton Dumping Laura Dern For Angelina Jolie
In 1999, Billy Bob Thornton was dating Laura Dern—until he suddenly ghosted her and married his Pushing Tin co-star, Angelina Jolie, shortly after.
“I left our home to work on a movie, and while I was away, my boyfriend got married, and I’ve never heard from him again,” Laura said in 2000.
Billy Bob Thornton has been married six times, including to Lara Croft star Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003.
The couple was known for their eccentric displays of affection—most notably, wearing clear lockets that held a drop of each other’s blood.
#8 Jussie Smollett’s Hate Crime Hoax
The 42-year-old actor claimed he was the victim of a hate crime, but police later determined he had staged the attack with two acquaintances for publicity.
Jussie Smollett alleged he was assaulted outside his apartment and targeted with racial and homophobic slurs.
He was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on January 29, 2019, and released later that day in good condition.
The Empire star was sentenced to 150 days in county jail and two and a half years of probation for filing false police reports. He has continued to deny staging the attack.
#9 Jennifer Grey And Matthew Broderick’s Car Crash
In 1987, Jennifer Grey and her then-boyfriend, Matthew Broderick, were involved in a tragic car crash in Northern Ireland that killed a mother and daughter.
Matthew, who was driving a rented BMW, veered into the wrong lane and collided head-on with a Volvo. He was later convicted of careless driving and fined $175.
The accident occurred just weeks before the release of Jennifer’s breakout film, Dirty Dancing.
In 2022, the actress described the car accident as the most traumatic experience of her life. “[Matthew] was a great driver, and nobody was drinking. It was just an accident. And it was tragic, and I think about the family in Ireland all the time.”
#10 Johnny Cash Setting A Forest On Fire And Destroying 53 Condors
The singer’s camper erupted into flames in 1965 in Los Padres National Forest in California, “destroying foliage on three mountains and roasting, into near extinction, 49 of the area’s 53 endangered California condors,” as per LA Weekly.
When questioned by a judge, Johnny Cash defiantly responded, “I didn’t do it, my truck did and it’s dead, so you can’t question it.”
When asked about the damage to local wildlife, he snapped, “I don’t care about your d*mn yellow buzzards.”
Cash blamed the incident on sparks from a faulty exhaust system and later settled the case for $82,000.
#11 Vanessa Williams Resigning Her Miss America Title
In 1983, Vanessa Williams made history as the first African American to win the Miss America pageant. But just 10 months later, she was forced to resign after Penthouse published unauthorized nude photos of her.
The photographer had assured the then-21-year-old that the images would never be released.
Despite the scandal, Vanessa bounced back with a successful career in TV, film, and music—earning multiple Grammy nominations for her albums The Comfort Zone and The Sweetest Days.
In 2016, the Miss America Organization formally apologized for how they handled the situation.
“I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be,” expressed Sam Haskell, the former CEO of the Miss America pageant.
#12 Matthew Mcconaughey’s Midnight Bongo Scandal
In 1999, Matthew McConaughey was arrested and charged with resisting transportation after police responded to a noise complaint at his home.
The actor had reportedly decided to unwind by getting naked, opening the windows, and smoking mari*uana.
He began listening to “the beautiful African melodic beats of Henri Dikongué,” as he described, and playing along on bongo drums. The time was 2:30 a.m.
“What I didn’t know was that while I was banging away in my bliss, two Austin policemen also thought it was time to barge into my house unannounced, wrestle me to the ground with nightsticks, handcuff me, and pin me to the floor.”
The actor would eventually only have to pay a $50 fine.
#13 Russell Crowe’s Arrest After Assaulting A Hotel Employee
The Hollywood actor was arrested at a SoHo hotel in 2005 after throwing a telephone at a hotel clerk when he couldn’t get a call through to his wife in Australia.
The criminal complaint stated that Russell “admitted that he picked up the phone and threw it at an informant because he was angry,” as per the New York Times.
He was charged with second-degree assault but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, allowing him to avoid prison time.
#14 Kristen Stewart Cheating On Robert Pattinson
Few people remember that Kristen Stewart cheated on her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson with director Rupert Sanders, who was married at the time.
In an interview with Howard Stern, Kristen opened up about the scandal and the paparazzi photos showing her kissing Sanders during the filming of Snow White and the Huntsman in 2012.
“I did not f**k him,” she clarified to Howard, adding that when “you make out with a dude in public, it definitely looks like you did.”
