2023 HAS BEEN FULL OF CONTROVERSY
ES COMPOSITE
Another year, another slew of celebrity scandals and controversies to reflect on that proved truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
2023 was filled to the brim with outrageous scenarios from both sides of the pond, including Gwyneth Paltrow’s utterly surreal ski collision trial to the demise of Phillip Schofield’s daytime TV reign.
What else earns a spot on our list of 2023’s most gripping celebrity scandals? Read on to find out:
Gwyneth Paltrow Lost ‘A Half Day of Skiing’ OK?
Who knew that a minor accident on the slopes of the exclusive Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah could result in such gripping television? Definitely not us.
In March, the Oscar-winning actress won the civil lawsuit, brought by retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who alleged that she caused him lasting injuries after the two collided on the Utah slopes in 2016.
Ms Paltrow was cleared of all fault by a jury and awarded damages of one US dollar – the amount for which she had counterclaimed.
At the time, the two-week televised trial captured the attention of millions, sparking hilarious social commentary and many memed moments, none more so when the star whispered to Sanderson “I wish you well” after she won and when Paltrow was asked by his attorney to explain what the collision had cost her, “Well, I lost half a day of skiing”.
Scandoval
No one was expecting reality TV series Vanderpump Rules to deliver the drama it did in 2023. The Bravo show instantly became watercooler talk after original cast member Tom Sandoval cheated on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix, with their VPR co-star and BFF Raquel Leviss (now going by her given name Rachel).
While it’s not unusual for affairs to be uncovered and discovered on shows like this, it was the ripple effect Scandoval caused that threw many for a loop with viewers wholeheartedly on Madix’s side, after all it wasn’t just Ariana they betrayed – but longtime VPR fans.
The fallout has been mega for Sandoval, whose LA bars Tom Tom and Sandy & Schwartz have been affected greatly by his actions, as well as Leviss, who has stepped away from the spotlight to focus on her mental health.
While two of the main players grapple with the consequences, Madix and her co-stars are riding high on the opportunities given to them as a result. From a new sandwich shop, Scandoval-related merch, podcast appearances, and a stint on Dancing With The Stars, these Bravo stars have crossed into the mainstream.
The Idol’s Fall From Grace
On paper, the story about an aspiring pop star, Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and her “complex” relationship with a self-help guru and cult leader Tedros Tedros (The Weeknd) had all the makings of a gripping satire.
But by the time of its premier, it’s female director Amy Seimetz had been replaced and the story had morphed into something else entirely from the female lens it was supposed to be capturing.
Prior to its release the show found itself in hot water when Rolling Stone claimed that creators Sam Levinson and The Weeknd were presiding over a toxic workplace. A source told the outlet in March: “It went from satire to the thing it was satirising.”
It wasn’t the only thing the series came under fire for with critics calling the depiction of women in the show “extremely troubling” while others claimed that it played out a “rape fantasy” in certain story arcs.
Unsurprisingly after more drama was stirred around the series rather then in it, HBO cancelled the show after its five-episode season.
Jada Pinkett Smith Holds Nothing Back
It’s turns out that Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in 2022 was just the tip of the iceberg for him and Jada Pinkett Smith.
While promoting her memoir, Worthy, in October, the Matrix star revealed that she and Smith had in fact been separated for years before that moment – and claimed that Rock asked her out during that time as headlines swirled about the state of her and Will’s marriage.
Despite them being separated since 2016, she said that they won’t be legally divorcing. Aside from their relationship her book covered her rebellious youth in Baltimore, her relationship with Tupac Shakur and suicidal depression.
Britney Spears vs. Everyone
Britney Spears made sure to speak her truth in 2023 when she released her highly anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me.
The autobiography generated headlines for days as she regaled tales about her fling with Colin Farrell, how she was almost cast in The Notebook, her conservatorship battle and detailed her tumultuous relationship with Justin Timberlake.
But no moment was as memorable or meme-able as when she recalled Timberlake meeting Ginuwine on the streets of New York for the first time… “fo’ shiz fo’ shiz!” will forever be seared into our brains.
