
Biggie wasn't lying when he said, "Mo money, mo problems." Whenever there's money involved in any way, there's the potential for a whole lot of drama. Suffice to say, that means the rich and famous often find themselves at the center of legal drama. Whether they're being sued or suing someone else, lots of celebrities have been involved in sensational lawsuits. From libel and copyright issues to domestic violence and sexual assault, so many stars have ended up in the middle of a dramatic trial throughout the years.
Sometimes, it's absolutely shocking to find out the disturbing legal troubles some of our favorite celebrities have gotten themselves into, and in other cases, we end up super proud of them for standing up for what is good and right. Either way, celebrity lawsuits usually end up splashed across our newsfeeds, the Instagram explore page, and Twitter.
In fact, huge celebs, including Johnny Depp, the Kardashians, and Taylor Swift, can't seem to keep themselves out of the headlines related to their legal woes, and well … the public just can't help watching as it all plays out. In case you've missed some of the majorly scandalous celebrity lawsuits that have happened over the years, we're sharing the details on more than 20 of them right here.
The Kardashians & Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna, Rob Kardashian's ex and the mother of his daughter, sued him, his mom, and his sisters for upwards of $100 million on the grounds that they've caused her financial hardship due to the TV series Rob & Chyna being canceled amid her split from Rob. Over the course of the trial, tons of shocking allegations of violent and abusive behavior surfaced, with both sides making accusations.
Johnny Depp & Amber Heard
Large chunks of the defamation trial between actors and ex-spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were televised, so people from around the world tuned in to hear the often-disturbing claims made by both Johnny and Amber. Everything from substance abuse to suicide came up during the trial, and both Amber and Johnny were accused of using their acting skills to bolster their stories.
Britney Spears & Jamie Spears
Early in 2022, Britney Spears petitioned a court to block her father, Jamie Spears, from using her money to pay for the legal fees he's accrued during the investigation into his alleged "misconduct" and "self-dealing" throughout his conservatorship over Britney, which lasted for almost 14 years. Britney and her lawyer claimed that Jamie already "siphoned" more than $6 million of her money and that he should "consider hiring other, less expensive counsel whom he can afford." Shots fired.
Sofia Vergara & Nick Loeb
After Sofia Vergara and her ex-fiancé Nick Loeb split up, Sofia filed legal documents in the hopes of blocking him from being able to use the pre-embryos they had frozen after they underwent in vitro fertilization together. It was essentially a custody battle, and it went on for years. Finally, in 2021, the court sided with Sofia and granted her a permanent injunction preventing Nick from attempting "to create a child without the explicit written permission of the other person."
Taylor Swift & David Mueller

In 2015, radio DJ David Mueller sued Taylor Swift for $3 million, claiming that accusations she made about him reaching under her skirt and groping her during a meet-and-greet were false. Weeks later, Taylor filed a countersuit against him, and after a nine-day trial, she won. Her suit was only for $1, but she did it to make a statement and set a precedent.
Travis Scott & the 'Astroworld' Victims
After the tragic crowd stampede at rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival in November 2021, individuals who were injured at the festival, along with family members of the people who died during the event, sued Travis and fellow performer Drake for $740 million. The lawsuit claimed that Travis "glorifies violence" and accused the performers of "gross negligence." This was in addition to a number of other smaller lawsuits.
Shia LaBeouf & FKA Twigs
In 2020, musician FKA Twigs sued actor Shia LaBeouf, with whom she had been in a romantic relationship, accusing him of "sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress." Shia in turn denied nothing. "I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say," he told The New York Times (via Reuters).
Kelly Clarkson & Starstruck Management
There is so much drama with this one. Kelly Clarkson was evidently represented by her ex-husband's father's company, Starstruck Management Group, for years. In the midst of their divorce, the company sued Kelly for the $1.4 million it said she owed in commissions. Kelly then countersued, accusing Starstruck of "procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements," which she said violated the California Labor Code.
"It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings," her ex-father-in-law, Narvel Blackstock, said in a statement. It's unclear what the status of that suit is, but Kelly's divorce was recently finalized with a settlement in which she'll pay her ex $1.3 million. Interesting.
Meghan Markle & Associated Newspapers
In 2019, before she and her husband, Prince Harry, stepped down from their royal duties, Meghan Markle filed a lawsuit against Associated Papers, which owns the Daily Mail, after it published a private letter between the Duchess of Sussex and her estranged father, Thomas Markle. She sued the company for copyright infringement, misuse of private information, and breaching the UK Data Protection Act. In the end, the court sided with Meghan, and Associated Newspapers was ordered to pay her damages. The company filed an appeal asking for a trial, and that was denied, too.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi, & Edelson PC

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne's legal troubles just keep getting bigger. When she split from Tom Girardi, they were both accused of getting divorced as a means to embezzle money. Now Erika is being sued for $55 million by the law firm Edelson PC, on the grounds that she acted as the "frontwoman" in Tom's racketeering scheme.
"Indeed, the Girardi Keese firm operated what we now know was the largest criminal racketeering enterprise in the history of plaintiffs' law," the legal documents assert. Edelson PC also says Erika "displayed a nationwide showroom of the money they stole on Real Housewives."
Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop, & the State of California

The lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow's "wellness" company Goop happened so fast that a lot of people never even heard about it. In 2018, a group of prosecutors from California sued Gwyneth and Goop for selling $66 "vaginal eggs" they falsely claimed balanced hormones, regulated menstrual cycles, and increased bladder control.
The suit was filed on a Friday and settled for $145,000 the following Tuesday. The settlement also stipulated that Goop not make in the future "any claims regarding the efficacy or effects of any of its products without possessing competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the claims."
Janice Dickinson & Bill Cosby

TV personality and former supermodel Janice Dickinson sued comedian and sex offender Bill Cosby in 2015 after she accused him of sexually assualting her back in the 1980s, and in response, he claimed that she was a "liar." Janice later testified in another woman's case against Bill, who ultimately ended up in prison. In 2019, Janice revealed that she had reached a settlement in the defamation suit she filed against the comedian.
Kendall Jenner & Gregory Messer
Remember that whole Fyre Festival disaster? It was absolutely wild, and believe it or not, Kendall Jenner ended up paying for it. That's right, Kendall had actually been paid to promote the doomed festival, which resulted in her being sued for $275,000 by Gregory Messer, a trustee of the festival's creditors. She ended up settling the lawsuit for $90,000.
Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan, & Harvey Weinstein

Disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein's career went down in flames when in 2017, dozens of women came forward with stories of abuse and sexual assault at his hands, essentially launching the #MeToo movement. Among the accusers were actors Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd, who each filed separate lawsuits against him.
Although about 40 women ended up settling their cases, Rose and Ashley did not. Rose's case was dismissed in late 2021 because she reportedly failed to meet a deadline. Though Ashley's case was paused by a judge in 2019, she ultimately won an appeal on her sexual harassment case against Harvey.
Kate Middleton & 'Closer' Magazine

No, the Duchess of Cambridge is not as squeaky clean as she looks. Kate Middleton ended up suing the French publication Closer after it not only took, but published topless photos of her sunbathing while on vacation. Well, technically, the entire royal family sued the magazine, and they won. Closer had to pay $119,000 in damages, and the editor and owner each had to pay additional amounts.
Kesha & Dr. Luke
Songwriter Kesha quite publicly sued music producer Dr. Luke for sexual, emotional, and physical abuse in 2014. Insanely, the case was still ongoing in 2022. Dr. Luke in turn sued her for defamation, and Kesha actually lost an appeal in that case in March 2022, based on a new free speech law in the state of New York.
Keira Knightley & 'Daily Mail'

Actress Keira Knightley sued the Daily Mail over a story it published in 2007 about a 19-year-old woman with anorexia who died. The outlet claimed that Keira also had anorexia, and that her thin figure contributed to the other woman's death. Keira ended up winning £3,000 in libel damages and she donated the money to charity.
Nicolas Cage & Kathleen Turner

This one is pretty interesting. Nicolas Cage sued fellow actor Kathleen Turner, who made what he said were false claims about him in her autobiography, which was published in 2008. In the book, she wrote that he had been "arrested twice for drunk driving and for stealing a dog," a claim which Nic's team alleged was entirely false. He won the case, which resulted in Kathleen and her publishing company issuing an apology, paying his legal costs, and making a charitable donation in his name.
Jussie Smollett & the City of Chicago

At this point, most of us know that actor Jussie Smollett served time in jail after it came to light that he staged a hate crime against himself, and he was charged with five out of six counts of disorderly conduct. He was subsequently released from jail pending an appeal. Now the City of Chicago is suing the actor in an attempt to recoup the $130,000 it says it spent on the investigation into the fake attack.
Marilyn Manson & Several Women

In 2021, Marilyn Manson was accused of sexual assault by several women. One unidentified woman accused him of rape, but that lawsuit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. Around the same time, his former assistant accused him of sexual assault, battery, and harassment, and filed a lawsuit, which was followed by additional lawsuits from actor Esme Bianco and Marilyn's former fiancée, Evan Rachel Wood. Marilyn has denied all of the allegations, and has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Evan.
Scarlett Johansson & Disney

The public was taken aback when they learned that Scarlett Johansson had sued Disney for breaching her Black Widow contract, after the company released the film on Disney+, allegedly cutting off its potential box office earnings, which Scarlett claimed affected the amount of money she would make for the film. Disney hit back, saying the lawsuit was "especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," and revealing that Scarlett was paid $20 million for the film.
Why would she be unhappy with that? Well, it's really the principle of the matter. Her contract stipulated that her potential earnings could be far greater depending on box office performance, which was stunted by Disney's decision. Letting companies get away with that kind of thing isn't OK. Disney and Scarlett ended up agreeing on a settlement, and have said they look forward to working together on future projects.