Kristen believes the scandal is the reason she wasn’t cast in the Snow White sequel, The Huntsman: Winter’s War.
“They didn’t put me in that movie because I went through such a highly publicized scandal, and so they were scared of touching that.”
#15 Orlando Bloom And Justin Bieber’s Feud
In 2014, Justin Bieber and Orlando Bloom got into a heated altercation at a restaurant in Ibiza, Spain. Justin allegedly approached Orlando and shouted, “What’s up, b*tch?” prompting the actor to throw a punch.
Justin quickly fled the scene.
The tension reportedly stemmed from Justin getting close to Orlando’s then-wife, model Miranda Kerr, after the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Following the fight, the Canadian star threw gasoline on the fire by posting—and then quickly deleting—a photo of Miranda, as per TMZ.
#16 Christian Slater’s Arrest For Harassing A Woman
Christian spent 100 days in rehab, followed by three months in prison, for assaulting his then-girlfriend and a police officer, as per Complex.
Christian Slater was sentenced to 10 days in prison in the 1980s for driving under the influence and assault. In the 1990s, he served 90 days in jail, completed three months of rehab, and spent a year in a treatment program after assaulting his girlfriend.
In 2005, he was arrested again for harassment after allegedly groping a woman while intoxicated.
When asked about his past behavior during the Me Too era, he lashed out at a reporter, calling him a “salacious c*nt” and added, “The question of regret is hard for me to reckon with.”
#17 Owen Wilson’s Being Absent From His Daughter’s Life
Owen Wilson’s ex-girlfriend, Varunie Vongsvirates, called it “ironic” that the 56-year-old actor frequently plays father roles in movies, saying, “He’s playing a father in his new movie, and he’s never met his own daughter.”
An insider told Us Weekly that Owen “does not want to visit and does not want custody of her.”
In addition to Lyla, born in 2018, Owen Wilson has two sons: Robert, with ex-partner Jade Duell, and Finn, with Caroline Lindqvist.
Speaking with Esquire in 2021, he said that he has the boys on a “single-dad schedule.”
In 2019, Varunie Vongsvirates revealed that Owen “helps financially, but it’s never been about that,” emphasizing that “Lyla needs a father.” She and Owen reportedly dated for five years before their split.
#18 Winona Ryder’s Shoplifting Incident
In 2001, Winona Ryder was accused of shoplifting $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
“I didn’t have this tremendous sense of guilt, because I hadn’t hurt anyone,” said the Golden Globe winner, who was convicted of grand theft and shoplifting.
“Had I physically harmed someone or caused harm to a human being, I think it would have been an entirely different experience.”
Winona said the painkillers she was taking at the time left her in a state of confusion.
The Age of Innocence star shared that incident “in a very weird way, was a blessing, because I couldn’t do that [painkiller] anymore.”
After resolving her legal troubles, Winona Ryder relocated to San Francisco to be closer to her parents and took a four-year break from acting.
#19 Mariah Carey’s 2001 Public Breakdown
Mariah Carey made a surprise appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live, rolling in with an ice cream cart to promote her single Loverboy.
Wearing a long t-shirt with the song’s name, she shocked host Carson Daly—who seemed genuinely confused—as she stripped it off mid-show to reveal gold shorts and a green tank top. “What are you doing?” he exclaimed, clearly caught off guard.
“Mariah Carey is stripping on TRL right now,” Carson declared. “Is it my birthday, and I didn’t know about it?”
In 2001, the star’s publicist confirmed she had an “emotional and physical breakdown” after her TRL appearance. (Mariah later attributed the stress to her “relentless” schedule.)
The clip recently resurfaced and went viral on social media, with many viewers questioning why Mariah Carey was portrayed as “unhinged.” Some accused Carson Daly of setting her up, claiming he pretended she was crashing the show—when, in fact, her appearance had reportedly been scheduled in advance.
#20 Ben Affleck’s Slave-Owning Ancestor
Ben asked PBS to remove his relative, Benjamin Cole, from a TV program exploring his family tree. Cole was his great-great-great grandfather, who owned at least two dozen slaves in the mid-19th century.
“I didn’t want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves,” the Argo star wrote in a Facebook post in 2015. “I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth.”
He continued: “We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors, and the degree of interest in this story suggests that we are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery.”
In 2022, Ben Affleck sparked fresh controversy when he married Jennifer Lopez at his $8.9 million Georgia mansion—an estate built in 2000 and designed to resemble a Southern plantation.