Drew Barrymore Goes Against The WGA
Drew Barrymore had won over many with her kooky self-titled talk show. Yet, that tide quickly turned when the show’s network announced that the fourth season of her series would return to air in September, despite the ongoing writers’ strike.
Following the announcement, the Hollywood star took to Instagram and shared in a video, “I own this choice” as WGA members announced that it would picket the production.
Quickly after sharing her social media post, Barrymore was dropped from hosting The National Book Awards and condemned by many of her peers for undermining union solidarity. Within days, the actress did a 180 and insisted she would not bring her show back until the strike ended.
However, the damage was already done and three of her head writers reportedly quit the series.
Prince Harry’s Memoir
In January, Prince Harry commanded headlines when he released his bombshell autobiography, Spare.
The Duke of Sussex’s controversial memoir became the fastest selling non-fiction book ever when it was finally published and included shocking allegations that the Prince of Wales physically attacked him, that the King put his own interests above Harry’s. He also detailed drug use, his sex life and caused controversy by revealing the number of people he had killed in the armed forces in Afghanistan.
Following its release, the royal admitted he had enough material for two books but held back because he didn’t think his father and brother would “ever forgive” him if the content had been included.
Phillip Schofield’s This Morning Exit
Nothing gripped the nation this year quite like Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s reign as the nation’s King and Queen of Daytime TV ending after 14 years of hosting This Morning.
Back in May, it was first reported Schofield and Willoughby were “barely speaking” after he took leave while his brother Timothy was on trial for child sex offences. When the broadcaster returned from his extended Easter Break, Willoughby was noticeably absent, citing shingles.
Despite their attempts to put on a united front in the weeks after, things were about to change forever for the pair, who had long referred to each other as each other’s “best friend”.
Schofield’s fall from grace was swift after he admitted to “an unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male colleague while still married to his wife and losing his talent representation before departing from ITV altogether. Following the broadcaster’s departure in May, Willoughby tried to keep the show on the road, but ultimately departed the series in October to spend more time “for me and my family”.
Although Schofield has bid adieu to the network, ITV’s managing director for media and entertainment Kevin Lygo has said Willoughby “remains a much-loved member of the ITV family” and that he hopes to work with her in the future. Only time will tell if she does.
The Beckhams Open Old Wounds
Despite being one of the most famous families in the world, the Beckhams are pros at retaining their privacy. So, it came as a surprise that the former footballer decided to speak about the effects of his alleged affair with Rebecca Loos for the first time in his self-titled documentary, Beckham.
The four-part Netflix series gave fans a glimpse of David and Victoria’s near 25-year relationship; the inseparable early days, the constant press interest and most tellingly how they coped with his cheating allegations 20 years ago.
Back then, Loos was hired as David Beckham’s PA when he relocated to Spain to play for Real Madrid in 2003, while Victoria remained in the UK with their two young sons, Brooklyn and Romeo.
The Beckhams have always vehemently denied the infidelity allegations, though spoke about the effect they had on their relationship with Victoria admitting the headlines in the months that followed made them the “hardest” of her life, and says she felt the couple no longer “had each other.”
Meanwhile, David recalled how he “felt physically sick every day” while his marriage was suffering.
In response to the scandal being addressed in the doc, Loos, who is now a yoga teacher in Norway, hit out at Beckham, claiming he portrayed himself “as the victim” and he needed to “take responsibility” for his actions.
Danny Masterson Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison
Back in September, That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women he met through the Church of Scientology.
The actor and prominent Scientologist, 47, who starred in the retro TV comedy for eight seasons until 2006, was convicted in June in a second trial. A jury deadlocked on a charge that he raped a third woman. Masterson’s accusers said the Church of Scientology discouraged them from contacting law enforcement. Although the organisation denied that claim and said Masterson’s religion should not have been an issue in the case.
The women said Masterson drugged and raped them in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003 at his house in the Hollywood Hills.
The crimes occured when Masterson was at the height of his fame, as Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show — the nostalgic comedy that made stars of Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace.
The three women said he used his prominence in the church — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for years.
The women testified that when they reported Masterson to church officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing.
The two women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said that in 2003, he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them. He knew both from social circles in the church.
Two weeks following his sentencing, his wife, Bijou Phillips filed for divorce after 12-years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences”.
