Though actors and musicians like Angelina Jolie, Cardi B, and Matthew Broderick may be associated with their achievements on stage and screen, their fame and fortune only tell half the story. Case in point? Each of their once-shocking scandals we've all but forgotten about.
From Tim Allen's criminal past to Sylvester Stallone's unconventional early role, here are 20 bizarre celebrity scandals you entirely forgot about.
1
“NBA player J.R. Smith was responsible for causing an automobile incident which killed his friend and injured two others, Smith went on to only serve 30 days in jail.”
2
“In 1992, Singer Sinéad O'Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a performance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ to protest the abuse of children within the Catholic Church. It was extremely controversial at the time and she was heavily criticised in the media.”
3
“There is an entire generation that watches Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, not remembering that Snoop Dogg was once on trial for murder - yet between the two of them, Martha Stewart was the one who went to prison.”
4
“I'm sure most people have forgotten about what [Robert Downey Jr.] was like before Iron Man. Probably the best redemption story of all time if we're being honest: going from a coke and alcohol addict who's wife left him while he was facing 10+ years in jail time, to being the star of the highest grossing movie of all time and beloved by millions worldwide.”
5
“Stephen Collins, the father from 7th Heaven (Eric Camden), admitted to … abusing minors between 1973 and 1994. He is now 72 and married to a 32 year old super fan. He essentially went unpunished.”
6
In 2019, artist Cardi B came under fire after admitting that she used to “drug [clients] up and I’d rob them” while working as a dancer before her music career took off.
7
“Mark Wahlberg was a violent racist bully in the 80's. He purposely yelled racial slurs and threw rocks at black people. He also beat a Vietnamese man in public.”
8
Though Tiger Woods may be revered as one of the PGA’s most iconic players, he too, has had his fair share of scandal. In 2009, Woods was caught cheating on then wife Elin Nordegren with several women. The pro athlete ultimately sought treatment, checking into a program for s—x addiction.
9
“Matthew McConaughey was arrested in 1999 for getting really high and playing the bongos while n—d at 3 AM.”
10
“The guy who played Mr. Mosby on Suite Life of Zack and Cody hit and killed a woman when he was drunk driving.”
11
“Matthew Broderick killed 2 people by driving on the wrong side of the road. He was fined $150.”
12
Jeffrey Jones, best known for his role in ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ is a registered s-x offender. Despite being arrested in 2002, he has appeared in several films and TV series.
13
Angelina Jolie and her brother, James Haven, sparked backlash after they were caught kissing on the lips after attending the 2000 Academy Awards. Despite the arched eyebrows of critics, Jolie assured fans it was no more than a display of “brotherly” love, noting that her “parents really loved that moment, and that’s what will always matter.”
14
Considering his starring role in the 'Rocky' franchise, several fans were shocked to discover that Sylvester Stallone appeared in an adult film early in his career, a decision he said stemmed from desperation. "It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end—at the very end—of my rope,” Stallone said of the 1970 film, one he purported would warrant a measly PG rating by modern standards. “Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station".
15
“[In 2013] Justin Bieber visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam and wrote in the guestbook that he hoped Frank "would have been a Belieber"
16
“Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year old cousin while his divorce to his wife was not final. Also, there are reports his 13 year old bride Myra Gale Brown still believed in Santa.”
17
“Tim Allen went to prison in '78 for smuggling over a pound of cocaine through the airport.”
18
“Rob Lowe once made a s-x tape with a 16 year old girl and his punishment was 20 hours of community service.”
19
In July 2015, Ariana Grande found herself embroiled scandal after leaked security footage depicted her licking a donut on display at a donut shop before saying “I f—g hate Americans, I hate America".
20
While most commonly associated with his eponymous sitcom, Jerry Seinfeld sparked controversy in the mid ‘90s after it was revealed he had started dating 17-year-old high schooler Shoshanna Lonstein when he was 38.
